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Kyle C Austin
Mrs. Peterson
Communications 1020
December 6, 2016
Self-evaluation and Reflection
Reflecting on the growth of my speaking ability this semester brings a loss of descriptive
words to use. This has been one of the finest experiences acknowledging inexperience or fear
with a career skill and challenging myself to take them head on. I am ecstatic with the results.
In the beginning of the semester, like many students, speaking in front of others was not
my greatest strength. In the moment, a once perceived higher level of self-confidence to its
knees. I became nervous. Stage fright brought fear of failure, clammy hands, and a unique type
of anxiety that are indigenous when speaking in front of people. However, throughout the
semester, despite ongoing fear and pressures, perseverance and practice led from one small
victory to another. Comparing the level of skill from the beginning to the end of the semester
shows a significant and measureable improvement. So much, in fact, that something
unimaginable happened to me. My fellow classmates voted me as the best speaker of the class.
This proved to me that anything possible when you set clear intentions, goals, and focus on
achieving them.
College campuses are prone to repetitive topics for essays and presentations. Quite
literally, we all hear about the how the legalization of marijuana at least once or twice a semester.
It gets monotonous for students, so I cannot imagine the pain instructors go through. Which is
why I believe researching a non-clich or overused topic. For each speech, I spent hours
researching non-clich engaging topics. This, I believe, is one of my strongpoints. Students

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should not hear the same information or argument over and over. These were diverse in subject
matter too. For example, a protein found in tardigrade DNA which has the potential to protect
humans from solar radiation in deep space missions, or how an unspoken hero by the name of
Stanislav Petrov saved the world from a world-wide holocaust during the Cold War. In the end,
we students need to understand the world with new perceptions, ideologies, and philosophies. To
learn we must unlearn; our opinions challenged; our beliefs questioned. In contrast of my
strengths, though not terrible, my facial and body expressions while speaking are two areas
needing improvement. A lot of how an audience interprets something is not just what is said, but
how it is said.
Peer reviewing is essential for building and developing individual self-application skills.
Without it, students would be reviewing their own words, and would fall short having others
challenge their view or point out flaws that would otherwise go unrecognized. Also, when
coaching someone on their faults, it is common for the coach to have a higher sense of awareness
of errors made by others, thus they are improving themselves at the same time. An example of
something I learned while coaching other students is taking out fluff in speeches. Cases of
excessive verbiage were common. However, there is a simple remedy to this. There is a
noticeable difference in cognition between reading mentally and aloud. If I could recommend
anything to someone wanting to improve their speaking skills, it would be to read their rough
drafts verbally, every time.
According to our class text, A Pocket Guide to Public Speaking, communication
proficiencies are among the top skills sought out in new hires. One of the main reasons I took
this class was to improve a skill that employers look for. The chances of landing a hire paying
job, or even one that suites personal needs or wants better is after taking this course. In my

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personal life, the ability to structure information, arguments, or even hold a conversation with
groups of people increased after taking this course. But what I believe to be best trait acquired is
a form of confidence. Before this course, I hated talking in front of people. Now, I get excited.