VIKA BAMBARA, Special to The Denisonian—

When it comes to confidence, there’s no denying the truth that it is something everyone craves. Especially on a college campus where you are learning new material and figuring out who you are as a person, students want to make a point to everyone and say that they know something valuable, that they have something to contribute to a bigger whole.

Here’s what most students forget: You don’t have to know all the answers. Your simple presence in the classroom is a form of showing resilience to whatever nerves you had beforehand. Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t always know what to say or let someone have a shot at speaking up because you may actually end up with new perspectives and that’s what college is all about.

It can feel intimidating when you see other students getting to engage with the material. But that doesn’t mean that you did anything wrong. I always say that if you did the required work and have your own ideas about it, then you have every right to share it, but on your own time. Sometimes, you may need to rethink the idea over again and therefore may feel hesitant to participate. Again, you don’t need to know all the answers, so no one should judge you harshly if you get it wrong. It’s the effort that counts.

Is it good to participate? Yes. Are you a bad student if you don’t participate? No. The real matter comes down to not doubting yourself because you were nervous to share your thoughts. Your thoughts are still valid even if they weren’t heard. In the classroom and college in general, I say this especially for all the shy folks out there: there are going to be moments that you regret not participating. However, there are also going to be moments where you applaud yourself for just listening or those really special moments when you share an idea with the class. If you’re shy and ask, “Well when is the right time to play my confidence card?” I would simply say there is no right time because having confidence does not mean how many times you talk, but it has more to do with what you’re saying. Having confidence also applies to being a good listener. I often find that students rush too quickly to conclusions instead of taking time to absorb the information. 

Students put too much pressure on themselves. What happened to the value in just listening? Don’t speak out of anxiety; speak because you believe it matters to you and hopefully will matter to everyone else. Speak because at the end of the day that is the one idea burning inside your mind that you have to let others know about. Hurray, you’ve contributed. Now you will have to try again and see what ideas are twisting and turning in your head. 

To all the students out there, especially the introverts, don’t be so hard on yourself.