Overcoming Fear of Public Speaking

September 25, 2012

On Tuesday, September 25, students gathered to attend Phi Alpha Delta’s seminar on Public Speaking.  Maysa Eissa, Esq., Associate Director of Career Services, led the lively presentation.  During the presentation, Eissa provided helpful tips to help students relieve some of the anxiety associated with public speaking, such as how to convert nervous energy and anxiety to be in front of others into enthusiasm for the message they are trying to get across, as well as taking a few moments before the presentation to meet audience members to help you “humanize” your audience.

She also provided tips on how to improve common speaking issues, such as ridding yourself of the “case of the ummm… ”.  Students also had the opportunity to practice public speaking in small groups, as well as being put on the spot to speak in front of the entire group with no preparation at all using the techniques they just learned during the presentation. 

During the presentation, Eissa assured the students that “your audience is rooting for you.  Just like you, most of them are nervous to speak in public, so you are already impressive to them.  If people walk away feel like they’ve learned something of value, you have accomplished what you have set out to do.”

Eissa also asked students to push themselves and set a goal to speak in public, even if it is just to raise their hand once a week to ask a question in class, comparing it to their first childhood dive into the water – “the first one was very scary and you were filled with anxiety … who is now scared to dive into a pool?”