University: Seminar/Discussion Classes and Shyness.

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

For the first time in my academic life I am taking seminar courses with a greater number of people (~35). I am pretty reserved and while I have participated in tutorials with smaller numbers of people where I've spoken up and participated in discussions, I've been experiencing quite a bit of anxiety about speaking in a large group discussion. Part of the evalation hinges on participation and the classes are degree requirements. Does anyone have any advice on how to overcome this sort of shyness in this setting? General advice not related to university situations welcome as well.

― Scared of People, Monday, 10 January 2005 19:26 (twenty-one years ago)

You know how they say to picture everyone in their underwear? Forget that. Picture that no one else in the lecture hall is even paying attention, because most of them aren't. So you can't come across as stupid because no one even cares what you said.

― dave225 (Dave225), Monday, 10 January 2005 19:33 (twenty-one years ago)

It sounds to me as if you have not heard a sufficient number of people tell you that they find your thoughts worthwhile. The first thing to understand is that this is entirely separate from and has no bearing on whether your thoughts do indeed have value. They do. However, the confidence you feel in regard to the worth of your contributions is affected by how often you have heard people praise them.

My advice would be to concentrate on recalling the positive comments you heard when you spoke up in the smaller groups. Dwell on them. Your participation was appreciated. You deserved that praise. Your contributions were worthwhile. Bathe yourself in that well-merited appreciation as much as you can. If you hear doubts creeping in, voices that tell you otherwise, use your recent positive experiences to refute them.

A bigger group is really no different from the smaller group where you had success. It's just a few more people, that's all. Don't let a few overconfident, brash talkers monopolize the group's time. Speak up. Everyone else will be glad you did.

― Aimless (Aimless), Monday, 10 January 2005 19:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Unless your instructor is a complete ass s/he will appreciate any contribution anyone makes. Imagine yourself in his/her position--the center of attention of 35. Be inspired by that predicament to be thoughtful and remember that as a student you are not expected to be an expert or ever utter scintillating analyses; you're merely to have done the work and pay attention.

― Professor Pushover, Monday, 10 January 2005 19:52 (twenty-one years ago)

Unless your instructor is a complete ass s/he will appreciate any contribution anyone makes. Imagine yourself in his/her position--the center of attention of 35.

Best times teaching an English class for me -- everyone gets into an impassioned (and on-topic!) discussion for the entire course period and I didn't say more than a few sentences.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 10 January 2005 19:53 (twenty-one years ago)

Ned that is the ideal! The job is the best in the world then. There is nothing like sitting back and feeling the energy of twenty-odd twenty-year olds discuss. If only it happened every class. . . .

― Professor Pushover, Monday, 10 January 2005 20:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Nobody spoke in my seminar groups. It was pretty dreary.

― Eyeball Kicks (Eyeball Kicks), Monday, 10 January 2005 20:50 (twenty-one years ago)

i get marked on participation at the uni i'm at now. i'm pretty shy especially in front of large groups, but i'm also super-eager to get great marks and i reckon participation seems like an easy 10 marks to get. so i kind of forced myself to answer the first question the tutor asked in every seminar, starting with the first class. then if i didn't want to speak up the rest of the class, it was fine because i'd already participated. i found my confidence increased as a result, and i would answer more than just the first question as the semester progressed. and i was also much more likely to do my reading and prep because there is no way of knowing what the first question is likely to be.

― gem (trisk), Tuesday, 11 January 2005 00:32 (twenty-one years ago)

I found participation in uni seminars pretty easy, because no one else spoke; I never found out whether this was because they were also shy, hadn't prepared properly, or were just thick. The day this girl in my law class said she hadn't heard of Hinduism because she 'wasn't into that religion stuff', I began to suspect the latter. The silences would often get so uncomfortable that I'd HAVE to speak just to break them, even if I had no idea what the seminar topics actually were. Advice? Maybe focus on things which will get a discussion going, which people will react to; if you can defend your position, make it controversial. Once an actual dialogue gets going, it's just like a conversation really.

Presentations, now they were a different matter. I did one, it was the single worst experience of my life, and thereafter I just skipped the class and forfeited the marks rather than go through that TORTURE again.

― The Lex (The Lex), Tuesday, 11 January 2005 00:38 (twenty-one years ago)

That's the idea, gem! Your instructor probably adored you.

― Professor Pushover, Tuesday, 11 January 2005 00:39 (twenty-one years ago)

I teach largeish classes at NYU, and I'd back what people like Ned, Pushover say: the instructor *will* appreciate it (and if it's a slightly wayward comment, should find a way to reply to you that helps you improve on your idea).
Also, don't feel like your comment has to appear at *just* the right time (I remember, as a student, feeling like I'd "lost my chance" to say something good). Your instructor's class should be flexible enough for you to say: "going back to this idea of...I've been mulling it over, and wonder if..." etc. Also, ask your instructor if something's not clear - s/he *wants* to know what the students aren't getting, and will welcome it - you won't be the only one not grasping some point, and the instructor will remember you kindly for bringing it up.
Also, write down a few words if you think you're going to fuck up what you want to say - you probably won't end up looking at it, but think of it as a backup.
Something to try to avoid: don't share your good ideas with the instructor after (or before) class. The instructor wants group discussion, not to have an after-hours discussion.

― paulhw (paulhw), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 14:27 (twenty-one years ago)

It sounds to me as if you have not heard a sufficient number of people tell you that they find your thoughts worthwhile.

Or, perhaps, that you haven't heard enough people tell you your thoughts aren't right, and arguing with you, so you'd feel confident that it doesn't matter whether your contribution is brilliant or not.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 15:36 (twenty-one years ago)

That's a good point. So hopefully your experience here at ILX will come in handy.

― Ken L (Ken L), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 15:59 (twenty-one years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.