My Academic Plan
August 27, 2011 3:42 PM Subscribe
Should I continue pursuing my major even if it makes me anxious?
After changing my major four times, I finally stumbled upon a program called Speech Communication. I am four credits short from completing the joint honours requirements; however, I feel incredibly anxious whenever I think of doing any sort of public speaking. I have already taking a public speaking class, an interviewing class, a digital presentations class, etc.... to name a few. I tend to get grades that are in the high 70s or low 80s range, however, I feel like my communication skills are not good enough for any sort of job. I cannot fathom the idea of doing any sort of public speaking because I would truly feel terrified. I am able to present, but it comes across as mechanical and feels like I'm having an out of body experience sometimes. Some people have also told me that I present in a mechanical way.
I recently decided to also pursue Social Development Studies which will prolong my academic career, but I would love to learn more about social policy related things. I think this program will be a great fit for me. I will need to take 20 courses regardless of whether or not I choose to pursue Social Development Studies as my only major, or if I get a joint honours degree.
I initially wanted to get a degree in Speech Communication because I wanted to represent people in the media. I think this degree can still be helpful if I want to go into the entertainment industry and become an account executive (for example) or obtain a job as a public relations specialist or communications coordinator. My fear is that I will have to do a lot of public speaking which is something that I struggle with.
Anyways, I'm just looking for some advice or even just an understanding as to what you would do in this type of situation? I enjoy my major minus the classroom atmosphere and having to present in front of certain people. Sometimes I feel very anxious about presenting which makes me question whether or not I could handle a job such as public relations. I don't know where I envision myself in terms of a career, so I think it's good to have two options open for myself.
P.S. Sorry about any grammatical errors, I am truly exhausted from work. Hopefully this makes sense, and if not then please let me know.
After changing my major four times, I finally stumbled upon a program called Speech Communication. I am four credits short from completing the joint honours requirements; however, I feel incredibly anxious whenever I think of doing any sort of public speaking. I have already taking a public speaking class, an interviewing class, a digital presentations class, etc.... to name a few. I tend to get grades that are in the high 70s or low 80s range, however, I feel like my communication skills are not good enough for any sort of job. I cannot fathom the idea of doing any sort of public speaking because I would truly feel terrified. I am able to present, but it comes across as mechanical and feels like I'm having an out of body experience sometimes. Some people have also told me that I present in a mechanical way.
I recently decided to also pursue Social Development Studies which will prolong my academic career, but I would love to learn more about social policy related things. I think this program will be a great fit for me. I will need to take 20 courses regardless of whether or not I choose to pursue Social Development Studies as my only major, or if I get a joint honours degree.
I initially wanted to get a degree in Speech Communication because I wanted to represent people in the media. I think this degree can still be helpful if I want to go into the entertainment industry and become an account executive (for example) or obtain a job as a public relations specialist or communications coordinator. My fear is that I will have to do a lot of public speaking which is something that I struggle with.
Anyways, I'm just looking for some advice or even just an understanding as to what you would do in this type of situation? I enjoy my major minus the classroom atmosphere and having to present in front of certain people. Sometimes I feel very anxious about presenting which makes me question whether or not I could handle a job such as public relations. I don't know where I envision myself in terms of a career, so I think it's good to have two options open for myself.
P.S. Sorry about any grammatical errors, I am truly exhausted from work. Hopefully this makes sense, and if not then please let me know.
It's highly unlikely you'll be hired as a corporate spokesperson right out of college. In PR, you may have to do some speaking in groups or at meetings, but I think you can cross that bridge when you come to it. Spech communications can mean a lot of things--media trainer, PR, working in corporate communications, etc. I'd say get the degree and get on with your life.
posted by Ideefixe at 3:52 PM on August 27, 2011
posted by Ideefixe at 3:52 PM on August 27, 2011
Sorry, I should have said four courses instead. I have to complete twenty courses in my fourth year and fifth year and four courses are for Speech Communication.
posted by sincerely-s at 3:57 PM on August 27, 2011
posted by sincerely-s at 3:57 PM on August 27, 2011
I feel incredibly anxious whenever I think of doing any sort of public speaking. […] I cannot fathom the idea of doing any sort of public speaking because I would truly feel terrified.
It seems to me like that makes you intimately qualified.
Just because you suck at doing something doesn't mean you suck at knowing how to do something or explaining how to do something, which are the two big necessities for teaching. Don't sweat it.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 4:10 PM on August 27, 2011 [5 favorites]
It seems to me like that makes you intimately qualified.
Just because you suck at doing something doesn't mean you suck at knowing how to do something or explaining how to do something, which are the two big necessities for teaching. Don't sweat it.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 4:10 PM on August 27, 2011 [5 favorites]
Public speaking anxiety can have numerous causes. Some of them go away in time, either through practice, the realization that some of it is just a shot of adrenaline, or gradual immunity to minor fears conferred by suffering genuine losses.
But suppose they don't in your case. Are there four courses you can take in a related area like rhetoric and argument--speech-writing and analysis--that would count and still be useful or interesting to you? If it's reasonable to pursue both majors, would you want to? I would in your place, but a college major in a soft-skills discipline doesn't actually set a firm course in life, so double majoring is hardly necessary. All the choices in front of you seem good.
posted by Monsieur Caution at 4:36 PM on August 27, 2011
But suppose they don't in your case. Are there four courses you can take in a related area like rhetoric and argument--speech-writing and analysis--that would count and still be useful or interesting to you? If it's reasonable to pursue both majors, would you want to? I would in your place, but a college major in a soft-skills discipline doesn't actually set a firm course in life, so double majoring is hardly necessary. All the choices in front of you seem good.
posted by Monsieur Caution at 4:36 PM on August 27, 2011
A big thing to keep in mind is that a lot of people don't get a job that is directly related to their major.
Example: My cousin has a degree in Fashion Journalism. She works as a salesperson for Rubbermaid. How she got the job? Her uncle works for Rubbermaid.
The field you go into doesn't need to be an exact product of your degree. In any case, getting the joint degree will improve your resume and give you more opportunities to get the job you want.
posted by DoubleLune at 4:37 PM on August 27, 2011 [2 favorites]
Example: My cousin has a degree in Fashion Journalism. She works as a salesperson for Rubbermaid. How she got the job? Her uncle works for Rubbermaid.
The field you go into doesn't need to be an exact product of your degree. In any case, getting the joint degree will improve your resume and give you more opportunities to get the job you want.
posted by DoubleLune at 4:37 PM on August 27, 2011 [2 favorites]
How she got the job? Her uncle works for Rubbermaid.
I should clarify that she didn't get the job because of this, but it gave her both the idea and the opportunity to interview for the job. They have a program for recent college graduates, which is what she applied for.
posted by DoubleLune at 4:38 PM on August 27, 2011
I should clarify that she didn't get the job because of this, but it gave her both the idea and the opportunity to interview for the job. They have a program for recent college graduates, which is what she applied for.
posted by DoubleLune at 4:38 PM on August 27, 2011
I've always hoped it would go away, I don't think it ever really did. I've taken many courses now, but the nerves are still there. I have to take two courses that I'm worried about: small group communication and leadership. From a practical stand point, I think I should pursue both majors since I already spent so much money on my Speech Communication degree and I'm just four courses away from completing those requirements. I am very unsure about the type of career that I want, although something involving Speech Communication or Social Development Studies would be ideal. I would end up with two majors, one minor, two concentrations, and two areas of focus (our degrees require us to choose the latter). I love my major, but I am dreading the idea of taking any more Speech Communication courses because I fear public speaking and giving presentations. I am actually only taking on Speech Communication course in the fall so that I can take a break from that program in general.
posted by sincerely-s at 4:43 PM on August 27, 2011
posted by sincerely-s at 4:43 PM on August 27, 2011
@DoubleLune: I see what you mean, and I try to remind myself that the field that I go into doesn't necessarily have to be related to my degree, however, Speech Communications is something that can be applied to so many different industries, and I was worried about having the name attached to my degree without having my soft skills develop into something better.
@everyone: Thank you for your advice so far!
posted by sincerely-s at 4:48 PM on August 27, 2011
@everyone: Thank you for your advice so far!
posted by sincerely-s at 4:48 PM on August 27, 2011
Your undergraduate degree in any humanities major is not vocational training. You should major in what will give you the piece of paper most cost effectively, followed by what is the most interesting to you.
posted by DarlingBri at 5:05 PM on August 27, 2011 [5 favorites]
posted by DarlingBri at 5:05 PM on August 27, 2011 [5 favorites]
As a fairly introverted person who has had to get used to a WHOLE LOT of public speaking/performing, I say go for it. You may never be a "natural" (the kind of person whose pulse barely elevates when in front of an audience) but it's possible to become truly competent if you are organized, prepared, and patient with yourself.
posted by hermitosis at 5:10 PM on August 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by hermitosis at 5:10 PM on August 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
Watching lots of good presentations (e.g. TED Talks) helped me envision myself as a better public speaker. It gave me more of an intuitive sense for what good presentations look/sound like. More specifically, I started noticing the things I'd learned in public speaking classes (and high school debate) - how to use gestures effectively, the importance of pacing and pausing at the right moment, etc. Figuring out that I could use these techniques helped ramp up my confidence a bit. This has made both classroom presentations and teaching (now part of my job) easier and less anxiety-producing.
YMMV, of course, and IANAD or YD, but the biggest impact by far on my public speaking anxiety was getting treatment for (non-public-speaking-related) anxiety and depression.
posted by brackish.line at 5:19 PM on August 27, 2011
YMMV, of course, and IANAD or YD, but the biggest impact by far on my public speaking anxiety was getting treatment for (non-public-speaking-related) anxiety and depression.
posted by brackish.line at 5:19 PM on August 27, 2011
You don't need to work in the career most closely associated with your degree.
Finishing the degree will open doors. Not as many as it once did, but you'll still have far more options available than everyone without a degree.
That said, if you don't need the money from jumping right into a career, you can always go on to bigger and better degrees - Quite a few "real" MA and PhD programs really have nothing to do with the corresponding undergraduate studies, and people planning on following such a path frequently choose undergrad programs that give them semi-unrelated skills that they hope to combine with graduate work to produce a niche specialty.
Finish the degree. What you do with it, you still have to decide; But not getting the degree doesn't mean you get to put off deciding what you want to do with your life for a few more years.
/ If it makes you feel better, 15 years into my professional career, I still don't know what I want to do when I grow up. ;)
posted by pla at 6:09 PM on August 27, 2011
Finishing the degree will open doors. Not as many as it once did, but you'll still have far more options available than everyone without a degree.
That said, if you don't need the money from jumping right into a career, you can always go on to bigger and better degrees - Quite a few "real" MA and PhD programs really have nothing to do with the corresponding undergraduate studies, and people planning on following such a path frequently choose undergrad programs that give them semi-unrelated skills that they hope to combine with graduate work to produce a niche specialty.
Finish the degree. What you do with it, you still have to decide; But not getting the degree doesn't mean you get to put off deciding what you want to do with your life for a few more years.
/ If it makes you feel better, 15 years into my professional career, I still don't know what I want to do when I grow up. ;)
posted by pla at 6:09 PM on August 27, 2011
Your undergraduate degree in any humanities major is not vocational training. You should major in what will give you the piece of paper most cost effectively, followed by what is the most interesting to you.
This times a thousand. You need to finish your degree. After you leave school, you will spend several years finding yourself through the different and varied careers you pursue. Trust me -- you will be grateful for the savings if you manage to graduate a semester or two early.
posted by Think_Long at 6:19 PM on August 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
This times a thousand. You need to finish your degree. After you leave school, you will spend several years finding yourself through the different and varied careers you pursue. Trust me -- you will be grateful for the savings if you manage to graduate a semester or two early.
posted by Think_Long at 6:19 PM on August 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
Is there any option to intern as part of or in addition to your degree?
posted by quodlibet at 7:53 PM on August 27, 2011
posted by quodlibet at 7:53 PM on August 27, 2011
Increase your tolerance for anxiety. Finish the degree.
posted by Ironmouth at 8:43 PM on August 27, 2011
posted by Ironmouth at 8:43 PM on August 27, 2011
Practice does help with public speaking anxiety, but practice within a supportive environment aimed at helping you improve is even better. I've had some pretty horrifying failures at public speaking before, and Toastmasters has been very helpful for me. I'd recommend trying it before giving up on the idea that you can be a good speaker -- it's a learnable skill, and there are lower-pressure ways to learn it than classes with grades.
posted by asperity at 9:58 PM on August 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by asperity at 9:58 PM on August 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
I majored in speech and no one has made the assumption that I'm fearless public speaker. Really, it's not like a spanish degree where people will assume that you speak the language--and I think most people I work with don't even know what my major was. It's infinitely less important in real life than you think it will be while you're in school.
posted by lockestockbarrel at 10:45 PM on August 27, 2011
posted by lockestockbarrel at 10:45 PM on August 27, 2011
I would visit your school's counseling center and ask them for a series of appointments to help you with your anxiety about public speaking.
When I taught in a university music program we sent our music students over to the counseling department for this type of counseling all the time, and it was very, very effective and helpful to the students.
Related topics like test anxiety and performance anxiety have been very well studied by psychologists and they have a variety of very helpful ways to help you address the problem and make real progress.
This type of counseling is likely available to you for free or at very low cost as a student.
posted by flug at 10:54 PM on August 27, 2011
When I taught in a university music program we sent our music students over to the counseling department for this type of counseling all the time, and it was very, very effective and helpful to the students.
Related topics like test anxiety and performance anxiety have been very well studied by psychologists and they have a variety of very helpful ways to help you address the problem and make real progress.
This type of counseling is likely available to you for free or at very low cost as a student.
posted by flug at 10:54 PM on August 27, 2011
What darlingbri said. A humanities major is not specific "training" for anything - most history majors, for example, don't go on to become "historians." Instead, it's a general qualification that proves you can think critically, handle responsibility, and work flexibly with a modicum of intelligence and maturity (it's also many other things, such as a class marker). So, you don't have a degree in speech communication - you have a *degree.*
As far as performance anxiety goes, you're in plentiful company, and there are many programs such as Toastmasters that help you overcome it. But really, don't worry too much: a degree in speech is not going to condemn you to a lifetime of fear.
posted by media_itoku at 12:13 PM on August 28, 2011
As far as performance anxiety goes, you're in plentiful company, and there are many programs such as Toastmasters that help you overcome it. But really, don't worry too much: a degree in speech is not going to condemn you to a lifetime of fear.
posted by media_itoku at 12:13 PM on August 28, 2011
There is no law that says you jhave to work in your major. Get the 4 credits over with so you can have your piece of sheepskin. That in and of itself is far more important at this stage than what you are going to do with the rest of your life --which I suspect is the real source of your anxiety.
Things will work themselves out. *MANY* of us work in fields that have *nothing* to do with our degrees and are nonetheless reasonably content with the lives we have found ourselves in.
posted by Ys at 4:26 PM on August 28, 2011
Things will work themselves out. *MANY* of us work in fields that have *nothing* to do with our degrees and are nonetheless reasonably content with the lives we have found ourselves in.
posted by Ys at 4:26 PM on August 28, 2011
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