Facing My First College Presentation- Brayleen Ruiz

Going First: A Memorable Lesson

Starting with Nerves

My first presentation in this class was honestly a whirlwind of feelings. Being in group one meant that my group had to go first, and that came with a lot of pressure. Not only did I feel nervous, but I also felt a little overwhelmed because this is my first ever college class. I didn’t really know what to expect, and the thought of going first made everything even scarier. I kept thinking about what people might think of me while I was presenting. Would my voice crack? Would I forget what I was supposed to say? All of those thoughts kept running through my mind, making me feel even more tense as the day got closer.

What made everything kind of ironic was that the chapter I had to present on was the exact thing I was struggling with at that very moment: public speaking anxiety. At first, I thought it was kind of funny, but then I realized that maybe it was meant to be. As I went through the chapter and really read what it had to say, I learned something important, speaking anxiety is completely normal. Almost everyone feels nervous when they have to stand in front of a group and talk. Once I realized that, I started to wonder if the people in my group were feeling the exact same way. And honestly, they probably were. It was comforting to know I wasn’t the only one dealing with those feelings.

An anxious woman before a presentation reads through papers, with a scared,

 frustrated look on her face.

The chapter also gave me some strategies for how to manage that speech anxiety, and I decided to take my own advice. I figured, if I was going to be standing in front of everyone teaching them about how to manage speech anxiety, I might as well practice it myself. I started using some of the techniques, like practicing in front of other people, doing deep breathing exercises, and reminding myself that it was okay to be nervous. I even practiced in front of a mirror a couple of times, which helped me get more comfortable with how I looked while speaking. When it was finally my turn to present, I was shocked. The methods actually worked! I didn’t feel as nervous as I usually would, and I was able to focus more on what I was saying instead of worrying about what people thought of me. By the end of it, I was so proud of myself. Honestly, I think that was the best presentation I’ve ever done. It was the first time I felt truly confident while speaking in front of a group.

Lessons From Other Groups

What I really liked about this assignment was that I didn’t just learn something from my own chapter; I also learned so much from the other groups. Each person brought up something important in their presentations, and I think we all walked away with tips and strategies that can help us become stronger presenters, speakers, and researchers. I was impressed with how well everyone did. People spoke clearly, shared useful information, and seemed really educated about their chapters. Even though we were all nervous in different ways, it was nice to see that everyone pulled through and did their best.

One of my favorite parts of the presentations was the visual aspects. The PowerPoints had so many good pictures, graphics, and videos. I think that made the information more interesting and easier to follow. For me, visuals really help because sometimes just reading text on a slide can feel overwhelming. Having a picture or video makes the material stick in my memory better. Plus, it just makes the whole presentation more fun to watch. I especially liked when groups used short videos to show real-life examples, because it broke up the slides and kept the audience more interested.

Four people are working strongly and confidently on a project.

What Could Be Improved

Of course, like anything, there were some challenges too. For example, figuring out who was sharing the screen sometimes wasted a bit of time. There were also a couple of glitches when videos didn’t load right away or froze. And, in some presentations, there was a little too much text on the slides, which made it hard to focus. When a slide has too many words, it can feel like you’re reading an essay instead of listening to a speaker. I think having fewer words and more photos would make it easier for the rest of the class to pay attention. These are things that happen often in group projects, but they’re good learning moments for next time. Even with those small issues, I still think everyone did an amazing job. It was clear that people put in effort, practiced their parts, and cared about how their group looked as a whole. Presenting in front of people is not easy, and we all did it pretty good in my opinion!

While this man is presenting his video starts to
glitch and isn't cooperative.

Looking back on my own presentation, I realize how much I actually grew from it. At first, I saw it as just an assignment I had to get through, but it turned into an experience that really boosted my confidence. Now I know that if I practice, prepare, and use calming techniques, I can manage my nerves and actually do a good job. That’s not just useful for this class, but it’s something I can carry with me into other classes, jobs, and even real-life situations where I might have to speak in front of people.

Looking Ahead

Another thing I took away from this experience is that sometimes being “first” isn’t such a bad thing. In the beginning, I hated being in group one because it felt like so much pressure, but now I realize it pushed me to face my fears right away. If I had gone later, I might have spent even more time overthinking and stressing myself out. Going first forced me to just dive in and deal with it, and I think that made me stronger in the end. It’s almost like ripping off a band-aid; you just have to do it, and boom, it’s over before you know it.

In the future, I want to keep improving my presentation skills. I’d like to work on speaking more smoothly without saying “um” or pausing too much. I also want to get better at making my slides more creative and less text-heavy. I think adding visuals, bullet points, and graphs could make a big difference. Watching other groups gave me some great ideas for how I can make my own presentations better, and I also learned many new things about their chapters.

To wrap it all up, my first presentation in this class was a mix of nerves, learning, and growth. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a huge step for me personally. I learned that speech anxiety is normal, but it doesn’t have to overcome me. I learned that preparation really does pay off. And I learned that even small mistakes like technical glitches or too much text don’t take away from the effort and hard work 

 people put into their presentations.

Goals that we are aiming to achieve for our next presentations.

Overall, this presentation gave me more confidence, helped me connect with my classmates, and showed me that I’m capable of doing more than I thought. I know I’ll keep improving as we go, but for now, I’m proud of what I accomplished. This first presentation may have been nerve-wracking at the start... but in the end, it turned out to be something I'm proud of and know I'm ready for the next one!