I am a 33 year old female. I work full time and go to school in the evenings. I find that I am increasingly TERRIFIED to present papers in class. I have been with the same group of students for a year now, and am comfortable speaking with every one of them individually, yet when I have to go up to that podium, I spazz out! Red face, voice breaks, heart pounds so hard that I think it will burst. I have a recurring fear that my legs will collapse underneath me. The really dumb part is that I am an excellent student and I always get superior grades for the papers I write (in fact, the school even requested permission to use one of my papers as an example for future students), so it's not that I have no confidence in the work I do. It is simply the PRESENTING that makes me crazy. 

What I don't get is why I only have that reaction at school! I have no trouble speaking up during business meetings or in other non-school related situations. My classmates are sympathetic to my plight and they take pains to try to make me feel comfortable, such as giving me pep talks, etc. during breaks before my presentations. While I appreciate their compassion, it doesn't seem to help. So am I beyond help or what?! Sandi 

No.. you're definitely not beyond help. It's a matter of figuring out why you're terrified in group presentations (and only in school).

I need to find out more about you. Why did you go back to school? What are you taking? What kind of student were you in High School?

I have a couple of thoughts but I don't want to take a "shot in the dark" until I find out a little more.

One point though:

I know that many people look at their audience and see them as ONE: - one audience - one group - one mass of faceless "judgmental energy" coming at you.

All of a sudden they're not individual people anymore. They've all "pooled" their energy and attention together to represent a "new life form"... AN AUDIENCE.

It's a different kind of energy with a different purpose. When you're talking "one on one" it's easier to carry on a conversation. There is give and take and you are equal. You're on a level playing field. When you talk to a group you are now outnumbered. It's no longer equal and the playing field has changed. It's no longer intimate. It's now just you doing the talking. It becomes more "formal", more... "for the record". (And of course, you're also being graded.)

Another perspective:

You can control what you write on paper. You can show your knowledge and your intelligence and present EXACTLY what you want. But when you do a presentation, something is added... YOUR PERSONALITY. It is now not just your knowledge that is on display... but YOU. That's pretty personal. The "you" can't hide like it does on paper.

People act differently depending on the people they talk to. Are you exactly the same when you talk to your mother?... your best friend?... your boss?... a total stranger? No. You choose which parts of your personality you want them to see. When you converse with individual people you instinctively adjust the parts of your personality you want to display. However, when you deal with a group, the dynamics change. You're probably looking at them as one group -- instead of the same INDIVIDUALS you've known for a year -- who happen to be in the same room, at the same time.

When you do a business presentation, you're in charge. You know your stuff. You're not being graded. They assume that what you're saying is right.

When you present to a class you're in front of your PEERS. (You have peers in business too, but it's a little different). In class, you're learning -- in business, (although you're still constantly learning, they may not see you that way). I don't know what you're studying but when you do a presentation do you also offer opinion (and not just facts)? If you do, then there is a possiblity that someone might not agree with you? That could cause some anxiety.

But then again, you say that it's just the idea of "presenting" (and only in school) that does it to you. that's the complicated part and until I get more information, everything I've said could just be rambling. I'm going on instinct here and I'm hoping that something strikes a chord.

For now my advice is this (and you'll find it in the correspondence on my web site) When you present LOOK SOMEONE IN THE EYE AT ALL TIMES. Talk to one person at a time.

You know your material, so be yourself and don't take your presentation seriously (responsibly, yes... but not seriously). That means you can comment to someone (that has nothing to do with the actual presentation), smile.. even make a face at someone if you want.

Don't be formal. Talk to them like it's a conversation with friends.

If you want the real secret... A great presentation is when your audience doesn't realize you're making a presentation. You're just talking and having fun and it's over before they realize it.

One last thing. STOP FORTUNE TELLING! Stop thinking that you always get nervous in this situation. You're just setting yourself up. Also you think about being nervous as a bad thing: "I spazz out" -- "presenting drives me crazy" -- "the dumb thing".

It's true when I say "If you give yourself permission to be nervous, half of it will go away."

For a guy who didn't want to make a comment right away, I sure said a mouthful. I'm just talking off the top of my head so I don't know if anything I've said is on target. Let me know.

--Art