4 back-to-school (speaking) tips for college & university students (from a college instructor)
It’s that time of year again - the time when Target sells truckloads of notebooks for 50c, packs of pencils and boxes of Crayola markers for 99c. You can’t walk through a Target without tripping over a flustered parent who’s walking around with a supplies list from the school, looking dazed. Yep. Back to school.
Here, I’m sharing my 4 top tips for college students - all related to speaking and talking. Enjoy. And do this stuff. It’ll make your college life easier.
Check out my 4 tips below…in video or text. Enjoy!
Talk to your teachers!
It always baffles me when I have a student who refuses to answer questions, will not participate in class discussions, won’t ask questions, and then that same student asks me to write them a letter of recommendation.
How can I recommend you if I don’t know you at all?
Talking to your instructor(s) shows interest, shows you’re thinking, and shows you’re curious. Stop by after class. Ask about current assignments, ask about your instructor, ask about their background or their expertise in this subject. Maybe in class, ask, why did they become a teacher?
Some of the best questions I’ve seen students ask me or my colleagues:
“Have you seen _____ film?” - asked of a Film Studies professor. The follow-up question was what the instructor thought about a certain director.
“When did you live in San Francisco? Are you from there?” - asked of me, by a student on the first day of class who wanted to move far away after college. (Same!)
“How many languages do you speak?” Asked by a class who thought I spoke 8 languages. (It’s 2.)
Asking questions demonstrates interest, and it also lets us know what’s going on in your mind. When it’s time to write you a letter of recommendation, we can speak to what a critical, creative thinker you are. No so if you stay mum for 16 weeks.
2. Talk to your classmates - and group up! (Even if you don’t have to.)
One of the best compliments I got last year was from a student during his final Oral exam. I sometimes ask my students, “What did you get out of class?”
He responded by listing some of the speaking skills we worked on, and finished with, “… and honestly, some of the best friends I’ve ever made in my life.” This was completely unexpected - and made my day. He told me who he connected with in class, about their group chats, and how they hung out and worked on assignments together.
Now, I wasn’t totally surprised. One of my stellar qualities that sets me apart from all other professors is I require my students to talk to each other. I put them in groups; I have them quiz each other; we play group games. I’ve heard this from other students: “You’re the only teacher that makes this interactive and makes us talk to each other.”
Getting to know your cohorts will give you support in so many ways. Talk to them. Even if your professor doesn’t require it.
3. …and when you do work with your cohorts on a project….
Don’t just jump into a group project. Sit down and do some planning.
Group projects are stress-inducing, and at some point, unavoidable. There’s always that one jerk who says like he’s going to do his work, and leaves everyone else holding the bag. (Ask me how I know.)
When you are assigned to do a group project:
Get the group together - face to face, or at least on Zoom - to talk about the project. Make a plan.
Discuss: How will we break up the work? Who does what by when? How will we communicate?
Ask: How will we hold each other accountable?
And create a disaster plan with your group: What will y’all do if someone drops the ball?
4. Speak up in class!
This is the corollary to tip #1 above. Get to know us and allow us to get to know you.
You speaking up is how we get to know you as a student. By asking questions in class, joining a discussion or replying to someone else’s statement, we get to see how your mind works.
This will help not just when you need a letter of recommendation, but when we’re reading your work, we’ll have a better sense of how your mind works. We’ll have a better sense of where you’re going with an idea than if we’ve never heard from you.
When you engage in class, you stand out.
Now, if you’re thinking “I can email you,” well, yes, you can, but it’s not the same thing.
And I’ll be honest - emailed questions from students don’t carry the same weight, and can be a bit of a time waster. Here’s why: If you ask me something in person, and I’m not sure what you mean, we can have a dialogue and think it through together.
If I have no idea what you mean on email, then we’re going to go back and forth. That wastes your time and mine. Let’s not do that.
Have a great school year!
I’m an adjunct professor of communications at Loyola University. By day, I work with mid-to senior level professionals, I lead workshops, and I present at large events.
I love making the public speaking process easier for my clients. Need help?
Contact us.
What to read or hear next:
My talk with Randy Ford on “How to Write a Better Bio”
Is it okay to drink before I give a toast? 2-minute Voice Memos
For Women Only: Three Speaking Tips
About The Author
Hi! I’m Marianna. I make public speaking easier for my clients. In addition to Presentation Skills workshops, I offer executive coaching and Keynote speeches. To learn more, schedule a call with me.