JurnalPost.com - Have you ever felt so nervous when you had to stand up and speak in front of a class? Even though you studied the presentation material since the night before, or perhaps even memorized it repeatedly, the moment it was your turn to step forward, your hands started to get cold, your heart raced, and everything you had prepared seemed to vanish from your memory.
Situations like this are certainly familiar, especially for students who frequently receive presentation assignments. Some choose to read the entire contents of their slides for fear of misspeaking. Others actually understand the material but struggle to convey their opinions because they lack self-confidence.
This nervousness often makes a person think that they simply do not have the ability to speak in public. In reality, that is not necessarily the case. Difficulty during a presentation is not always caused by a lack of ability, but can happen because one is not yet accustomed to facing a large audience.
Public speaking public speaking is not a skill that only certain people are born with. This ability is a skill that can be learned and developed through practice, experience, and the courage to keep trying.
Nervousness When Speaking in Public Is Natural
One reason people are reluctant to speak in public is the fear of being judged by others. Worries about mispronouncing words, forgetting material, or being laughed at by friends often arise even before the presentation begins.
As a result, a person prefers to remain silent because they feel that decision is safer than facing the possibility of making a mistake.
In fact, nervousness is not something experienced only by beginners. Even people who are used to giving presentations sometimes still feel tension before appearing.
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) explains that public speaking is a situation that can trigger anxiety because a person feels they are being observed or evaluated by others. In certain conditions, intense and persistent fear can be related to social anxiety disorder.
However, occasional nervousness during a presentation does not automatically mean someone has that disorder. Tension before performing is a quite common experience.
Therefore, the main goal in learning public speaking is not to eliminate all nervousness, but to learn to manage it so it does not interfere with the delivery of the message.
Instead of dwelling on the possibility of making mistakes, it is better to focus attention on the material to be conveyed and the benefits the audience can receive.
Confidence Grows from Preparation
Self-confidence does not always appear on its own. In many situations, confidence actually develops when a person knows what they are going to do and feels sufficiently prepared to do it.
The same applies to public speaking.
Students who understand their presentation material usually have a better chance of explaining their points coherently compared to those who only memorize sentences without understanding their meaning.
Preparation can begin by reading the material, determining the main points of discussion, organizing the sequence of the explanation, and then trying to convey it using your own words.
Simple practice, such as speaking in front of a mirror or recording your presentation using a mobile phone, can also help you identify flaws in your speaking style.
In the communication process, the success of delivering a message is not only determined by the content of the speech, but also by how that message is received and understood by the listener.
Therefore, the speaker needs to pay attention to voice intonation, eye contact, facial expressions, and body language when giving a presentation.
Natural eye contact can help build a connection with the audience, while varied intonation makes the delivery of the material feel more alive and less monotonous.
However, good preparation does not mean having to memorize the entire presentation word for word. That method can actually cause panic if a single sentence is forgotten.
Understanding the core of the material and explaining it in your own words is a more flexible approach. Besides making delivery easier, this method also makes the speech sound more natural.
Don't Wait for Confidence to Start Speaking
A common mistake is waiting until you feel completely confident before daring to perform.
In fact, self-confidence is formed after a person has the experience of speaking in front of others.
The more often you try, the greater the opportunity to identify weaknesses and improve your skills.
Practice does not have to be done immediately through a major presentation in front of many people. Small steps can also be a good start.
For example, start by daring to express opinions in group discussions, asking questions to lecturers, or explaining assignment results to a few friends.
These simple experiences can help build the habit of speaking while reducing the fear of others' attention.
If on the first attempt your voice still shakes or the delivery of the material is not smooth, that should not be considered a failure.
Mistakes are part of the learning process. It is precisely through those mistakes that one can know what needs to be improved for the next performance.
Additionally, it is important not to constantly compare your abilities with others. Someone who looks very confident during a presentation may have gone through many experiences and much practice beforehand.
Every individual has a different developmental process. Therefore, progress should be measured based on your own abilities over time.
Public Speaking Is an Important Asset in the Workplace
The ability to speak in public is not only needed to complete college assignments or get good presentation grades.
More than that, public speaking is part of communication skills that have benefits in both social life and the professional world.
In the Future of Jobs Report 2025report, the World Economic Forum ranks analytical thinking, leadership and social influence, as well as empathy and active listening as essential skills needed in the workplace.
The ability to communicate clearly supports the application of these various skills in a professional environment.
In the workplace, one needs to convey ideas when attending meetings, explain work to team members, conduct negotiations, face interviews, and give presentations to clients.
The ability to convey ideas well can help others understand the thoughts you want to share.
Conversely, ideas that are actually interesting can be difficult to accept if the delivery is unclear or poorly structured.
Therefore, presentation assignments on campus should not just be viewed as an academic obligation. These activities can be used as an opportunity to practice courage, thinking skills, and the ability to express opinions.
Campus is one of the right places to learn because students have the opportunity to receive feedback from lecturers and friends before facing more complex communication demands in the professional world.
The Courage to Try Is the Beginning of Change
Ultimately, the ability to speak in public is not determined by how quickly someone can eliminate their fear.
What is more important is the willingness to keep learning and the courage to face situations that previously felt difficult.
Not everyone is immediately able to speak fluently in front of many people. Some need several practices, while others may require longer experience to feel comfortable.
However, that is not a reason to give up or consider yourself incapable.
Self-confidence is not something that must be possessed perfectly before someone starts speaking. It is precisely through the process of trying, making mistakes, receiving feedback, and improving oneself that self-confidence can slowly develop.
A presentation that is not perfect today does not mean the next one will always be the same.
Every opportunity to speak is a space to learn to be better.
Because sometimes what makes it difficult for someone to speak in public is not that they are incapable, but because they have not given themselves enough opportunity to get used to it.
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