Mostly Studying

here’s a list of my favourite playlists that i listen to when studying. only one playlist has lyrics so if you find that distracting you can skip it!

1 am study session - lofi hip hop/chill beats (1 hour)

a rainy town - animal crossing ost + thunderstorm ambiance (1 hour)

breath of the wild relaxing music with rain (1 hour)

lofi hip hop radio - beats to relax/study to (live radio)

relaxing life is strange music (1 hour) *has lyrics

relaxing music from uncharted series (45 mins)

skyrim music & ambiance - night (1 hour)

skyrim music & ambiance - rainy day (10 hours)

studio ghibli summer night piano collection with nature sounds (7 hours)

the last of us - relaxing music compilation (30 mins)

the legend of zelda - calming & relaxing music compilation (1 hour)

the witcher 3 - peaceful music & nature ambiance (1 hour)

the witcher 3 toussaint - relaxing music for sleep and study (1 hour)

uncharted - ambient music & ambience (1 hour)

This isn’t really advice, more like types and organization but like that seems too long

TYPES

Bullet points: Pretty self explanatory and also like probably the most common type, basically just bullet points with incomplete sentences. Pros: easy, straight to the point. Cons: shortening I guess, I cant think of any tbh. This is what I use for my class notes

Outline: Like bullet points but usually has full sentences. Pros: good when there’s a lot of sub sections, allows for elaboration. Cons: not as fast as bullet points. I like using this type for textbooks because there’s more division in textbooks

Cornell Notes: Uses any of the 2 methods above but has a column on the side for questions and a section on the bottom/ back for a summary. Pros: really good for studying, forces you to go back over and think. Cons: Doesn’t work for a lot of people, consumes a lot of time. I personally don’t like using these notes but I understand their purpose and I know it works for some.

ORGANIZATION

Digital: This can be on a computer or an iPad or your phone, depends on the person Pros: probably won’t lose it and usually is backed up,  Cons: looking at computer screens can hurt your eyes, may be hard to write formulas. I only use this for history classes.

Journal: Very self explanatory Pros: no electricity, available forever, if you need to write to learn then this is great Cons: could be slow, paper waste

Binder: Also self explanatory Pros: all your stuff for each class is in one spot, no electricity, available forever Cons: paper can tear/ fall out, wastes paper, could be slow. This is how I organize

DISCLAIMER: I’m not an expert and I’m not in any way saying you have to use what I say. This is just to help those still figuring out what works for them

color coordinate! this allows important key words to pop out. 

prepare in advance! find trusted educational websites to take notes early so you can grasp a better understanding.

organization! study in an organized space so you can find essential items and have a clear mindset.

participate! ask questions when needed or request an after school class with that teacher (if your school provides that). 

scheduling! creating a schedule or putting time aside when you’re free gives you a clear mind to focus on your work.

study methods! flashcards, outline notes, cornell method, boxing method, chart method, etc.

draw! for visual learners drawing comes in handy whether it’s doodles off to the side or diagrams.

auditory learner! find videos discussing your topic on websites such as youtube or khan academy.

How to take class notes

1. Figure out what ‘format’ of notes you want to take

Do you have PPT slides/notes already printed out for you??? If not, do you like your notes in point form? Cornell notes? Can you print out ppt

You can search up some common note taking methods online. Find one that works for you (it differs according to individual and subject). What works for me is point form with annotations & drawing boxes around main concepts and formulas.

When you find the ideal method, stick to it. Make sure it’s 1. Easy to make 2. Easy to refer to 3. Easy to add on 4. Easy to study from in a pinch

2. Choose the right stationery

Seems insignificant but as we all know, class notes get super messy. It’s important to get a pen that doesn’t smudge, choose quick-drying highlighters and paper that doesn’t have too much bleed-through or ghosting issues if you take notes from scratch.

For my class notes, I like using 0.3 pens (thinner pen makes your notes look neater) and pilot frixion highlighters (because they’re erasable).

3. Pre-read the lesson material (if possible)

Read the textbook/whatever material provided to you. Write down keywords/ key points on a post it and stick it somewhere you can easily refer to during the lesson.

As the teacher carries out the lesson, use these keywords to create more structure in the lesson so that you’re not lost/missing out important information.

This also helps with understanding the material quickly during the lesson so that you actually digest what you’re taking down instead of blindly copying whatever comes out of the lecturer’s mouth.

4. Use pencil to annotate your notes & add on extra info

These annotations can be explanations that your professor or teacher forgot to say initially and were added on later etc. or just how it links to another part of the chapter

If your teacher provides additional examples, case studies, links or just another insight into the chapter, scribble it down somewhere on your notes.

When you go home, figure out if these are important. If yes, write them in again using pen. Things like links are often ‘single-use’ so I don’t bother writing it after I’ve visited the page.

5. Pay attention

Engage with your material, even as you’re frantically copying down the info. I know it’s difficult and that’s why step 3 could be a life-saver. Ensure that you have your post-it note from step 3 ready.

Things that are repeatedly emphasised by the lecturer should be highlighted, underlined or circled.

Important formulas should be boxed up or circled for easy reference. Diagrams should be drawn after class because they're time-consuming.

Make links between one point and another if possible. This ensures that you’re listening actively instead of copying passively

If you find yourself encountering issues with understanding how one key point leads to another, quickly raise your hand and present your queries.

If you have no time to underline or circle or highlight during class, use a pencil to mark out the words you want to take note of.

To write faster, use abbreviations and short forms wherever possible. For example if the lecturer says calcium deficiency you could just write Ca -. Or Ca def. or whatever works for you!

6. Review

After taking your class notes, it’s time to review them. Read over the information and check if all key points have been covered. If not, ask about them the next lesson.

Note all the things written in pencil. Decide if they’re important. If not, erase them. If yes, write them in. View all ‘extra info’ that the teacher provides such as videos and webpages.

Highlight/circle/underline whatever necessary info that you didn’t have time to do during the lecture. Draw any undrawn diagrams.

Try to understand whatever was taught. Can you link the concepts and points together? Can you roughly explain it to someone in 5 mins? If yes, congratulations! If not, either review again, consult the textbook/lecturer/friend, or maybe just watch more videos on the internet to help you.

Try some practice problems if there are any.

7. Re-writing

Optional, but often times I write another set of notes which I take from all my class notes, worksheets, textbooks and ppt slides. This is rather time-consuming so it’s not for everyone. These are the slightly more ‘fancy’ notes that I post.

At this stage, it’s more of consolidating all your learning and materials.

After you’re done, keep these as well as your class notes in a folder/binder for easy reference. Never throw away your notes if you’re still taking the subject. You may need to refer to earlier content later on.

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here's an example of how mine would look like (note: i do mine on paper but since i couldn't find any more of my own i decided to redo a digital one that looks as similar as possible)

My Favorite FREE Apps! Very minimal and sleek designs! I use all of these apps on my Iphone, so some of them may not be available on android. Enjoy! If anyone has any apps they can suggest to me feel free to send me a message!(:

#1 // 24 Me 

Calendar / Todo List. Super easy to use with a very clean design. NO SIGN UP NECESSARY!! Im so sick of calendar apps that act more like a social media platform! 

#2 // Phonto

Photography / Typography. I used this app to make the banner above! Great for editing photos and placing text over images/backgrounds! Wide Variety of fonts and shapes! Honestly perfect for posts/blog headers!

#3 // MinimaList

List / Study Timer. Minimal and clean look. Perfect, simple to use study timer that yells at you to put your phone down! Keeps me on task and keeps track of everything I need to get done!

#4 // WeatherJams

Music. Don’t know what Pandora or Spotify playlist to choose? This app lets you listen to music based off the weather! Pick a temperature or type precipitation and it will create a playlist based off of it! Super clean, cute design and very simple to use!

#5 // Padlock

Security / Passwords. Tumblr, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat….the list of social media accounts goes on and on! Keep track of your passwords with this functional app that allows you to write all your passwords in one spot! Very secure, a password must be entered to access the app! (lol just make sure you remember it.)

#6 // Pop the Lock

Game. Phenomenally simple game, all you have to do is tap the screen! If I’m stressed or anxious this is the perfect app to take my mind off of things. Very addictive though, be careful! 

#7 // iHydrate or My Water

this is stuff that i’ve found helpful and am in the process of working on. they may not be achievable for you without help and may not work for your specific circumstance, but this is a list of suggestions that you might be able to think about. i am also not a mental health professional so please do feel free to contradict me!!

self soothing.  having a toolbox to take care of yourself by yourself. bc sometimes nobody else is available and you just gotta put some lotion on, listen to a tune, and go to bed early. 

checking in. checking in with yourself to see if you’re okay. knowing how to alter your strategies when your strategies aren’t working. knowing when your strategies aren’t working. this is just taking some time every day to reflect on what goals you didn’t meet and why and what you can do to fix that.

there’s nothing you “should” be doing. if you get caught up thinking “i should be doing x” that’s false! stop that! “should” be doing better implies that you have some obligation to do whatever it is that you “should” be doing. you don’t owe anybody except yourself. analyze why you think you should be doing that thing and change that into…. “i want to be doing x because…” or “doing x will make me happier, because…”. overall, more productive and less self-shamey. 

disconnecting from the crowd. eating in a crowded dining hall can be stressful! knowing how to be alone in a crowd and stay calm is helpful

being okay with being alone.  tbh college is kind of… being alone a lot, in my experience. even though you’re surrounded by people, a lot of time is spent alone. making friends is hard. your friends have different schedules. you’re busy. shit sucks. we make the best of it.

knowing yourself. this relates to a lot of what i’ve already said but like. knowing your emotional state and knowing what helps trick the monkey brain is helpful. stop repressing your feelings, friends.

talking to strangers. ordering from a menu! paying library fines. going to office hours. asking for a cashier at the register if there isn’t one. ya this is hard. ya you gotta expose yourself. sometimes i just try playing a persona. like this isn’t me ordering a sandwich. this is a cool me who knows how to talk to people who is ordering a sandwich.

you don’t have to be friends with your roommates. you just have to live together in a way that doesn’t make you two hate each other. ideally, you two will coexist in a way that doesn’t interfere with the other’s daily life.

give and taking. on the topic of roommates, sometimes your roommate can be a shitty person, but sometimes you are the shitty person! give a little but if they’re negatively impacting your life, communicate.

communicating during disagreements. explain what your emotions are instead of blaming them. “i feel hurt when you…” or “i feel frustrated when” or “i feel unappreciated when.” if things get heated, ask if you both can take a ten minute break and then come back. and don’t bring up disagreements when the other party is preoccupied or going somewhere. you can legitimately schedule a discussion.

it’s okay to apologize. learning to swallow your pride gets easier each time.

knowing that people work differently than you. some people are not gonna click with you and it’s gonna seem like they have this whole brain process up there that is totally unlike yours. and yeah! that’s how it is. and that’s chill if they aren’t hurting anyone else. work with them and be flexible!! 

comforting people. you will probably/definitely see someone cry! hell if i know how to comfort people. someone please help. but some things i’ve learned are: 1) different people need different things. different people need different things! 2) people need different things at different times. 3) you can ask them what they want and it won’t be weird. 4) apparently a lot of people like hugs? but ask. and it’s okay to not want a hug. 5) just show that you care in some way if you don’t know what they need. i used to think that if somebody needed to tell me what they needed it was a sign that i just didn’t know them well enough and we weren’t compatible or i wasn’t being a good friend. that’s fake! friendship isn’t based off of fitting naturally in every way and making an effort to be good for them is important.

knowing it’s okay to not be liked by everyone. it’s okay if strangers think you’re dumb because you said something dumb in public. you know you’re not dumb. it’s okay if not everybody you meet likes you. it’s okay if you do something cringey. everybody has their own shit to deal with and you will not shatter their world.  grow and move on!

forgiving yourself. i’m trying this new thing where when i feel embarrassed about something i say. out loud. “i forgive myself.” and then i just try to grow from that and move on without getting caught in a spiral of shame.

knowing what you need vs what you want and what is better at the time. what you need: a shower. what you want: to not do that. solution: take a shower! or maybe what you actually need is to go to sleep? but guess what. you probably know what is good for you. the hard part is actually doing it.

realize that building habits is less work than discipline. emotional effort is expended every time you have to make yourself do something. just make it part of your routine and you’ll just think it’s normal to do all the good things! like, for example, i’m trying to make it a habit to eat structured meals instead of a “eat when i’m hungry” thing because i know that makes me skip meals, which is bad!

you won’t be able to do everything. forgive yourself for that. write down  things that are top priority and focus on them. everything else is not important right now and you shouldn’t beat yourself up for not being able to do them.

your health is important. i’m not saying health will solve all your problems. it won’t! but health will cause a lot of your problems to go away. because let’s face it. not sleeping causes a lot of problems. 

YA GIRL IS FINALLY DONE WITH HIGH SCHOOL!!! I’ll be graduating soon (in literally 2 weeks aaaah), so I decided to reflect on the experience and put this post together. Here are the 4 things I learned in high school (that’s not all about the maths and the sciences)!! 

1. Give yourself some credit

After receiving a test paper with a low mark or hearing negative feedback from my research adviser about a thesis paper that I’ve been working so so hard on, I would understandably feel upset with myself, especially if it’s something I put a lot of effort in. Situations like these make me feel extremely distressed and leave my mind clouded with negative thoughts and emotions. In times like these, it is super important to give yourself some credit. Don’t discredit your achievements just because something didn’t go right! Remember your achievements! They don’t have to be big achievements but rather, things you’ve done that made you feel accomplished and fulfilled. Don’t focus on the things your shortcomings. Give yourself credit for your achievements and your abilities!

2. Find ways to love the ‘pain’

High school is hella tedious and routinely and for most of my high school days, I obviously was never excited to go through any of it. This lead to numerous absences and tardiness sanctions that messed with my conduct and overall academic standing. After my first two years of high school, I finally decided to find ways to love the ‘pain’. I decided to get up at 4am every day to cook myself a hearty meal for lunch so I would have something to look forward to during the day. In addition to this, I always took the time to rewrite my notes in the school library after classes because I loved using colorful pens and highlighters to make my notes look visually appealing, even if no one else would see them but myself. It’s things like these that seem small, but actually made the mundane high school routine actually bearable for me.

3. Give yourself a break

I don’t even know how many times I found myself breaking down in my room or in the school library because of assignments, readings, and tests. I also have ended up pulling multiple all-nighters to finish my thesis. One time, I even had to pull out my laptop in the middle of a family trip to do some research for another paper. I’ve spent so much of my time working my ass off to do well in terms of academics. Whenever I would have free time, I would still insist on doing schoolwork and whatnot. In the end, I would just feel overworked and too exhausted to do anything else and that’s the absolute worst thing you can do to yourself. 

Be kind to yourself! Go on a milk tea date, put on a face mask, take a nap. Overworking yourself isn’t being productive. In fact, it even damages your productivity, so do yourself a favor and give yourself a break.

4. You don’t have to have everything figured out right now

Damn, this was probably the hardest thing I ever had to come to terms with. It took countless nights of crying and panicking for me to realize that it’s okay not to have everything figured out right at this second. When I was in middle school, I was set on becoming a musician. Then, I wanted to become a seismologist. Then, I found interest in Psychology when I was in 9th and 10th grade. I was so certain I was going to be a Psychologist until 11th grade where we had sudden introduction to Psychology lesson where we learned about the brain. There, I realized it wasn’t for me.

All my friends have been decided on what course they’ll be taking, and I felt immensely panicked and anxious about how undecided I am about my course, what school I’m going to take, what career I’m going to take on after university. At family gatherings, relatives would always ask me what I want to be considering I’m so close to graduating high school. I would always say I’m unsure yet, and that’s where the pressure gets even more intense and the “when I was your age, …” stories begin.

Revision Notes My first step to studying history is making revision notes that summarize the material I’m learning. I aim to write around one point per paragraph but I rarely do that :’) Realistically, I write around 4-5 points. (whoops!) One trick I use to make myself truly distill the material is by pretending the bullet point I’m making is going to go on a flashcard. (Which it is anyway!) This way, I remember that I don’t want to distill the information again for the flashcards part. 

Flashcards This is actually a recent thing I started to do when studying for history. On one side of the flashcard, I would write the paragraph title or the general gist of what the content is about. On the other side, I have the bullet point(s) from my notes summarized even further. After creating the flashcards, I practice retrieval from both sides. If I’m using physical flashcards, my process for reviewing is the same as the learn mode on Quizlet. The learn mode is simply get it right twice. It’s quick, easy, and I learn a lot. When using digital flashcards, my favourite site to use is Quizlet. I use different modes depending on how much time I want to spend studying and the depth of the material. Flashcards are extremely helpful for remembering the dates of key events, main ideas, or key people. 

Mind map For the longest time ever I didn’t understand the point of mind maps. They were just too confusing?? I decided that I would try to make a mind map for the history topics. The topics were just too confusing and a mind map helped me see where they connected. I also used my mind map as a guide for my ‘blurts’. You can see one of my mind maps here. 

Blurts Blurts are when I see a topic name/paragraph title and I blurt out everything I know about the topic. Blurts can really help you see the gaps in your knowledge. 

Timelines This is self-explanatory when it comes to history. There’s just so many random dates and having it in chronological order is really helpful. 

The Chinese Garden (1962) by Rosemary Manning

“In a girls’ boarding school in the late 1920s, a world of iron-willed authority, frigid rooms, and forbidden friendships, sixteen-year-old Rachel struggles to find a place for herself. When a rebellious student introduces her to a mystical, secret part of the grounds, the ‘Chinese garden,’ Rachel becomes torn between this hidden world of sensuality and pleasure and the formidable, controlling headmistress who inspires Rachel’s intellectual growth.”

Miss Pym Disposes (1948) by Josephine Tey

“Miss Lucy Pym, a popular English psychologist, is guest lecturer at a physical training college. The year’s term is nearly over, and Miss Pym–inquisitive and observant–detects a furtiveness in the behavior of one student during a final exam. She prevents the girl from cheating by destroying her crib notes. But Miss Pym’s cover-up of one crime precipitates another–a fatal ‘accident’ that only her psychological theories can prove was really murder.”

Olivia (1949) by Olivia (aka Dorothy Strachey)

“Olivia is sixteen years old when she goes to Les Avons, a finishing school near Paris, run by two Mademoiselles. It is a place of few rules, of laughter and lively conversation–a welcome surprise for a reserved young English girl. But the gaiety and freedom of Les Avons is only surface deep and emotional liaisons and jealousies form the hidden curriculum. Very quickly Olivia too is caught up in its spell, overwhelmed by her increasing infatuation with Mademoiselle Julie. Here she describes the powerful allegiances and repressed desires which smoulder at this secluded school, and the intensity and desperation of adolescent love.”

Regiment of Women (1917) by Clemence Dane

“In a small English town, just before the Great War, battle rages over Alwynne Durand, an appealing but dangerously inexperienced young teacher. Two women struggle to win her love and loyalty: Elsbeth, her fiercely protective aunt, and the formidable Clare Hartill. A brilliantly charismatic teacher, feverishly adored, Clare’s power is great–her abuse of it greater. Greedy for love, but incapable of returning it, she compulsively destroys the affections of those she most needs.”

The Small Room (1961) by May Sarton

“Anxiously embarking on her first teaching job, Lucy Winter arrives at a New England women’s college and shortly finds herself in the thick of a crisis: she has discovered a dishonest act committed by a brilliant student who is the protegée of a powerful faculty member. How the central characters–students and teachers–react to the crisis, and what effect the scandal has on their personal and professional lives, are the central motifs of May Sarton’s sensitive, probing novel.”

Frost in May (1933) by Antonia White

“The Convent of the Five Wounds, where Nanda Grey is sent when she is nine, is on the edge of London–but in 1908 it is a world unto itself. For the young girls receiving a Catholic education behind its walls, religion is a nationality, conformity an entire way of life. In this intense, troubled atmosphere, passionate friendships are the only deviation. Nanda is thirteen, a normal, quick-witted, spirited girl, when, catastrophically, she breaks the rules and pays too large a price for her transgression.”

The Getting of Wisdom (1910) by Henry Handel Richardson (aka Ethel Richardson)

Recent works I’ve read that fit this bill are:

Carol Goodman, The Lake of Dead Languages

Also Special Topics in Calamity Physics is a very contemporary female oriented academia book. I found it a lil’ stuffy though. 

Here’s some weapons for your essay writing arsenal!

Hemingway Editor Calmly Writer  The Most Dangerous Writing App Purdue O.W.L. One Look Thesaurus JSTOR Google Scholar

“A Thread of Tips” by Shelby

• #16 is missing but to find out more tips, follow her on twitter; be sure to thank her! 😁

happy feburary everyone! at this point, we’ve all truly dived into the second semester and are preparing for the mountains of work that are moving our way. presentations are common projects that each and every one of us will have to overcome at some point so i’ve put together a bunch of information and tips about giving the best presentation you can! i’ve broken up these tips into generally two categories, informational presentations and language presentations. informational presentation usually include presenting research and/or a story to your audience and language presentations are simply a presentation in the language are learning. i hope this may assist you in some way and that you give the best presentation possible! good luck to each and every one of you!

prepare, prepare, prepare! no matter how harsh it seems, the only way you will give a good presentation is if you prepare. you’ll need to know your content to the best of your ability and the order in which you will present it.

informational presentation. to successfully convey the knowledge that you are presenting, you’re going to need to gather it! as you begin your research try to stick to sources and facts that won’t mess you up in the middle of your speech. for example, avoid complicated statistics that you’ll need to explain for a long time (you could lose your audience!) or long quotes that even you could get lost in. and remember, you can paraphrase research when speaking, so don’t worry too much about quotes, just remember to give credit to authors. however, specific numbers and statistics are very interesting, so aim for those!

side note. while making this presentation, you are also going to need to make a strong introduction and conclusion to hold your audience. you can do this in any way you would like and i would say be as creative as possible! try to make the introduction and conclusion after you have collected all your research and have figured out how you want to approach this speech so you can truly capture the essence of what you wish to convey.

language presentation. in this type of presentation you will have to memorize what you are saying in a foreign language which can be a tricky task. to do this, begin by writing out everything you want to say into a journal in your first language, checking over any requirements to make sure you have all the information you need covered. after that is complete, translate it into the language you are learning on the next page of the journal and double check you fulfill requirements.

memorizing and repetition are your new best friends! as you start to work towards your memorization of the speech you’re going to have to first break the information down and then organize it! using the paragraphs you made and/or research you collected, break the information into parts that relate to one another, like sitting down at a restaurant or ordering the main course, and write out these sections on separate note cards. in the next few days you and your note cards are going to become very acquainted to one another, so make sure they are neat! try to allocate as much time as you need to memorize this presentation and do not overestimate your memorization abilities. you will not be able to memorize an entire presentation five hours beforehand no matter what you do! be prepared and honest with the time you will need to memorize and prepare this speech.

informational presentation. the note cards you have made should include a mixture of your research and the general information you wish to discuss, such as “war of 1812.” now, for this presentation, you must not try to memorize what you wish to say. if you try to memorize a speech exactly you’re most likely going to forget a lot of information when you stand up to present. try to memorize only the organization and layout of your speech and key facts and phrases that are powerful and really add to your presentation. if you are able to use note cards as you present, only write down key phrases and information! so as the presentation day nears, try to give faux speeches using your note cards as many times as possible so you are able to include all the information you have collected when you stand up to give your speech.

language presentation. to truly prepare this speech, you’re going to have to do the exact opposite of an informational presentation, memorizing as much as possible. i would recommend doing this the old fashioned way, turning your note cards upside down and trying to say it all correctly. now, if you are well versed in this language, you may be able to make it up on the spot, but you still want to memorize as much as possible! you will not remember all of it perfectly, but aim to fix those problem areas that always trip you up! i would recommend finding someone in your class or that can speak your target language to give the presentation to. they’ll be able to tell you what you miss that you may have been overlooking. repetition is key here!

side note. memorization is not learning. doing this will not teach you the information unless you truly understand what you are saying. try to understand exactly what each sentence means and what you are trying to say or you will not actually be learning. however, this is the best way to give a presentation in another language if you aren’t completely versed in it.

rise and shine, it’s presentation day! it’s all about to happen, you’ve got to give this presentation in only a couple of hours, now what do you do? hopefully, you have this presentation memorized and written out on some note cards. if so, there isn’t much else to do but just go over it. if you’re planning on memorizing the speech now, no offense, but you’ve set yourself up for failure. right now you just need to go over it and see exactly what trips you up and aim to fix that. most likely, you also have a lot of nerves that are getting to you right but all i can say is that those nerves are all in your head and you and your presentation are much better than you think! you can do this! so go get dressed in a classy outfit that makes you feel confident and get ready to crush that presentation!

the moment of truth. time to go! your name has been called or the clock has struck the time of your presentation and you can’t stall it any longer. breathe, it’s going to be okay. now, if your fight or flight instincts are kicking in, try tensing up every muscle in your body, and i mean every muscle, and holding it for five to ten seconds. after these five to ten seconds, release. you should feel a bit more relaxed and, if not, try again for a bit longer. you can also try to regulate your breathing, but you may forget as you stand up to walk to center stage. now go up there! bring some water and note cards, if possible, and look out over your crowd. i know they seem judgmental but trust me, they would be (and may even will be in a few minutes) in the same boat as you! a fear of public speaking is so common and everyone has dealt with the anxiety of it at least once in their life. you’re better than you think, my friend. you can do this!