End of Semester Reflection
1. I scored a 38 this time on the questionnaire, as opposed to 39 on my first one. This is odd that I scored higher on my first one, but I guess not that strange since they are almost identical. I have always been pretty comfortable talking to a group and giving speeches, so I think that is the main reason why my scores are so identical. I stayed the same at 8 in the Group category, I went down 4 in the Meeting category, went up 2 in the Dyadic category, and went from 10 to 11 in the Public category. I feel that my public speaking definitely improved over the semester so I do not feel these scores to be totally accurate.
2. My initial comfort level was 6-7. Now that the semester is over, I would rate myself an 8-9. I feel that over the semester I got more and more comfortable speaking and presenting in front of others. I think just facing the initial fear of public speaking and overcoming it was a big part of the improvement, and I think practicing more often contributed as well.
3. I think I cut down on the “ums” as the semester wore on and just seemed more confident in general and had more presence in the room. I think I attribute this to consciously focusing on eliminating “ums” when I practiced. Being able to watch myself speak was also a big help in improving my speaking abilities.
4. -Enthusiasm: I try to be very energetic and enthusiastic when presenting. I feel like this makes it more fun for the audience and keeps them interested. Being able to keep an audience interested and upbeat will definitely come in handy in the future, as giving a business presentation will be pointless if my audience isn’t paying attention.
-Confidence: I feel that I show a good amount of confidence when I am presenting. Part of this includes making eye contact with members of the audience. In the future, I know businesspeople are not likely to take someone seriously if they do not radiate confidence