Self-Evaluation Speech Critique

 Self-Evaluation Speech Critique

When I first changed my major from Wildlife and Conservation Biology to Mass Communication, I remember being apprehensive about having to take Advanced Public Speaking. I hadn't taken a speech class—let alone given one—since high school, when I took a concurrent Introduction to Public Speaking course. That class was held online during COVID-19, so instead of speaking in front of a live audience, we simply recorded our speeches and submitted the videos. Because of that limited experience, I entered this course with a lot of uncertainty about my speaking skills. However, throughout the semester, I found myself gradually becoming more confident, more structured in my delivery, and better at pacing in my speeches. Each speech pushed me out of my comfort zone, and by the end of the class, I could clearly see the progress I had made—not just as a speaker, but as a communicator overall. 

One of the biggest concerns that I had at the beginning of the semester was how my social anxiety would impact my performance when giving speeches. Although coming to college has made me come out of my shell in terms of being a better communicator in everyday conversations, I still had issues with speaking in front of audiences. The idea of standing in front of a room of people and presenting my ideas made me nervous—I would freeze up, my mind would go blank, and my voice would often shake. I worried that no matter how much I prepared, my anxiety would take over once I was in front of an audience. One lesson that I have learned, though, is that the only cure to social anxiety is exposure. As each speech went by, I started feeling less and less nervous to give them. Facing my fear head-on made me realize that becoming confident in my speaking was a possibility.

Throughout the course, I also improved in several technical areas of speaking. When I took the introductory course online, every time I would mess up, have a long pause, or say "like, um, etc," I would stop the video and re-film the speech entirely. I knew that, with this in-person class, stopping and starting over was not going to be an option. Understanding this made me much more intentional with not only my word choice, but how to organize the information on my slides so that my thoughts were easier to keep up with. Having this extra cushion of preparation lessened my degree of how often I used filler words, and also helped me keep pushing forward when I made a mistake. 

One specific area where I noticed improvement was in my pacing. With the first speech, I felt that I was rushing through all of my points because I was tense and ready to get it over with. Over time, I learned how to calm my nerves and slow myself down to give my audience time to absorb what I was saying. I think that I was able to find my natural rhythm and learn how to keep it steady throughout my speech. By my final speech, I felt much more in control of my timing, which helped me feel more confident and helped me deliver my message more effectively. 

Looking back, I am proud of the growth that I have experienced over the semester. While I may still get nervous before a speech, I now have strategies to manage the anxiety and tools to communicate more effectively. This course not only improved my speaking skills, but also showed me the value of pushing past discomfort to grow. I feel more prepared for future public speaking in both academic and professional settings, and I am leaving the class with a sense of accomplishment and confidence that I didn't have at the beginning.