3 November 2013:
Presenting my pre-OP prolific pattern.
This is the last leg of the PW race. It started in February and it's coming to an end soon in November. After it officially end, I'll probably do a super-long post about the whole journey of Project Work, we'll see.Currently this is a period of 'free time'. Technically there is still OP, but there's Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Naturally I go into procrastination mode. That is very unhealthy and fatal, so I'm forcing myself out of it now.
Honestly I worry about Q&A. The presentation part is fine. I know my projection is good, my words are clear and my tone is varied enough. The only problem I have is that I rush through my speech (nervousness), but even that can be easily rectified.
It's the Q&A that scares me. I've had five OP practices, and I mind-blanked for the third and fourth one. The only consolation is that for the fifth one I answered it fine, at least according to my classmates. But what if I cannot reproduce that for the actual OP?
Besides blanking out during Q&A, another issue I have is that my answers do not have that final link back to the question. This is a problem that I have since secondary school, when my answers in history exams always lack the link.
It's difficult to identify but easy to solve. It seems like I've only solved this problem in writing, since I can see exactly what I have written / typed so I know whether the link is there or not.
But when I'm speaking, there is only a mental record of what I've said. And when nervousness kicks in, all the more I become flustered and think that my answers is explained enough, when there may be logical gaps.
So yes, I'm wishing really hard that (1) I do not go blank during the Q&A and (2) I do not forget to link my answers back to the question. Then I'll probably be fine, assuming the presentation part goes well too.
I also realised, upon feedback from classmates and teachers, that I walk around too much when presenting. Not sway like others may do, but literally walk around from left to right. It isn't exactly a bad thing, but too much of it is not good too.
I don't know when I caught this behaviour, but when I'm nervous during OP I'll start doing that. Actually many speakers have done that, e.g. Steve Jobs in his Keynote speeches, and others in TED talks.
But I suppose this isn't very suitable for an Oral Presentation exam. So I need to tone it down. People have actually said that they get dizzy because they try to look my in the eye (eye contact) but I'm pacing from left to right.
~
Recently I'm slightly more prolific in terms of blog posts. I was checking my recent archives (oxymoron) when I realised that for September, I only blogged once. This obviously contravenes my 'rule' of blogging once a week.
I don't exactly remember why I blogged so frequently, but I roughly recall a period of time where I simply had no motivation or inspiration to blog. There were a few drafts (which I recently deleted) about song analyses which weren't good either.
But recently, I'm glad that I have the mood to blog once again. Maybe it's because there's no stress over promos anymore (does not mean I will slack), so my mind naturally is more relaxed and ideas will come.
Whatever it is, I'll continue to blog so long as I can think of ideas. People who have read this space since its inception will know that I cover (have covered) a wide range of topics, including 'serious' ones like politics or personal ones.
I suppose it's back to PW, all the best to me and you, if you are taking it too.
TTFN.