Hi Everyone!
So this past week has been....exhausting to say the least. Like I said last week I knew this week was going to be quite a challenge, but to be completely honest, I only remember like 50% of last week because I was living mostly of espresso and 2 hours of sleep.
However, even though it was definitely one of the hardest weeks of ISM, it was very rewarding and oddly therapeutic once it was over with. The main thing I had to prepare for was my Original Work Speech. Now, here's the thing. My field of study is graphic design, theres only a handful of us kids in ISM who aren't doing something medical related so people expect a lot from us when we present. We are different, and people pay more attention to us, expecting to see this amazing piece of artwork from us. And it sets the bar extremely high for us.
Especially cause my field was graphic design, I had to make sure my presentation was perfect. I spent an embarrassingly long time mapping and laying out exactly what I wanted to present and show and make my slides look pristine. Then all I had to do was match a speech to it. Sounds easy in theory right? Thats what I thought too.
I spent hours trying to make a good speech and memorize it, then after that didnt work I just tried talking about it, not as a speech but what I truly wanted to say about my research and what I have learned, and my thought came out and so did a speech. I decided forcing a speech was too much and opted to just present what I really wanted to get across. And finally I had prepared something I was proud enough of to present.
Everything was going well in my speech until I actually had to present. Now even from Day 1 on ISM I have never been a good public speaker. And to be quite honest, I am not sure I'll ever be a good public speaker. But we don't do speeches to be a good public speaker. Its about gaining confidence, and pushing yourself to do something you wouldn't normally do and to make yourself that much more skilled and comfortable with speaking and communicating to others, and to get out of your comfort range. If ISM has taught me anything, its to continually keep pushing myself and seeing how far I can grow, and I challenge you all to do the same.
You might like your results.
So this past week has been....exhausting to say the least. Like I said last week I knew this week was going to be quite a challenge, but to be completely honest, I only remember like 50% of last week because I was living mostly of espresso and 2 hours of sleep.
However, even though it was definitely one of the hardest weeks of ISM, it was very rewarding and oddly therapeutic once it was over with. The main thing I had to prepare for was my Original Work Speech. Now, here's the thing. My field of study is graphic design, theres only a handful of us kids in ISM who aren't doing something medical related so people expect a lot from us when we present. We are different, and people pay more attention to us, expecting to see this amazing piece of artwork from us. And it sets the bar extremely high for us.
Especially cause my field was graphic design, I had to make sure my presentation was perfect. I spent an embarrassingly long time mapping and laying out exactly what I wanted to present and show and make my slides look pristine. Then all I had to do was match a speech to it. Sounds easy in theory right? Thats what I thought too.
I spent hours trying to make a good speech and memorize it, then after that didnt work I just tried talking about it, not as a speech but what I truly wanted to say about my research and what I have learned, and my thought came out and so did a speech. I decided forcing a speech was too much and opted to just present what I really wanted to get across. And finally I had prepared something I was proud enough of to present.
Everything was going well in my speech until I actually had to present. Now even from Day 1 on ISM I have never been a good public speaker. And to be quite honest, I am not sure I'll ever be a good public speaker. But we don't do speeches to be a good public speaker. Its about gaining confidence, and pushing yourself to do something you wouldn't normally do and to make yourself that much more skilled and comfortable with speaking and communicating to others, and to get out of your comfort range. If ISM has taught me anything, its to continually keep pushing myself and seeing how far I can grow, and I challenge you all to do the same.
You might like your results.