Need Advice ASAP, Should I "ditch" this presentati

Post Reply New Topic

Hi. It's not an Asperger's related question (maybe in a little way). But I don't know what to do. I'm sorry if i dont explain it right I'm not good at that.

My instructor wants us to give a group public presentation... So now your thinking this post is going to be about trying to conquer those feelings you get before doing something like that right? NO.

There's just something about this class and especially the instructor I feel so uncomfortable with. I realy feel that it would be a good option to just get a zero on this report than go to class for this presentation and make a fool of myself. Many of you are probably thinking now that I'm using this as an excuse to not conquer my fears.

The thing is I have done many similar public presentation/speaking and other crap where I stand in front in many other classes in high school and college and I have always conquered my fears each time kicking and screaming and knowing I made myself look stupid and embarrassing a few times (and people say it in my face)... So its nothing new.

But really its just that this class is an engineering lab class! WTF??? NONE of the other instructors in the other engineering lab classes are going to make people do this. My instructor is so "extroverted" (???) she wants us to do this.

Also, there are 2 people I really don't want to perform in front of in that class. One of them was pretty mean in my first 2 minutes of meeting her years ago and said I couldn't speak the language. (I have a monotonous and "no feeling" voice; I have bad social skills so i didn't say much when I first met her). And the other is a friend who I knew since I was young but he keeps commenting on this and that it's annoying and embarassing in front of other people especially considering Im doing it in my second language which to most people in my country is a first language. (If you live in my country you might understand why and how strange it is). It's a cultural thing, and I'm sure its the main reason why I really don;t want to do this.

I mean I'm considering skipping the performance and just go back to this class 1 week after its done (I'll attend my other classes of course). I mean there's no point and it's not anything major so I don't have to look like a fool in front. besides my instructor didn't bother bringing it up in class it was only announce by email and I have a feeling most people in my class are too busy elsewhere on the internet to look at their email.

I don;t know. What should i do?

Don't compromise your grade over frivolous matters.

The things is it will almost not impact my grades at all. It's not even 1% of my grade. Just something I find strange and I don;t think something not even 1% of my grade is wrorth it. If course I always have a back up plan in case she asks me to do it anyway. But since no other lab instructor has any requirement like that... I wonder what got into her head.

Engineers give presentations in the workplace. They give them to bosses and co-workers and they give them to clients. You professor is asking the class to do this because it's relevant to your future job setting (where there are likely to be other folks you'd rather not present to).

Why not do the presentation with an eye to your future; start learning present your work without regard to your social ego. If it really comprises only 1% of your grade, it's a relatively costless place to start this difficult, yet necessary, training for your future career.

Oh sorry if I worded it like that. It's not that type of "presentation"... I'm sorry.
I am bad at explaining things and describing myself. It's the skit/ game show type of "presentation"/// I don't know how to explain it better.

==========\
I mean Ive taken part of videos where my poor social skills where recorded and the object of mockery, made a fool out of myself many times in monologues abd skits, had embarassing tics I can't control while standing in front and asking myself, "WHY NOW?", i have sat in front of a ong table while a panel asks me things and snickers at how akward I am and one of them goes and broadcasts how crap i was during those panel things to the class afterwards. I have done reports for a week straight because group members were too lazy and the teacher didnt want to teach. Done dumb dance numbers in front of crowds because I had to. I have done powerpoint presentations in front of an audience of people who were very angry with the things I said and I didnt know why. Have my monotonous voice made fun of. etc. etc. and worked with people who seemed to hate me for just how weird I am or have an audeince of people who hated me for how weird I am so I am not a stranger to this.

And all these times I just took it in and didn't go ask anyone for help or anything.

It's just something about this teacher and about this class. I really dont know why. She's so talkative and loud. She's not mean but ..you get the idea... I knew my "friend" there since we were kids and I am pretty sure he's going to talk to me about me using my "second language" ( it's a cultural thing). And there' that other person who's been rude to me for it.

I guess I'll go ahead but I'm so sick and tired of doing these sort of "presentations" I thought they would end by high school but... no.

Any help?

OK, I get the idea.

She has most likely made this assignment in order for the class to have some fun. In this case, you may be smart to absent yourself that day. It won't be fun for you and it's unwise to expose yourself to harm needlessly.