Alec Rzepkowski

Professor Marcey
Public Speaking
7 December 2012
Class Reflection
Leading up to the first few weeks of school in August, I was extremely hesitant and
nervous about taking public speaking. Previously, I had always been nervous whenever I got in
front of people and spoke. My heart would start to race and my hands would shake
uncontrollably. I never thought that I would be able to overcome my fear and uncontrollable
ticks. I never liked being the spotlight and the center of attention and I thought that this class
would only intensify the feelings. However, it was the complete opposite. After taking this class,
I now feel more comfortable being in front of others and am able to speak clearly and with the
most confidence.
One of the biggest problems that I had to overcome was controlling my physical aspects
of my presentations in front of other people. My voice changes, my hands would shake, I rock
back and forth, and I had no idea what to do with my hands. This class greatly improved all of
these negativities. I was taught to keep my hands folded in front of me if I didnt know what else
to do with them. I started using more hand gestures and controlling my posture. In my opinion, it
is all about confidence and this class has definitely made me a more confident speaker. After my
2nd speech, I became a more confident speaker and most of my ticks went away.