A time that I had to be brave was last quarter, in my English class called Racial Capital, where I had to give a presentation on a text we had read in class in front of all my classmates. The class was already pretty small, probably around ten people, as it was a seminar, and I get really nervous, anxious, and stressed when I have to speak in public. I really enjoyed the class a lot, and I respected my professor and my classmates, so I knew that my presentation had to be good, concise, and comprehensive.
I knew that I had to do good on this presentation, and that if I didn’t I would potentially lose the respect of my professor and my classmates. I don’t exactly know how realistic this fear is, only because I’m unsure that my professor would lose his respect for me if I misunderstood the material, but it was something that I was really worried about, especially since I admired and respected him so much.
I was assigned to present a summary and analysis of Karl Marx’s Capital, which is such a big task, and the text was central to the class. I had a really hard time putting my presentation together because all I could focus on was how scared I was of speaking in front of my professor and my classmates. The classroom was really small, in Voorhies, and I remember getting to class extra early so that I could prepare and run over my presentation. I was pacing the halls, and when class started I couldn’t stop shaking my legs (a habit of mine when I get nervous).
I gave my presentation, and I remember thinking to myself that I had to slow down when I was talking and make sure I made eye contact with everybody. After my presentation, all I could think about was that I hoped nobody would raise their hands to ask me questions, which is exactly what happened. I got a lot of questions about Marx, which were really difficult to answer in a way that would be beneficial and helpful, but I tried my best. Then, one of my classmates essentially argued against one of the points I made in my presentation in somewhat of a hostile manner. I froze up, and then reminded myself that I did the work, I did the reading, and that I knew how to answer her refutation. I felt all of my classmates’s eyes on me, as they wondered how I might answer her question and argument. I answered the question with my interpretation, and pointed to places in the text that supported my argument.
After my presentation, I sat down and tried to relax for the rest of the class period. As I was leaving class, my professor told me what a good job I had done and how he was impressed with the way that I tackled a really difficult text. Even though I was really nervous and scared, I am happy with the way my presentation turned out and as a result, I feel better about having to speak in public.
In my story, I am the protagonist, and the antagonist is my fear of public speaking. This creates a conflict because as a student, I have to give a lot of presentations in class, and I know that I will have to do this as I continue to pursue my academic career. The event took place in Voorhies, the English department’s building on campus, in a small and confined room with my classmates and my professor. Some moments of rising action include me pacing up and down the halls before class and preparing for my presentation, and the climax was my classmates argumentative question and response to my presentation. The falling action was my response and subsequent decision to refocus and make sure that I was confident in my work. The resolution was my professors affirmation and my own realization that I am capable of speaking in public.
I revised this story by breaking up my narrative into further paragraphs. I have a tendency to write longer paragraphs, and I know that this makes it difficult for anyone that reads this to focus and stay attentive to my main points. I find that when I read, shorter paragraphs that are focused are easier to read. I tried to use really descriptive language to express my emotions of fear and anxiety, and I did this through describing my nervous habits of pacing and bouncing my legs.
uwp101 