Many students tend to struggle and get anxious speaking in public in front of tons of students. 

Especially when students reach the stage of highschool many of them tend to feel uncomfortable speaking in front of their peers. On the other hand others may be confident in their public speaking skills and may enjoy speaking in front of others.

Although one may be interested in public speaking they might still definitely get nervous when it comes to standing up in front of the people. “The main thing I struggle with is my nerves. It’s really hard for me to not show that I am nervous about speaking,” said Junior Olivia Pluma. Teenagers may have the courage and a clear projected voice but then lack experience in public speaking. This increases the nervousness and having a thought of students making mistakes when speaking. 

Some students have their strengths and weaknesses when speaking in public or even just in front of the class. “I don’t really have anything that I do easily when it comes to public speaking since I am probably the most nervous person,” said sophomore Channhu Tran. Many people like Tran seem to get really frightened when speaking in front of others and one reason may be because of the lack of confidence and the fear of being judged. Due to that problem many of them also tend to underachieve at school and avoid speaking in classroom situations. 

However, there are many ways for students to improve in their public speaking. “Practice, practice, practice! If it’s getting over nerves, you just have to get comfortable. The more rehearsed you are, the more confident you will feel,” said English teacher Wei Yeh. Practicing days before helps many students to improve since they have an idea and are familiar with what they are going to say. Even practicing the speech in front of a family member or even just recording oneself and making good eye contact is also beneficial. 

Being prepared to deliver a well-rehearsed speech is helpful, especially when applying for jobs. Spending the time to always rehearse and being prepared helps lessen the anxiety for many students as well. Junior Olivia Pluma advises students “to always be knowledgeable about the topic you are speaking about, and to try and calm yourself down to not be as nervous.”