Nerves! Now also thinking of going Uni after dropping out!

[MinhDinh]

Hello, well, I have always been troubled by nerves, but only when I do presentations and talks where I am watched. I get sweaty, my mind is constantly focussed on making a fool of myself, and I end up doing crap!

I just can not help it at all. I am thinking of possibly taking some kind of drug to help calm me down. Any suggestions from you guys?

I have tried the 'naked audience' thing if anyone wants to add that!
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Hit the G spot.

[Visitor Q]

Booze.

More booze.

Seriously, know your shit... and have some booze.
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China traffic/travel bike vid - When I make a sweeping statement, please add the word 'statistically' in to the sentence before you bitch...
From September 2014 to January/February 2015 I will not be using any English, nor reading any. As such, I won't be on here. PM at will, but I won't be checking/posting unless in emergencies. Certainly not for the first couple of months. Please berate me savagely if I break that rule...

[swampy]

[Dazbo666]

Positive mental attitude. Try to do whatever you can to be more positive within yourself. Learn whatever info you need, and practice what you can

Being worried about presenting a crap impression tends to be self-fulfilling. That is, the more you worry about it, the more nervous you become, and consequently you're more likely to do the exact thing that you're trying to avoid.
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1st bike (Sept'06 - May'10) : 1991 GPZ500S / Current bike (since Nov 2009) : 2003 Suzuki Bandit 600N
Word of the day : DILLIGAF

[bikertomm]

Just think.. they can all see you from one point of view - theirs, there is just more than one of them

Relax and look fly


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07' Honda Hornet now full powaah! My guide on performing an oil change!

[hmmmnz]

a couple of shots of whisky always works for me,
i hate speaking in public, but recently did a best mans speech on the fly
and ace'd it. whisky= wonder drink of champions
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the humans are dead
I kick arse for the lord
Wiring Diagrams BIDNIP it bitches

[MinhDinh]

I don't drink I am afraid Bonny. Maybe some do not believe me on here, but I did become a muslim 2 years ago. Why? That's another story that I shall share one day. Although it's nothing special.

I guess the trick is to just try my best to stay calm, and I do try, but it's never been easy for me. With my first speech in secondary school for English, I failed! The only one to fail, and mainly because I got nervous with the camera. I did get the opportunity to repeat it and I got an 'E' grade.

The reason I ask? Well I am thinking of going to Uni. I did start a few years ago but dropped out after 3 months because it wasn't for me, and I guess life hasn't gone the way it should. It has been a few years since then. I am not ancient or anything, but mentally, I actually really want it, rather than like last time where I just did what every other student did.

I want to start again, pay for the fees etc... and do what I know I can do, and graduate. However I know that presentations are very important in HE so I must do something about it.

Well, I hope I can join a Uni with a late application, and achieve something. A degree doesn't mean I have conquered the world as such, but it is a goal I want in life. It's a regret that I messed about.

I wrote this on my Facebook status a few days ago: 'It's never too late to get off your ass, study, work hard and achieve something in life' while thinking about my own life, and I think it's the right time to go for it.
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Hit the G spot.

[Phoenix]

Would you really drink Whiskey before doing a presentation at work, can't imagine it'd go down well if someone catches a whiff, most likely be driving to work too so can't drink enough for it to have any effect.

I hate public speaking, had to do a presentation to a small group last week on something I really knew sod all about and just pretended they weren't there, worked for me, just have to listen out for questions though and stop accordingly.

[Banned]

Study the Korma and become and suicide bummer ..

......................................................
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BLUEX5 wrote: Good to have you back covdude.
Ariel Badger - I like the moss and the hole !

[Easter Bunny]

try a something you find in the health food shops called "Quiet Life" I took it for my car test worked a treat, recommended it since to people who found it good, dunno whats in it
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The light at the end of the tunnel is an oncoming train!

[Banned]

Ffs, just go down holland and barretts and ask for a can of whoopp ass, and a large does of ' man the fuck up ' ...

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BLUEX5 wrote: Good to have you back covdude.
Ariel Badger - I like the moss and the hole !

[GhostRider]

At uni everyone else will be just as shite as you, as they will be equally as nervous and unwilling to stand up in front of people they don't know with the risk that they will say something stupid or fuck up. Generally helps if a few people go before and do absolutely shit, you think..."well can I really do much worse than that?". Also, question time, if you don't know the answer, it's better to just day " I don't know/I'm uncertain" rather than trying to blag your way through an answer, because 9/10 times whilst you think your coming across as a smooth operator, it's rather obvious to everyone else, including your assessors, that you're talking out of your arse.

GhostRider
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[hellkat]

I agree with Dazbo on the positive mental attitude thing.

If you know your shit (and if you are that determined to do well at Uni and not just dick around, then you will study, and you will know your shit) .. then your presentation will be fine, as you can be confident that you know the subject.

Even if you did drink, I'd say DON'T HAVE A DRINK. If you do fuck up, people will blame your fuck-ups on that ... "No wonder he fucked it up, he's pissed" - even if you only had one.

Confidence.
Be totally confident about your knowledge of the subject (at that level), and that should get you through. You don't have to be the know-everything on your subject, especially at undergrad level. You would expect that of maybe a Nobel prizewinner, but not undergrad.
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Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[hellkat]

Also, just on the nerves front, think of something that calms you down ... if you are confident in your knowledge of the subject, think of something to distract you (as you have said, the naked audience thing, although I would start laughing, thinking too hard, LOL) ...

Think of me, that'll take your mind off how nervous you are.

Then all you have to worry about is getting wood .... no, okay, think of Colin1, then
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Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[MinhDinh]

[MinhDinh]

Well, I have applied to UCAS etc... let's hope it will all be OK.

I feel good
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Hit the G spot.

[nowhere.elysium]

[colin1]

I used to work at a place where presentations were done to finance directors of other companies, to sell expensive stuff.

The woman who was best at it, was very good. She rehearsed what she was going to say. I think she would stick to the same wording so she knew exactly what she was going to say next. She would rehearse her pitch many many times so when she was doing it, she could do it without thinking, and so have her mind on what was going on in the room rather than just on what she was saying.

I think its a bit hard to remember a big script word for word, so I'd suggest the cue cards approach.

You have a bullet point list of the points you want to cover, and you can ad lib making sure you cover each point. The more times you rehearse, the more comfortable you will get with it, and the more you will get into patterns of saying things that work better.

Also, I'm pretty sure, she had a drink beforehand. She would swear blind it was only red bull, but I dont think so.

She did overdo it sometimes which was a bit embarassing, but mostly, it was good as it made her more relaxed and friendly.

However as you dont drink usually it's probably not wise to throw it into the mix, as it would make you nervous about someone spotting you were a bit drunk.

So I'd say lots of rehearsals. Dont rehearse until you get it right, rehearse until you never get it wrong. ie you have gone through it 10 times without making a mistake, rather than stopping before that when you get it right the first time.

Stage actors do lots of rehearsals, because it helps.

You can rehearse my simply going over it word by word in your mind, but you should also do some speaking aloud rehearsals, and ideally some stood at the front of a room, and ideally with an audience.

As long as you concentrate on your subject and the people in the room, you wont be so self conscious.
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colin1 is officially faster than god

[Frost]

What you need is called Beta Blockers.
They give them to coke heads and people who get really anxious. They stop your heart rate rising so exercise can be a real problem.

[GhostRider]

[MinhDinh]

Some really good advice guys.

I have been reading them, and practice, knowing my stuff is the best way to dealing with this problem. I don't read books at all, and think a good start is reading comfrtably. I have read 4 books in my life, which isn't great. I just do not have any concentration for it, but as I mature, I am slowly becoming less hyper active. I think reading will help me with my speaking too.

I am not sure about using any form of drugs now, mainly because I may rely on them too much.
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Hit the G spot.

[Frost]

A mate used to have a big coke problem and they put him on them for a while. He had to get off them cause he was too much of an active person and they were messing him right up.

I too fucking HATE doing presentations and stuff, but i've found i can kinda stare through people and pan my gaze about the room. No one can tell they just assume you're looking at the guy behind them.

[DrDonnyBrago]

Most people hate doing talks/presentations, I used to detest them. The only things that help are knowing your topic well, knowing the talk well and doing loads of talks to get practice.

I finished a genetics degree a few years ago and I probably only did about 5 talks in the whole time (other subjects vary of course) so never really got to the point where I felt comfortable. Since starting my PhD I am doing them all the time so they don't really bother me anymore.

Practice REALLY is the best solution .

[Frost]

I think i did one on my Degree, none so far on the PhD. At some point i'll have to present a paper. No idea what it'll involve or how many people it will be to, certainly NOT looking forward to it!

[pwntifex]

Be wary of uni, unless you're doing a technical subject or a subject that otherwise can't be completed at home, it is currently a massively expensive waste of time.

While I was there my peers were entitled, mostly useless wastes of space who were unable to work independently and had little-to-zero common sense or life experience.

Social aspect aside, I was paying £4k a year at the time and at no time did I believe I was getting value for money. I had a 4 hour week and worked out that I was paying something in the order of £35 per lecture, most of which ended up being 15-to-30 minute powerpoint presentations, after which the lecturer would cut it short and bugger off home.

Serves me right for studying arts/humanities, really, but I thank the gods I didn't have to pay £10k a year like the current batch of students.

If you have a bottomless pit of money and your idea of fun is dossing about with a minimal workload with immature, ill-informed and ignorant tossers, uni will be great.

I regret every minute of my university 'career' and learned nothing more than I knew at the time whilst there.
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the warped one: This is a follow up from the thread 'my willy hurts'