Speaking up in class

For some students, class participation comes naturally. Other students are more inclined to quietly absorb but rarely speak up. From a professor's point of view, we are usually thankful for students who are willing to participate, but we also want to draw out the quieter students; we want every student to feel involved and invested in the course material.

If you are one of the students who speaks out frequently, you may need to check the impulse (sometimes) so that other students have more opportunity to speak. For students who are quieter in class, it may be time to consider how you can speak up and participate a little more. Why, you ask? 

Speaking up in class, at least occasionally, is important two particular reasons:

1. Practically speaking, it may impact your grade. Like it or not, many professors include a "participation grade" in their syllabus and will keep track of which students speak in class and how often. This may not be fun for you,  and may even make you uncomfortable, but it is worth considering if you want a high grade in a class.
2. Philosophically speaking, participating vocally in class enriches both you and your fellow students. Every student brings a unique perspective and set of experiences to the classroom. We are all richer when the classroom where a wide diversity of voices are heard. 

If you wish that you could participate more vocally but feel uncomfortable doing so, there are multiple ways to make the experience easier and less daunting.

Speaking up in class can be unnerving for multiple reasons. You may not enjoy the experience of your classmates looking at you or you may not wish to draw attention to yourself. You may fear looking ignorant or stupid. You might feel nervous about misspeaking or saying something embarrassing. I could probably come up with a dozen other reasons along these lines not to speak up during class. But don't let those fears stop you. If you are nervous about speaking, here are a few basic ways to ease the path. 

• Start with a question. If you aren't sure about something, need clarification, or if a lecture brings up a question you've considered before, start with that. Asking questions is a valuable way to improve your own understanding of class material and everyone else's. You can be absolutely certain that if there is something you don't understand in class, there is at least one other person in the room who is just as confused as you are. 
• If you're nervous about what to say, write it down. You can organize your thoughts and refine your comment by taking just a few minutes to think through what you're about to say. This will give you confidence and ensure that you make your point or ask your question clearly. 
• Realize that no one else is thinking about you nearly as much as you are thinking about you. It is stereotypical to say this, but no one cares. The reality is that your classmates aren't going to leave the room and call their friends to gossip about the question you asked during lecture. I promise. 
• Consider your question or comment to be a public service. As I said, the classroom is richer and more interesting when more students, and especially a wider diversity of students, feel comfortable speaking up and asking questions. No one has the exact same thoughts or ideas that you do, and we are all better served when we hear from unique perspectives in the classroom. 
• Come to class prepared. This is along the same lines as the advice to write down your question in advance. Professors assign readings and homework for a reason, and if you take notes as you're reading then ask a question in class, you will automatically be elevated to favorite-student status. Doing this will also reduce the fear you might have of looking bad when you speak up. You KNOW you did the work, you read, you thought it through. 

The reality, of course, is that fears are not always logical or rational. Speaking up in front of others is challenging and unnerving for many people and you may not be able to rationalize your way out of that fear. But building the skill of speaking during class is a highly useful stepping stone toward almost any professional life you might pursue post-graduation. I can think of virtually zero careers where employees are not occasionally required to speak during meetings, give presentations, or ask questions in a semi-public setting (or at least in front of their colleagues). Consider speaking in the college classroom a sort of skill building and practice at tolerating discomfort - it will serve you will in the long run.