Reflection for presentations chapter 1-17. Fransheska Milioto.

I was really nervous to present my section of the group project on Thursday. I usually confident in my presentations but since it was my first college presentation I was more nervous than usual. The lead up to my part was very nerve wrecking. But when I finally got up and did my part I learned that there was nothing to be nervous about. Through all four presentations I was taught many useful skills that I will be applying onto my next presentation whether it's in class or for an event. These lessons did not just help me grow as a speaker, but also changed the way I communicate in my everyday life and how I envision my future as a doctor.

Looking back, that first presentation experience showed me how much fear comes from overthinking. I realized that most people are not judging me the way I imagine they are. They are listening, learning, and trying to understand. This realization alone helped reduce a lot of the pressure I usually place on myself when speaking in front of others.

One of the biggest things that I tend to focus on before giving my speech or even during it , is how nervous I am. But after the first presentation, I learned that public speaking is audience centered. Instead of focusing on those nerves, I learned to focus on the people I am speaking to. It sounds obvious that you should talk to your audience but once you're up there for your first college presentation, the nerves will get you... Another major takeaway from groups 1 presentation was the importance oof listening and creating a supportive communication environment. I learned that listening is not passive bit rather understanding, evaluating, a nd responding thoughtfully. There was a point that this group made that really stuck to me: 

" By pretending like you are actively listening, you fool the speaker." This does not only apply to presentations but to day to day conversations. As someone who wants to become a doctor, I know that me listening to my patients is just as important as speaking. Patients need to feel heard and understood, and this presentation showed me that trust begins with respectful and mindful listening.

 In chapters 9-12 , The part about delivery really made me see how what I say. How I say it affects how people think of me. My tone of voice. How fast I talk and how I stand and whether I look at people all matter when I am talking to someone. I pay attention to how I come across when I talk now even when I am just talking to people, in my life. Paying attention to how I deliver what I say has helped me talk confidently and make sure I mean what I say especially when I am talking about something important or something that is hard to talk about. Delivery is really important. It has helped me with my communication.I found that visual aids and practice are really important in these chapters. Visuals should help people understand things better not confuse them. This is true for more than presentations. It made me think that simplicity and clarity are important when we talk to people. Giving someone much information all, at once can be confusing whether you are giving a speech or just talking to someone. I learned that it is helpful to focus on the points when I want to communicate with people. 

 I can apply this for future group projects and study sessions. Instead of overwhelming others with too much information or trying to take control of the project, I try to break things down step by step and sit back and listen to my classmates ideas and visions that they have for the project. Doing the will make collaboration easier while still hitting those goals that we have for our project. 

Chapters 13 through 17 were  the chapters that group (group 4) did. Thus really helped me understand public speaking better. I learned about speaking and how it can be used to inform people or persuade them. Public speaking is important because it helps people understand things. Informative speaking is when you tell people about something so they can learn about it. Public speaking can also be persuasive which means you are trying to get people to think differently or do something.I now think about what I want to say when I talk to people. Public speaking is not about talking it is about being clear and respectful. When I talk to people in my life I try to be clear and respectful so they can understand what I am saying. Whether I am sharing information or trying to get someone to make a decision public speaking skills are very helpful. Public speaking skills like being clear and respectful make a difference, in how well people listen to me.

I really liked that these chapters focused on using sources to back up what we say. Seeing how examples and statistics from places can make a point stronger was really helpful. This idea is useful in lots of situations, like when we talk about school things or give our opinion on something. The lesson taught me that people will only believe what we say if we work hard to show that we know what we are talking about and that we are telling the truth. Credibility is something that we have to earn it is not something that people will automatically give us.

Overall, These four amazing presentations helped me see public speaking as a life skill rather than just a class requirement. These lessons taught me that effective communication is not about being perfect, but rather about being present, prepared, and aware of others.I am very excited to see what comes next for the rest of this semester and will be applying all of these skills in my future presentations and will continue to shape how I express ideas, connect with others, and grow both academically and personally.