Speaking Up in Class You have arrived at Smith with your own
associations to the idea of “speaking up,” and with your own
level of comfort about talking in groups. Whatever your comfort
level may be, your professors will encourage you to both speak
and listen during classroom discussions, because most of them
believe that robust classroom discussion allows everyone in the
room to learn from each other. This page includes thoughts,
advice and strategies for students who would like to speak (or
listen) more in class. When I first went to college, I really
disliked speaking up in groups and used to try to avoid getting
into those kinds of situations. Eventually, however, I realized
that I couldn’t keep hiding in the back of the classroom and
that I did want to voice my ideas and opinions. So, I began to
force myself to speak up, and even though it was painful and
awkward at first, now I stand up in front of my classes and
although I may be a little nervous at the beginning, I actually
enjoy doing it. Here are so