Category: SPC 100

Help me understand what experiences you have with practice or rehearsal and the relationship that preparation has to performance—academically, professionally, etc.

Throughout my education, I’ve had to give presentations in my courses, which have required me to practice how I would deliver the speech to people. I would take my time rehearsing, ensuring that I was not speaking too fast or slow so that it was easy for my audience to digest. I like to be very prepared because the more prepared I am, the less anxiety I have about the presentation or speech. There have been cases when I wasn’t prepared, and as I spoke, I would lose my train of thought or get tripped up in my words. My relationship with presentations and presenting myself have always been a bit of a struggle for me, but more exposure to it will push me to be more comfortable with what’s to come.

 What are the big takeaways from chapter 1? In a full journal entry, help explain the significance of what you found important and what you connected with in the chapter. 

Public speaking does have this way of empowerment; in many cases, when I do have to give a speech or a presentation, I do have a bit of anxiety about it, although, in the end, I feel like I have overcome a hurdle. I found the different communication types fascinating; it made me think about how much communication I do as a person. I’m so used to dyadic communication, which is the conversion between two people and small groups where we can bounce ideas and thoughts off each other. It comes more naturally than public speaking does because they’re similar but also different. In public speaking, there is an overall message that you are trying to convey while also keeping the audience engaged with what you’re saying. This can be harder in public speaking than with dyadic communication because you can ask questions and follow up. That’s why it can be challenging; I and many other people don’t have to speak in public every day.