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Does the mere thought of giving a  

speech

  make you break out in a cold sweat? Worry not. Instead, think of it this way--you've been talking your whole life. Public speaking is not meant to be torture, and it doesn't have to be hard. Just keep the following suggestions in mind.

Preparing for public speaking
Who wouldn't be nervous talking about the history of Iceland (unless, of course you're from there)? "Pick a topic that is dear to you," advises Dr. Estela Lopez, provost of Northeastern Illinois University (Chicago, IL). "It is always more convincing to talk about things that we enjoy and that are important to us."

When writing the speech, remember to intersperse anecdotes, or personal stories, with the boring facts. The time you accidentally broke your fifth grade teacher's car window may even get a laugh or two. Don't get too story happy, however, warns Dr. Jon Haidt, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA). "Keep the message focused by making sure all parts of the speech contribute to it."

Practice makes perfect
Practice your speech--it will help decrease anxiety. Remember, sometimes written words sound odd or unnatural when spoken. Some ways to get checked out before your public speaking debut:

- Say your speech aloud in front of a mirror.
- Practice your speech in front of friends; they can provide a new perspective.
- Videotape yourself giving the speech (you can always erase it before your little brother uses it as a blackmail tool).
- Practice the speech in your head on your way to class.

Speech time
On speech day, when your nerves are your worst enemy, try these techniques to beat the public speaking butterflies:

Get there early, so you have time to double-check everything. Remember that Murphy's Law applies in the classroom, too. If you are really nervous, volunteer to go first. If the speeches will be given over several days, the prof will usually grade you more leniently for being first. Best of all, you'll get your speech over with that much sooner.

Maintain eye contact with the class. "Look all around the room," suggests Isaac Ferguson, a freshman at Louisiana Tech University (Ruston, LA). "That way people feel you're giving the speech to everybody." Plus, you'll find that your classmates will be pulling for you with encouraging looks.

Avoid fillers such as "um" and "like." Instead, if you get flustered, crack a joke. The audience will understand what you are going through, and you'll get extra time to reorganize your thoughts.

"Be flexible," says William Wu, a student at Washington University (St. Louis, MO). In other words, don't simply recite a memorized speech; go with the flow. "If your audience has a puzzled look, be willing to expand on a particular point," suggests William. Or, if it looks as if you're boring people, "liven things up a bit."

The speech will be over before you know it. Then it's on to more pleasant things, like midterms. A parting thought: Don't be too critical of yourself. Nobody's perfect, but public speaking does get easier with practice.

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