General

@Reticent: yeah but the part I froze at I didn't write down on a notecard

[quote=Tranquil]Thanks for all the responses guys!
I did my speech today and I literally froze in the middle of it and forgot everything
I felt so sick afterwards but I got my grade back and ended up getting a 42/50 so I didn't do so bad[/quote]

Awh. Were you not allowed note cards or any form of written work that outlined your speech to help you stay on track?

Thanks for all the responses guys!
I did my speech today and I literally froze in the middle of it and forgot everything
I felt so sick afterwards but I got my grade back and ended up getting a 42/50 so I didn't do so bad

I had to take speech last year for college and being the anti-social guy i am, i freaked out the night before. When i got to the class though i just let it flow out (plus i did my speech on Kanye west so i was able to make the class laugh by talking about...yah know kanye stuff). Try to avoid eye contact as much as possible by glancing over them instead of looking directly at them. Also cue cards might do you good just incase your too nervous to remember what to say.

If it makes you feel better, some of the kids in your class are probably nervous too.

the posters above me are right, ain't no body listen to the speech

well maybe that nerdy kid in the class and the teacher but no one else

Preparation, practice, perform
Practice your speech many times to someone else until you get it right, wear something warm if its too chilly, make eye contact, move around, don't go over your time limit, nobody likes a guy rambling on wasting time, capture your audience's attention, tell them what you will talk about and what next.make your speech interesting and motivating

I had terrible stage fright. I got over it though. One way to do it is by imagining that everyone in the audience is the exact same person, someone you can talk to without issue. Then eye contact isn't an issue. If that fails, locate just one person in the class you enjoy talking to, and focus your attention on that person. Burn a hole through their damn head with your eyes. You can let your eyes wander around a bit to feign eye contact with others, but keep them as your focus. And eventually you'll be able to hit eye contact with everyone.

Just remember that the majority of the audience has zero interest in what anyone has to say. They don't care if you flub your speech or not. In reality you're only speaking to a handful of people. When you look at it from that perspective, the idea of giving a speech is far less daunting

Nobody actually listens to speeches. They'll be texting or thinking about what to do with the bae for valentines day. You got this!

If you think about it, when someone speaks, you really dont judge them so you know for a fact that the only person judging you is only gonna be your teacher. Thats one way I got out of stage fright but I also did speech and debate for a really successful high school team. All the top competitors are nervous as well but the nervousness goes away the moment you start your speech. Just relax. nobody is gonna judge you.

breath deeply, that's what my acting teacher always said was the best thing to do against nervousness or stage fright
I had to take a speech class and it sucked but if u have your speeches memorized then it's a breeze. just zone out and focus on what you're saying instead of the people in the room

Just realize no one really cares so you shouldn't be that worried about messing up. Just do what you can.

Fake it till you make it.

[quote=Tranquil]I'm in this public speaking class and tomorrow I have to give my first speech and kind of freaking out a bit
It's a required class so I have to suck it up and go through with it but I was wondering if any of you have some tips for helping stage fright[/quote]

I felt like that all the time during highschool and it went away slowly... just drink a lot of water and don't mumble. Just tell your friend if its okay if you stare at him/her so its like youre talking to them the entire time during the presentation and you won't be as anxious anymore.

I like to pretend I'm acting and giving a performance instead of a presentation; it makes it a bit fun for me.