Speech classes

[Mystic]

So I'm thinking about taking up a late spring speech class that is a requirement for me anyways (but I've been putting it off because of how nervous I get/will get.) Does anyone have any tips on how to make this easier?
I previously took the class last winter so I know what to expect, but I dropped out due to my anxiety standing infront of a group of people and speaking. My voice would start getting very shaky and so would my hands. I want to get this done and over with so any tips and/or advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[smhufflepuff]

My #1 piece of advice to help you through this class and the rest of your life (public speaking comes up at some point in many jobs too): if it's a college class, most colleges/universities have a student counseling center (ie, different from advisement center) and they can walk you through some anxiety reduction techniques that are tailored for your specific situation.

Quick back-up plans are: talk to your doctor and get some beta-blockers (if medically okay for you) that'll get you through the handful of speeches.
Talk to your professor/teacher and see what his/her advice is. Funny enough, sometimes, just letting the person in charge of the class know what's going on for you can be helpful in ways you wouldn't anticipate. Chances are, they've helped a bunch of other people through the same situation in which you find yourself. Then again, some folks are jerks -- not many, but if your prof is one of those, go with your gut and don't clue them in.

I'd ignore those weird sayings like: "just picture your audience in their underwear." I think that only helps on The Brady Bunch.

 

[ChilliPepper]

The best advice I can give you is to choose topics you are passionate aabout, prepare in advance, and practice at least five times on your own. Read your speeches through in script format, then pare down to an outline format for the actual speech. The more comfortable you are with your material the better your chances of making.it through. In my class we had to do 3 major speeches, an informative, persuasive and a short story. I did my story on how my cat got his name. My informative was on use of.animals as therapy aids. My persuasive was anti breed specific law. Notice the trend? I stayed in my comfort zone and Lucy loved all the attention as I used her as my audience. She was my.therapy dog in a sense as I read and rehearsed my speeches.

 

[Airyn]

Oh do I feel your pain! I waited until the last possible moment to take a public speaking class in college for the same reason. After years of being petrified, I wound up in a job where I'm required to give an hour long presentation every year... to a team of 30+ ex-military, corporate professionals who speak for a living! I seriously thought I was going to crumble into a ball and die the first year they told me I was giving a presentation. The fear hasn't gone away yet, far from it, but this is what I wound up doing to minimize my anxiety and improve my speaking skills. Some of these tips are from a keynote speaker/speech professor whom I work with.

1. Practice in front of a mirror at least 3 times
   
2. Practice on video so that you can see what you're doing right and can target areas that need improvement
   
3. Practice in front of at least one friend or loved one who will be honest with you on the positives first and the negatives second
   
4. Focus on body language rather than getting the words right (i.e. eye contact, large gestures to emphasize your point, leaning forward on your feet to connect with the audience). Keep in mind that the audience won't know if you mess up... really.
   
5. Keep your notes in bullet points that are 5 words or less in a large font. That'll keep you from reading directly off the paper. Also, never read when looking at your notes. That's a fun one to master.
   
6. Keep a paperclip or something in your pocket, or hidden in your hand, to play with so that you don't fidget publicly
   
7. Go outside about 15 minutes prior to your presentation and take 10 deep breaths of fresh air
   
8. If you're of age and a drinker, do a shot of vodka 30 minutes prior to presenting to calm your nerves. My team hates that I do this, but it's been incredibly effective for someone who's terrified of bursting into tears, wetting herself and running from the room screaming the instant all eyes are on her.

Practice is really the key. If you're confident in your knowledge of the topic, you can spend your time focusing on everything else rather than whether or not you got the words right and how many people are looking at you. Also, a good thing to keep in mind is that even if you do run from the room screaming, the likelihood that any of the people in your class will see you again later in life is slim to none.

Best of luck!

 

[Lillybabe]

Personally I think the only way you get better at public speaking is through practice. The more you do it the easier it becomes just like many other things in life. Your professor will most likely be understanding of the fact you are nervous. I think you will do well if you come prepared and show him/her you are giving it your best shot. There's no shame in being nervous talking in front of people. I still sit down shaking but I am able to keep my voice steady during and appear calm to the crowd. Inside I am still nervous but I've gotten better at hiding it from my audience. I think even those who public speak for their profession are often nervous. I think it's normal to be nervous with everyone watching you.

 

[Mystic]

Thank you all your advice and experiences are very helpful and much appreciated. Now, the class is a hybrid class. Where I would meet 4 times, 3 hours each time, and the rest would be online. This is in about a span of 2 months. March 16th - May 8th. I know, I know. Late notice. :hammer:
But is a "hybrid" speech class worth it? I've never done an online class before and currently I have about 18 credits under my belt. I just want to make sure this is for me before I sign up, ya know?

 

[Airyn]

If you want to actually improve rather than just learn how-to, I'd skip the online learning in this instance and go for a real speaking class. If you just want to get through it, get the credit and move on, then go for it.

 

[Mystic]

I mainly just want to get through it for the credit, but my concern is if an online speech class will be too difficult. I'm just un-certain since I have never taken an online class before and I don't want to be totally 'lost' in the class to the point that I fail.

 

[Airyn]

I can't speak for things now, but when I was in school, they were absolute cake. Read material, submit assignment, maybe attend a live session and/or participate in a discussion board, repeat. I guess it depends on your school, the instructor and what kind of material they actually give you for a public speaking class.

 

[Mystic]

I understand, but your information has been really helpful. Thank you! Everyone I've talked to told me that online courses are easy as pie, I just needed a couple more opinions. I think I'm going to go for it. :thumbsup:

Thank you everyone! I'm definitely going to print this page to look at for advice/help.

 

[fanofdmb84]

Online classes for me were usually easy - but I think it depends on the subject. I could never take an online calculus class, for instance, but an English class, speech class, or something like geography - those would all be just fine. If all you need to do is read something and answer some questions, fine. If you need to understand and be able to apply complex concepts - in those cases I would choose a real class. I often asked teachers to explain things differently, just because sometimes things "click" from a different angle. You'll rarely get 2nd descriptions or explanations from an online course, and if you do, its often after the fact and the rest of the class has already moved on.

 

[Cinder and Me]

I have bad anxiety, but I found the more I know my topic the easier it was. Also, I would recite my speech, or at least the intro. in my car while driving. It seems that as long as I hear myself say the speech a few times, it makes it easier to say to others. I even do this for interviews (for that typical question: tell me about yourself and how your past experience makes you a good candidate for this position).

Saying the speech out loud made the biggest difference for me - I only wish I had figured that out sooner (I just started doing that in the past year).

If you can have props or use a power point presentation - that helps tremendously too.

 

[Mystic]

Thank you all!! Cinder, I actually am starting to recite the intro to my "introductory speech" in my car while I drive home. Its more along the lines of brainstorming what I want to talk about at this point, but I'm getting there.
By the way, the first day of class was absolutely nerve racking! We got into groups and had to do a spur of the moment presentation about the process of public speaking. While I was speaking my voice actually just completely cut off on me, like I literally choked on my own words so I took a deep breath, and then started speaking again. I did alright, minus the shaking voice and hands, but I plan to practice, practice, practice! All-and-all, the online course itself doesn't seem very hard, its just the actually speaking thats going to be tough for me!