Fear of Oral Presentations

[Vegeta]

Are you a student? Are you following your dreams and studying something that you really like in University wich requires public speaking? Well.. I am. I'm studying economics and have a group to work and study a company and I have to make 2 oral presentations this semester. Back at high school I remember that I had to do group and individual oral presentations. All the stress and fear would just take all the energy of my body. Though, I did better on individual than group presentations. The reasons that made a big difference was the waiting for your turn. In group presentations, when the members of my group started to speak and I was waiting for my turn, my heart would just pump out for each beat, the stress level of my body would rise and rise and keep rising, each breath would make me swet even more, the fear of waiting for your turn and the fear of letting your group members down is really a terrible feeling.

I think that I would really make good oral presentations if it wasn't for this stammer. My life would me so different and I would really have success in University. It just isn't fair that this stupid speech impediment makes all the difference for the worse.

[Mike85]

I am student too and I also have to do oral presentations. One each period (a period at my university is 10 weeks long). It is also really scary for me, but I still do them.

What works for me is to build in 'escapes' for when things go wrong. When I have a group presentation I make arrangements with my group members, that they step in and help me out if I totally block and lock up. Since that is my biggest fear with presentations. And in individual presentations I usually make arrangements with the teacher of the class I need to do it for. They step in if I they see things are going wrong for me or when I give a signal.

So far all of my teachers and fellow students have been really understanding and supportive. :)

This period I need to do a presentation in English, which I am less nervous about then doing presentation in Dutch. Since for some reason I stutter less when I speak in English then when I do so in Dutch.

And yea, it s that because of our stutter we will never be as good in presentations as we could have been. But we just have to live with it.

[Violet]

omfg speeches :eek:
i have two this term. :(

i build in "alternate routes" for my speech, so that if i block on word A, i can use words B C and D to explain word A, and then if i block on word D i can use word E and then revert back to word A if all fails.. haha if any one else looks at my palm cards they are like WTF. I also tell my self when to breathe on my palm cards. lolol

gee talk about stress. I think its unfair, becuse i can garentee that i spend the most amount of time and energy on my speech out of anyone else in my year.. heck i start preping myself years in advance. thats right. YEARS. these two speeches are for my HSC (the big exam we do in our last year of school) so naturally i knew that i would have to do speeches and i have seriously been prepping my self for it since year ten (in year 12 now). haha at least now i'm not freaking out about it so much cause i give myself awesome moral support. :D

[emily445455]

I hate hate hate public speaking. I've had two oral presentations already this semester. I just start out my presenation by telling everyone that I stutter...then I feel muuuuuuch better :)

[Silent]

Public speaking, or long monologues in general, is one of the easiest speaking situations for me.
The toughest job is to muster the courage to start. Once I ease into it and get going, there is nothing to feed my fear or self-consciousness, as my situation remains pretty much constant for the duration of the speech. The audience remains the same, no one interrupts me, I don't have to make any more strategic decisions or announcements, etc.

Casual, everyday situations are more difficult as my "speeches" are never long enough to get me going, so I have to go through the same initiatory cycle over and over, often in ever-changing conditions.

[grantM]

You could ask for alternatives from your teacher such as only presenting infront of them, to a smaller audience or maybe video recording yourself somewhere else and then playing it to the audience. I prefer to tackle it myself. You have to think about your future career. If it involves public speaking then do not avoid it at school. Work on strategies that work for you and your speech style

[chris2112]

Waiting your turn to talk in class is the worst, its the worst feeling. For some reason I used to be fluent when I did presentations through all my school years intill 11th, thats when I first stuttered speaking in class. I havent had to do any in college yet. Im a little nervous but Im going to have to do it sooner or later.

[thatCALIdude]

i have to do 5 this semester, i have a system of using a powerpoint.

[grantM]

PowerPoint works for me also because it gives me and the listeners visual clues and cues

[nik037]

PowerPoint works for me also because it gives me and the listeners visual clues and cues

exactly!!!!

[needausername]

I hate hate hate public speaking. I've had two oral presentations already this semester. I just start out my presenation by telling everyone that I stutter...then I feel muuuuuuch better :)

I think telling everyone that you stutter before your speech is a great way to make a little bit of the anxiety and nervousness go away.

[grantM]

I think telling everyone that you stutter before your speech is a great way to make a little bit of the anxiety and nervousness go away.

I do if I am teaching a class for a whole semester so it gets it out in the open fast.

[kwe]

Waiting your turn to talk in class is the worst, its the worst feeling.

Totally agree with that. About 20 years ago when I was at school in the UK, I remember the German teacher always used to come to me last for practise speaking in German. So, I'd have like an hour's wait, with the pressure building up, practising in my head yet KNOWING I'd still completely block up when it was my turn.

This teacher was actually nice, as teachers go, it's just that she genuinely didn't appreciate that it was better for me to have my turn first, or near the start, so I'd get it out of the way.

This went on for about 6 months since I didn't have the confidence to talk to her about it. Then on a "Parent's Night" (all kid's parents going to the school to talk to the teachers) my parents explained it'd probably be better not to leave me until last. The teacher apologised the next day, which was nice. Wasn't her faault though tbh - there was just a lack of understanding in society in general, even moreso than today.

My English teacher on the other hand, he was a real piece of work. He used to randomly ask me what my name was in the middle of a class, for some sort of sick pleasure. Real nasty - I used to despise the guy.

[Delta]

I completely understand what you are going through. I too am at university doing a ministry degree to be ordained a priest!!!!! I had a bad day on Sunday doing the prayers, I could hardly get a word out, sometimes I just want the floor to cave in!!!!! Sometimes I feel this is going to hold me back, and I am going to quit- but that would make me more upset!!!! It's so so so so hard it really is- I just wish it would go away

[chris2112]

My English teacher on the other hand, he was a real piece of work. He used to randomly ask me what my name was in the middle of a class, for some sort of sick pleasure. Real nasty - I used to despise the guy.

wow, that is ed up. I probibly would have framed him somehow and got him fired hahaha

[thatCALIdude]

PowerPoint works for me also because it gives me and the listeners visual clues and cues

yea i just read my notes, my teachers allow that thankfully. i havent had a horrible experience since using that technique

[kwe]

wow, that is ed up. I probibly would have framed him somehow and got him fired hahaha

Yeah - he was a really pathetic little man - he looked a bit like Danny de Vito, with a big mullet. :D

There are times I've met inconsiderate people who say things like "spit it out, man", as I guess most others here have, but this English teacher guy seemed to get a kick out of watching someone struggle with their speech.

[KSA]

Are you a student? Are you following your dreams and studying something that you really like in University wich requires public speaking? Well.. I am. I'm studying economics and have a group to work and study a company and I have to make 2 oral presentations this semester. Back at high school I remember that I had to do group and individual oral presentations. All the stress and fear would just take all the energy of my body. Though, I did better on individual than group presentations. The reasons that made a big difference was the waiting for your turn. In group presentations, when the members of my group started to speak and I was waiting for my turn, my heart would just pump out for each beat, the stress level of my body would rise and rise and keep rising, each breath would make me swet even more, the fear of waiting for your turn and the fear of letting your group members down is really a terrible feeling.

I think that I would really make good oral presentations if it wasn't for this stammer. My life would me so different and I would really have success in University. It just isn't fair that this stupid speech impediment makes all the difference for the worse.


Do what i always do and i assure u the results r magical
hook up your ipod or mobile headphone and play something loud ..it reduces ur stutter to 80%
or if u have pda device u can download DAF/FAF software but it wont help u on the long term because your brain will coop with the delay and you will stutter again
this is true also for the speecheasy devise


"When you feel like giving up, remember why you held on for so long in the first place."

see you in another life brotha! ;)

[FrankPlk]

I sometimes do public presentations as part of my job (I'm a researcher in the field of mathematics). OK, my public is a bit "special": mathematicians don't care so much about appearances, more about the content.
This is not to say that the content of my conferences is fabulous either, but rather to say that presentations to "larger" public pause less problems to me than small talk to a couple of persons.

This probably has to do with the fact that
(i) It's more like I am on a stage recitating a piece.
(ii) I can assume that noone will interupt me.
(iii) I am therefore in control of the situation, the pace of the expose, and so on.

Try to put yourself in this mindset and you will see how easier it becomes.

[thatCALIdude]

so i had my presentation today, i didnt screw up which im very happy about. now i got 4 more this semester:(

[jessicaabruno]

I'm in the same boat as you and others are in. Never liked doin them in the 1st place as well. By the way always hated doing them as well.

[kwe]

Congrats CaliDude. Just remember; you've now successfully done one presentation, so you CAN do it. :D

[ForeverYoung]

I am actually in a public speaking course now and have already given two speeches. I got a B+ on one and a A- on the other. The professors most recent comments included "You were very comfortable and composed throughout."

And of course I stuttered and had a few blocks.

I think the main key with presentations is that a lot of the fear and worry is stuff that applies to people who don't stutter as well. We all know that they say people fear public speaking more than death. And while some people say "Well, they don't even stutter!" in a negative way, I say it in a way that makes me better at it.

Trust me, there were some questionable speeches given from other people the first time around. By the second time, everyone improved. I think I had an advantage thanks to my Computer Science classes (of all things). My professor in there was a real hard ass and made us talk a lot and give a few presentations, including a final where each student had to invite 2 people and everyone had to present their final projects to everyone.

The key is that you need to simply be comfortable standing in front of a bunch of people, above all. If you aren't comfortable before you open your mouth, you won't be comfortable during or after.


My main tips are; 1) Know the subject matter, go over it a lot in a way that makes you feel comfortable just talking about it normally 2) Realize that you alone have the power to go up there and say "I am in control now" and come off as confident and composed 3) Don't let specific blocks slow you down or effect you; you have the floor and everyone must cede to you 4) I like to use hand motions/body movements to help out (within reason of course). Powerpoints/board drawings also help a lot, for me. 5) Don't fight it. "It's better to die on your feet than live on your knees." You are probably going to stutter either way; you want to have a better reaction to it than other people. If they see you go up there nervous, devastated and totally effected by it, they'll feel the same way. Come off like you it's totally normal and nothing weird happened at all.

[yonex]

My English teacher on the other hand, he was a real piece of work. He used to randomly ask me what my name was in the middle of a class, for some sort of sick pleasure. Real nasty - I used to despise the guy.


Wow! thats just sick. ED UP

I would have been like do you have a problem with your memory old man? Go play memory games.

For sure I would have vandalised his car or so something evil!

[danalorenzana]

So far all of my teachers and fellow students have been really understanding and supportive. :)

Are most students and teachers in colleges and universities usually like htis? Because, I know I'm still in high school, but my fellow students are just completely and utterly immature about my stutter, always mocking me and laughing when I make presentations.

I hope college will be a lot better for me.. So yeahh..

I was just wondering if it is normally like that in college?:rolleyes:

[thatCALIdude]

so i got one more presentation tomorrow to end the semester. im more nervous then previously, ive really had a really bad speaking weak. i had to call my job twice and failed miserably but ive done pretty well on the presentations so far this semester.

the phone thing just screws me up

[helen85]

Hi
I am also a student studying at university, however when I got to my university I was told that stuttering is a registered disability and therefore within university environment I don’t have to present anything. Which is gd :) I think you guys should ask about this at your school/ collages, and universities, see if it the same for you.
Helen

[grantM]

I agree that there are legal advantages that you can choose to embrace at university but do you think it is advancing yourself and skills for the professional road ahead?

[helen85]

I agree that there are legal advantages that you can choose to embrace at university but do you think it is advancing yourself and skills for the professional road ahead?

erm in short no! lol.
At first I thought it was a great idea I thought - cool yay a break through, however at school and college I was often forced to present and this was actually the best thing, as my confidence now when not presenting has fallen and I don’t get a sense of achievement from presenting like I used to.
Helen

[grantM]

Yes I understand confidence falls. We all go through waves like this :) But you have to think of your future and the fact that in most professional careers you will have to geive presentations to peers from time to time. It is better to face it before you are qualified - or at least I think so

[thatCALIdude]

Hi
I am also a student studying at university, however when I got to my university I was told that stuttering is a registered disability and therefore within university environment I don’t have to present anything. Which is gd :) I think you guys should ask about this at your school/ collages, and universities, see if it the same for you.
Helen

i tried that a couple of years ago, they dont considering stuttering a disablity at my school. is your university foreign?

[grantM]

You can always state that the World Health Organisation classes stuttering as a disability. I think under most laws and legislation stuttering could be argued as a disability

[JFan]

I agree......colleges these days MUST back off if you are classify this as a disability. If you press the issue they will back off, and find you another way to pass that part of the class (oral reports). I used to take a lot of crap from schools, and teachers etc.....not anymore, stand up for yourself and demand that this is unacceptable and adjustments must be made for this. It's simple.....schools/teachers would not ask a one legged person to run the 40 yard dash....would they?????? It is not our fault that we can't speak fluently and should not be asked to do somthing we can't control.

[elliejelly]

I have always wanted to check the little box on my university forms that says "do you have a disability which will effect your learning". I so desperately want to check it so I will at least have some consideration for oral reports and such - but there is a part of me that doesn't want to believe that I really am disabled. that's a topic for another day.

I just found out a few days ago I have a laboratory report for my physics class - and I have already started to find excuses to not go through with it.. hell for a few minutes I had devised some sort of plan to make sure i get injured so i can go to a dr and get a certificate, so i would be exempt from the whole thing -_- ugghh I hate it when my mind just jumps to these lame escape routes. It's just so frustrating.

I have stuttered since I was 11, and i was fine giving class presentations up until I was 17 - then all of a sudden it just became increasingly difficult to do. I just wish I could get that ability back. If I could be partially fluent when giving oral reports again I would be so much happier arrgghh.

one of these days I really gotta it up and just get through an oral presentation instead of running away ;)

[nerrad]

I have always wanted to check the little box on my university forms that says "do you have a disability which will effect your learning". I so desperately want to check it so I will at least have some consideration for oral reports and such - but there is a part of me that doesn't want to believe that I really am disabled. that's a topic for another day.

You're suppose to check that box. When I get to college I'm definitely "checking that box". My speech is the reason I don't want to go to college. I have trouble with presentations no was it is, even answering questions. How long (usually) are presentations suppose to be in college?

[Sarah11085]

What helps me is to volunteer to go first. I find the more I sit the more nervous I get (the faster my heart beats ect.) All of the oral presentation I did in college went Ok. Everyone in the class including the professor were very patient when I gave my presentation. With everyone being patient helped a lot. I did the presentation because I did not want to be treated any differently than anyone else. I always felt great after I did it just for the fact that I DID IT! I normally got As on the presentations so my grade was never affected because of my stutter. Trust me I blocked pretty hard and stuttered quite a bit through all of my college oral presentations.

One day I participated in one of my classes and I was having hard and long blocks the whole time. I eventually got out what I was trying to say. The next day I went by the professor's office to ask him a question about an assignment. The first thing he said to me was "thank you for sharing yesterday" as ya'll can imagine that meant SO MUCH to me! Almost 3 years later I remember these few words my professor said to me.

[TK421]

I just found out a few days ago I have a laboratory report for my physics class - and I have already started to find excuses to not go through with it.. hell for a few minutes I had devised some sort of plan to make sure i get injured so i can go to a dr and get a certificate, so i would be exempt from the whole thing -_- ugghh I hate it when my mind just jumps to these lame escape routes. It's just so frustrating.


Haha wow I know exactly what you mean. I find myself coming up with some pretty crazy circumstances that might get me off the hook. Some can get a little off the charts.

What I like to do when I have a presentation I'm stressed about is make it my goal to have the best one in the class in terms of content and visuals. Having any type of visual helps TREMENDOUSLY (I love those Power Points), but if you try to really kick ass with content you can at least be confident in that. I'm usually more fluent when I know my material well and have a good visual to divert the audiences attention.

[eva]

Are you a student? Are you following your dreams and studying something that you really like in University wich requires public speaking? Well.. I am. I'm studying economics and have a group to work and study a company and I have to make 2 oral presentations this semester. Back at high school I remember that I had to do group and individual oral presentations. All the stress and fear would just take all the energy of my body. Though, I did better on individual than group presentations. The reasons that made a big difference was the waiting for your turn. In group presentations, when the members of my group started to speak and I was waiting for my turn, my heart would just pump out for each beat, the stress level of my body would rise and rise and keep rising, each breath would make me swet even more, the fear of waiting for your turn and the fear of letting your group members down is really a terrible feeling.

I think that I would really make good oral presentations if it wasn't for this stammer. My life would me so different and I would really have success in University. It just isn't fair that this stupid speech impediment makes all the difference for the worse.

I am a student as well and I completely agree with everything you said. I also think I would do good oral presentations if I didn't stutter and I do better alone than in a group. However, I do have this stutter. Accepting it and not being afraid of stuttering in front of the class helps me. Last time it helped so much, I was fluent and did better job than some fluent people in the class. If I'm worried I'm going to stutter and try to avoid it when doing a presentation, I will definitely fail. So, I don't care if I stutter or not. I know I have a speech impediment so it is possible that I will stutter in front of the whole class. I can choose not to get embarrassed because of it, just take it as a simple fact: I stutter, so what.

Becoming a good public speaker requires practise, practise and more practise. I wish I could do it easily some day in the future, but sometimes even the idea of public speaking is too tiring, overwhelming and it feels like, I can't do this...I know telling yourself "I can do this" instead would be much more helpful, but easier said than done.

[alistair]

I did a presentation for Economics a few weeks ago. I was really angry at myself because my stuttering completely dragged down our team's performance, despite our team having the most detailed and evaluative presentation.

Ah I'll get by despite the stares and feeling of alienation inside :D

[ptw]

I remember trampling over a power point I had to do freshman year. Actually I don't remember it that well, but my friends remind me.

Now I don't think I would stutter at all during a project or reading aloud, even if I did I don't care lool. Everyone knows I stutter, and I don't care what they think they'll just have to deal with it. What are they going to do?

[elliejelly]

Haha wow I know exactly what you mean. I find myself coming up with some pretty crazy circumstances that might get me off the hook. Some can get a little off the charts.

What I like to do when I have a presentation I'm stressed about is make it my goal to have the best one in the class in terms of content and visuals. Having any type of visual helps TREMENDOUSLY (I love those Power Points), but if you try to really kick ass with content you can at least be confident in that. I'm usually more fluent when I know my material well and have a good visual to divert the audiences attention.

spot on! i remember in high school where I had to 'teach the class' a topic (it was sociology and i was so scared i would slur the s and end up going.. ssss.ssss.sssociology.. and the case study is..ssssssutton hoo") lucky for me i was able to use the blackboard - and i dont know why - but i find that when i write something down as i say it - stutter absent :/ i'm not complaining because that saved me alot of tears that day - but am curious to know why that always happens.


power points are tremendously annoying! :P but i'd rather use that then walk into a room with no visual cues and no palm cards ;)

[Sam1]

When I'm doing a presentation or a speech and I know what I'm going to say, if I stick to what I've planned out and if I've practiced at least a few times I NEVER stutter. It's a little weird I think. I mean, I won't stutter a *single* time. If, on the other hand, at any point during that speech or presentation I suddenly feel inclined to insert a 30 second impromptu segment into the mix then chances are verrrry high that I'll block on it.

[Sam1]

And I find that the fear dissipates incredibly quickly. The last presentation I did was a PPT presentation for a pharmacology paper I'm doing. Funny thing is, I didn't really know my presentation, or my topic, very well at all. And I hadn't planned what I was going to say at all. I had barely gone over the material I was attempting to explain (the assignment was to detail the methodology and findings of an empirical study published in a journal). It was a 10 minute presentation, and I was realllly nervous when I was waiting for my turn. I was sweating and everything, I was entertaining thoughts of excusing myself to go to the bathroom and then just jumping in my car and speeding away. But, once I started talking, I think I realised something. And I can't exactly even now pinpoint what exactly it was I realised. But I think part of the issue was that I had let my mind entirely overexaggerate the potential threat of the situation. After about 30 seconds I actually started to enjoy it. I stuttered like 10 or 15 times I think? And they weren't bad ones, though noone in the class (besides like 2 people) knew that I stuttered.
But the thing with me and presentations, or in ANY sort of speaking situation is this. If I am given room to speak, and I know that noone will interrupt me, and if I can speak at a comfortable pace, I usually never stutter (though I may need to substitute). ANd that's what the situation is usually like when giving presentations. If you make yourself relax, go at your own pace, it'll be a breeeeeeeeeeze!

[sircayetuna]

I even want to be a doctor, but it would be really give me a hard time when i go to med school considering the talking and oral presentations. I make good presentations and impressive outlines.. its just that everything gets so jumbled up when im in front. i sweat to death and my palms shake, my heartbeat rise , i hear the words i want to say ahead in my head.. in the end, i don't get to report it the way i intended it to be. Everything even gets jumbled up right from the very beginning coz takes about 10-15 seconds just for me to say something like "hello everyone!" or introduce my name and topic.

[DVHarris]

I have some oral presentations that went okay. But most of them wound
up being pretty bad. When I was in college I would be really really
nervous at the thought of giving a presentation. I would experience blocks
over and over again. I think my nervousness wound up making it worse than it really should have been.

Now that I am more mature I would do better because I dont get as nervous about things like I did when I was younger.

[thatCALIdude]

i had one really bad presentation in college but the rest i just read my notes and they were fine.