Speaking in front of people can be a scary and daunting experience, especially if you are extraordinarily shy. However, class participation can often be a big part of your grade. This is exactly why you want to overcome your fear of class participation. Not only will you be able to increase your grade point average, you will be able to engage more. When you participate in class, you will actually learn more, which is crucial. When you learn more, you actually enjoy the course more and you will boost your grades. Indeed, it’s a win-win situation all around. Here is how to overcome your fear of class participation.
Take a Public Speaking Course
One way to overcome your fear is to take a public speaking course. Sure, you may not be doing any speaking in front of crowds, but taking a course that teaches you how to engage with a whole crowd at once can actually make you much more confident to participate. Plus, when it comes time to make a speech, you’ll be ready.
Practice in Front of People You Know
Sometimes, class participation takes practice. If you are not used to engaging in class, you may want to practice what you’ll say. Maybe you can anticipate a question that your professor will ask the class. You can write out your answer and practice saying it. Doing this in front of friends will loosen you up and make you more trusting. Moreover, your friends can give you some feedback on your delivery. Just tightening a few things up can also make you more confident.
Understand that Class Participation is a Main Part of Your Grade
It is important to realize that speaking up in a course could determine whether you get a passing grade or not. Some professors are very serious about participation and expect students to really add something to the overall discussion. Just knowing that your grade could be affected may inspire you to actually practice and contribute. You will realize that class participation is not that difficult after all.
It’s Okay to be Wrong
When you are practicing or building up the courage to speak in class, you want to realize that it’s okay to be wrong or incorrect. In fact, getting things wrong is the best way to learn. Indeed, the first few times that you speak up, you may fumble, which is perfectly fine. No one will remember your fumble longer than the end of class. Plus, a few other students will also fumble, which will make you feel so much better.
Get to Know Some of Your Classmates
When you are taking Pepperdine’s top online MBA program, or another online course, it may be hard to meet the other students face to face. However, if you are taking an in-course program, you may want to think about meeting some of the people in your course. This will help you have more confidence when speaking. In the end, the closer you become to your classmates, the more engaged you can be.