Stage Fright

selfieIt happens to everyone. Feeling like all eyes are on you, the pressure is on; it makes you nervous and you can’t wait until the attention shifts away. No, this blog post is not just to scare you about how scary it is — I’m here to let you know that you’re not the only who gets it, and provide some tips that might just make you feel more prepared!

When I think ‘stage fright’ the first thing that comes to mind is the big one: oral presentations. But that isn’t the only situation you could feel it in! The second thought that comes to mind for me is sitting at the front of a lecture theatre. Maybe I’m alone here, but I’d be willing to bet my last assessment mark that others also feel like everyone behind them in the lecture theatre is staring at the back of their head, watching their every move. First year was the biggest example. I was new to university and I had a room of 150 students, maybe 1 or 2 of which I had ever met before — it’s a bit daunting!

How did I deal with it? Well, at first, I tried not to sit at the front! That didn’t always work though, especially given that it can be way easier to hear the lecturer and avoid distraction at the front. So just remembering that all of the students are there to focus on the lecturer — experienced professionals who are prepared to stand up and give a presentation — and not on my uneven hairline in the front row was comfort enough. Lastly, getting to know a lot of the people in your course always makes you more comfortable in that environment, so trying to just have a passing chat with others that you see a bit does wonders. Feelings like this are still present for me today. For example, in the Chemistry I lectures that I attend, I may be a 3rd year student, but I still get nervous sitting in the 1st year lectures, and especially nervous about giving short reminders that PASS is happening!

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Oral presentations are probably the biggest source of stage fright, and rightly so. Speaking is challenging for the majority of students — that’s the first thing to remember. You’re not alone! Odds are, everyone else in your course will be doing the same type of presentation, and feels the exact same way about giving them as you do. Make sure you are well prepared about a presentation and the topics, so you are comfortable with what you are talking about. For some, if you can avoid reading a script, and instead call on your banks of knowledge to speak about a topic, you can be distracted from the fact that you are actually giving a speech!

The bottom line is this: if you are well versed in the topic, you shouldn’t have much trouble speaking about it. And remember that the nerves are felt by everyone in the room, whether it was before or will be following your speech. I have a presentation next term, but by preparing and remembering I am not alone, I’m confident in my ability to get through it just fine.

-Cam

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