The Risk of Public Speaking

I took Public Speaking this semester, and I was so nervous about my first speech! The thought of speaking in front of people freaks me out. When I talk, my voice sounds like I am about to cry, my hands shake, and my legs feel weak. This may sound cliche, but this actually happens to me. After I received the grade for my first speech, I was very displeased, mostly with myself. I asked my teacher if she had any tips for me, and she said public speaking is like taking a risk. This class is based on extemporaneous speaking which means we are allowed to have a few notecards with key words written on them. That is it! I am used to simply reading a paper I wrote, but notecards? So, for the first speech, I practically typed my whole speech and pasted it to notecards. Obviously, this is not what public speaking is all about.

After I spoke to my professor, I realized what she meant about public speaking being a risk. I have key ideas on a notecard, but I am not exactly sure what I am going to say when I get up in front of my peers. The thought of just "diving in," as my teacher stated, drives me crazy! I realize that is what I have to do; it is imperative that I keep my audience my main focus because if I am not engaging them with eye contact and an interesting topic, my speech has not accomplished anything.

Taking this risk is still hard for me to grasp, but I feel that I have improved over the course of this semester. My professor encouraged me to not be so hard on myself, and also, the rest of the class has no idea what I am going to say. If I say something that was unplanned, it is OK! No one knows! I like taking risks, but public speaking, to me, is almost equivalent to skydiving without being 100% sure I have a parachute strapped to me. This may sound crazy, but the thought of just getting up in front of people, not 100% sure of what I am going to say but diving in anyways, feels like diving out of an airplane. I hope I can one day overcome my fear of public speaking, but for now, I will attempt to enjoy the risk.

Fall Reflection

As I reflect on this Fall semester, I find that my top priority was to stay calm and keep things in perspective. My first semester was extremely stressful; it was hard for me to adjust to college life, leaving my mom, and experiencing new things on my own. This fall, I really tried to grasp Philippians 4:6 and the fact that I do not need to "worry about anything; instead, pray about everything." I think I succeeded at this because when I had a test or a ton of homework, I realized that I was not going to simply not study for a test or not complete an assignment. Everything was going to get done, and God helped me through each task.

My number one goal for the spring is to put forth a little more effort to make the grades I know I am capable of making. I am pleased with almost all of my grades so far this semester, but I feel that if I had put a little more time toward a specific class, I would have definitely made an A. Right now, I am not too sure if that is possible. I dislike looking back and thinking, "this class was easy, if I would have just done this or spent more time on this, I would have done better." I really do not like regretting anything; I like to try my best because then I should not be upset with myself for not giving all I have.

At the end of the spring semester, I want to look back and feel that I improved my study habits and skills. I need to use my time wisely and be diligent during the short "study" time I do have. For example, after a test day, I typically will not work on assignments or study for other classes that day. I like to rest for one day because I just studied a lot for a test. This is not being productive with my time. I want to look back after next semester and think, "wow, I really used the time God has given me extremely well."

New Courses for Next Semester

For the 2008 spring semester, I would like to take either New Testament or History of Christianity: Origins to the Reformation. I suppose I will have the chance to take both if I minor in Religious Studies.

New Testament Course Description:
This class teaches the history and philosophical concepts in the New Testament.

History of Christianity: Origins to the Reformation Course Description:
“History of Christian doctrine, ecclesiastical organization, and religious practice, origins through Reformation, with emphasis on religion and society; life and teachings of Jesus; apostolic church; patristic period; Christianization of Roman Empire and northern Europe; monasticism; medieval church; Gregorian reform; heresy; papal monarchy; schism and conciliarism; reformations of the sixteenth century.”

Because I am hoping to find a career in the ministry field, I feel that these courses will enlighten me and help me learn so much about the topics that will someday be my job. I will build on knowledge that I have gained from church sermons, Breakaway messages, Campus Crusade for Christ meetings, and from different trips such as Dallas Winter Conference and multiple church camps. I realize that these classes will not be anything like church, but I will be learning about the Bible and Christianity in a whole new way: the history of the New Testament and Christianity, concepts related to each, and religion. Many people who are not active Christians do not realize that Christianity is much more than religion; it is a lifestyle, a relationship with the one true God. They get bogged down by dos and don’ts and miss out on what being a Christian really is. It will be interesting to see how the professors approach these subjects.
I am hoping to minor in religious studies and theses classes will be the first of my 18 hours for my minor. Taking a class and learning about the Bible and Christianity will be extremely exciting for me. I am really looking forward to next semester!