time to panic, new school semester means introducing yourself on the first day

[thatCALIdude]

i know i have to at least do 2, wow im really starting to tense up.

[divisi]

i know i have to at least do 2, wow im really starting to tense up.
Introducing yourself is something that a lot of people dislike, even people who don't stutter. Persons who don't stutter can also feel "panic" when presenting themselves.

If my experience can help you, I joined a few years ago an internet forum (totally unrelated to stuttering), and we meet in some city several times per year. In every meeting, you've to present yourself. I still hate it when somebody in the group says "hey, I see new faces, let's present again so that everybody knows everybody", but however, even if I still hate it, I've gained experience in those situations. Now most people in that group knows I stutter, so I don't care much if I stutter, but in every presentation there's some new face who doesn't know you, so presenting yourself is always a bit tough, at least for me.

Apart from this group, I also have to present myself in other scenerios, several times per year. It's not nice, but I don't "run away", because I've to do it, so I do it. Hard, but you gain experience, and most important of all, you didn't avoid the situation, and you can say "I did it" :)

Do you've good fluency when speaking about some aspect of you, or about some knowledge you have? If affirmative, you can try what I use to do: First you begin saying your name, and the mandatory details. It's likely that you stutter heavily when doing this, but don't care about it. Then begin talking about the stuff you feel comfortable about. Most of the times I can get almost perfect fluency speaking about stuff I like.

[Silent]

I've only had to introduce myself once. It was in the first class in high school. Fortunately the teacher was understanding and she told me to stop and moved on to the next kid.

[sst]

Introducing myself is the thing I hate most besides giving presentations. Just thinking about it is freaking me out. :(

[cjm555]

this is my 4th semester and i only had to introduce myself 1st semester... granted i go to a tech school not a university and have had the 2 main teachers and mostly the same classmates since then i might not be the best example lol


the best advice i can give is dont think about it much before hand... the more ya freak out the worse it will get..

[JDRow]

I usually skip the first day of class, even though I plan not to every semester, but this term I actually went the first day. I only had to introduce myself in one class. It was not at all fun, but less awful then I'd thought. I did stutter a lot, but nobody laughed or anything. There was a girl I knew from last semester in the class, and for some reason I think that made it easier; otherwise I might have just left. I think maybe knowing that there was somebody who knew what my name was and could say it for me if I couldn't made it a little easier. I don't know.

[grantM]

Yes I used to use the old tactic of skipping the first class. I would speak to your teachers, email, phone or what ever and talk to them about it and simply say you are not comfortable with it. They have to accept it. Otherwise does your school have some form of social/disability worker who can do all the organising and negotiation for you? We do in OZ

[DKoz]

Yes, I would skip the first day as well.

[grantM]

No don't skip it. Tackle it. Look at the alternatives. Stop hiding and do it. The is the worst that can happen?

[Silent]

I don't see why you guys fear the introductions more than any other day at school, as if it was the only day you're required to speak... But I don't know what I'm talking about since I'm not from the US, maybe it's exactly the way you have it there...

[JDRow]

I don't see why you guys fear the introductions more than any other day at school, as if it was the only day you're required to speak...

So far since I've been in college, the professors usually just call on people who are raising their hands, so you really aren't forced to answer questions. And, when you are called on in school, you can always just shake your head or say you don't know, but you can't say you don't know your name. It's a lot more potentially embarrassing.

[nik037]

I used to sometimes skip the first day also...its funny though, the times that I stuck around I either stuttered as much or worse than I expected OR I was completely fluent. I know the best advice would be to stick to it, try and maybe you will be surprised, but as a realist I know how tough it is. First impressions are a lot of the time what people remember. There is no shame in skipping, but I would advice to email your teacher. Most are very understanding from my experience!

[Silent]

So far since I've been in college, the professors usually just call on people who are raising their hands, so you really aren't forced to answer questions. And, when you are called on in school, you can always just shake your head or say you don't know, but you can't say you don't know your name. It's a lot more potentially embarrassing.
Wow, that's cool :) In my country, teachers in school call on people randomly and give you grades depending on your response. Everyone gets called on about the same number of times and in a balanced way, i.e. if you've been called on once, you won't be called on again until all other students have. Then comes the second round, at the end of which every student has 2 grades, etc. But the order within a round is random. So, it's actually good to be called on early on, as it gives you a longer break from anxiety.
About half of the duration of any class is students responding to the teacher's questions regarding the previous (e.g. last week's) class. The other half is the teacher giving a lecture.
My history teacher would drop a pen on the student list and pick the one whose name it ended up pointing at.
Traumatic is an understatement.

And if you skip a class, you're basically screwed, unless you have a medical certificate to prove you've been sick...

Thank goodness university was so much easier :)

[grantM]

Well introduction are first impressions. As said earlier. Speak to you teacher early and before classes start.

[justthere]

i started my spring semester today.....i think i might drop my english class.......we have to do like 4 presentations......and the prof. seems like a big C.........there is only one other english class that would fit in my schedule thou.......so if i add that one and it is worse.......it will suck.

[grantM]

Again Justthere. Talk to your prof. and even a student councellor. The school has to make reasonable adjustments for your stutter and be open to negotiation. Do not drop the class without knowing your options

[thatCALIdude]

I've only had to introduce myself once. It was in the first class in high school. Fortunately the teacher was understanding and she told me to stop and moved on to the next kid.

wow that must of been even horrible, its tough enough to fight yourself and then to have somebody else block your shot as well.

[thatCALIdude]

Yes I used to use the old tactic of skipping the first class. I would speak to your teachers, email, phone or what ever and talk to them about it and simply say you are not comfortable with it. They have to accept it. Otherwise does your school have some form of social/disability worker who can do all the organising and negotiation for you? We do in OZ

i tried going to my disability office and they basically said there was nothing they could do and i had to do all my presentations. ive become more comfortable doing presentations, i like using the ppt and reading my answers off flashcards.

[thatCALIdude]

i started my spring semester today.....i think i might drop my english class.......we have to do like 4 presentations......and the prof. seems like a big C.........there is only one other english class that would fit in my schedule thou.......so if i add that one and it is worse.......it will suck.

my school is crazy, i have to do at least 2-3 presentations in every class. and worst of all for my final college class i have to do a presentation in front of the whole school!

[thatCALIdude]

so i went to my first class, the teacher calls role and he has 4 questions written on the board for every student to answer. i think i answered 3 and i was pretty fluent. i kinda panicked and lied a little, i lied where i was from but it was easier to say and i just wanted to get it over with.

for the second class i chickened out, this teacher wanted all the students to get in pairs and introduce each other, obviously i left and came back 30 mins later. i know i chickened out but introducing myself is hard enough, introducing somebody else is 100 times worse. i know i failed, arghhhhhh

[grantM]

i know i failed, arghhhhhh

Bulls*#t you went extremely well and tackled most of it fine. You made a forward charge. Be proud

[Box of Clocks]

Seems like you did fairly well as you tackled most of it fine like grantM said. How did you go about leaving the room for 30 minutes? Didn't the other people wonder where you were going and did you get asked where you went on your return?

[thatCALIdude]

Seems like you did fairly well as you tackled most of it fine like grantM said. How did you go about leaving the room for 30 minutes? Didn't the other people wonder where you were going and did you get asked where you went on your return?
the classroom is a auditorium so everybody had to get up and get into pairs, i just slipped out. nobody realized i left

[chris2112]

the classroom is a auditorium so everybody had to get up and get into pairs, i just slipped out. nobody realized i left

wow a whole auditorium? I would have done the same exact thing lol.

Last week was my first day of english class. My teacher told everyone put there chairs in a circle so everyone can introduce themselves, I was like oh god no. My heart was beating so hard and it finally came to me and I said " Hi, um I stutter so if I get stuck on a word thats why" and introduced myself. I stuttered but it felt absoloutly amazing and relieving to face that fear. Then after class one guy from my class saw me and was like, "Hey man I didnt know you had that problem, I just want to say that takes balls man, I would have just been like nah im not talking lol, to do that in front of everyone take heart". I think introducing yourself to classes is one of the most feared situations but one of the best ways to desensitize yourself to the fear and mabye begin to accept your stuttering.

[thatCALIdude]

wow a whole auditorium? I would have done the same exact thing lol.

Last week was my first day of english class. My teacher told everyone put there chairs in a circle so everyone can introduce themselves, I was like oh god no. My heart was beating so hard and it finally came to me and I said " Hi, um I stutter so if I get stuck on a word thats why" and introduced myself. I stuttered but it felt absoloutly amazing and relieving to face that fear. Then after class one guy from my class saw me and was like, "Hey man I didnt know you had that problem, I just want to say that takes balls man, I would have just been like nah im not talking lol, to do that in front of everyone take heart". I think introducing yourself to classes is one of the most feared situations but one of the best ways to desensitize yourself to the fear and mabye begin to accept your stuttering.

the circle thing, wow thats even worse. im glad you did fine

[peebee]

What JDrow said it pretty accurate I think... most college profs only talk to people who raise their hands. This is true for most first and second year classes because there are tons of students. If you want to take classes where you don't have to talk, look for classes with the most people in them as your liberals. Half my first year classes had 1000+ people in the lecture and we couldn't even talk to the prof, only TAs.

When you get into your upper years, there are a lot of classes with verbal components. I have one where 35% of your mark is your daily attendance and participation in class. You put a nametag on your desk and the prof asks 2-3 questions to each student during the class at random. On top of that 15% more of your mark is based on presentations you have to do. The presentations are random and only 2 groups do them each week but you don't know if your group is going to get selected so every week you have to prepare a presentation. Ended up dropping that class but I gotta take it next semester for sure :(

[grantM]

On top of that 15% more of your mark is based on presentations you have to do. The presentations are random and only 2 groups do them each week but you don't know if your group is going to get selected so every week you have to prepare a presentation. Ended up dropping that class but I gotta take it next semester for sure :(

Yes but again all you have to do is talk to your prof of schools disability services and they have to help and adjust assessments to suit you

[Dustin89]

I always skip the first day, or the classes I know I will have to do that in, I dont really think I'm running away from my problem...I'm one who thinks first impressions are everything and I dont want everyones first impression of me to be me stuttering. I could talk to hem individually much better.

[DanMad44]

Don't you hate it when you're towards the end of the line? I remember those first-day intros sucked ass. If you were one of the first ones to go you could get it over with and then placate yourself by pretending that most people would forget as more people had their turns. But being one of the last ones let all that heavy tension build up as people closer and closer to you finished with themselves. Miserable.

[Liam]

i have the same problem, iam 18 and over the past yr my speech has imporved considerably but i still find a few "fear words" like my name a real challenge.
What i find helps is to take as much stress out of the situation as possible, yes i know it sounds obvious but i find i built my the situation to something much more than it really is. What i like to do is make a list of things i can do to help with my speech, like i list of back up plans.
Even though i wont use most of them just having a list of back ups really helps take the stress out of a situation and i find i speak my better.