Let's review, shall we?

At last, the summer session draws to a close, and for a precious week, we will be free to lounge about at lazy teenagers until we're kicked back into the fall semester. In the past few weeks, I've experienced a whole range of things I hadn't been prepared for, and shared in the embarrassment of standing in front of an audience to speak. While my confidence as a speaker hasn't grown, my understanding of what to do to increase that confidence has. I've always understood when I've seen a good speech, but now I understand exactly why a speech is good or bad. The useful trio, ethos, pathos, and logos, make all the difference in the world. I had never before understood the concept that in order to speak effectively, you have to convince your audience that you're worth listening to.

These are skills that will assist me in all future situations, whether publicly, professionally, or interpersonally. The course has help me to understand exactly what it takes to communicate effectively. Where as before I had only vaguely understood that people communicate, I now understand how and can improve on any flaws that I might have suffered from before. With one speech left, I hope that I can apply what I've learned, and wrap up the class in the best way that I can!