Going Off to College
by Michael Caggiano
GOING OFF TO COLLEGE? Here are a few tips from a recent
graduate.
As a recent college graduate who has stuttered for 23
years, I would like to pass along a few tips to deal with stuttering
for those about to begin their college career.
First, let people know you stutter, Depending on the severity,
its often a lot easier than trying to hide it by avoiding certain
words, or speaking situations. By telling or letting people know
you stutter you will be able to deal with it on your own terms.
It is no longer a secret that you must work to keep hidden.
Once the cat is out of the bag, the listener now knows you stutter.
This is helpful in two ways. First, the listener expects you to
stutter and will not be surprised when you do. Secondly,
there is no longer any pressure on you to be a fluent speaker.
This will make both you and the listener more comfortable. They
will have more patience while waiting for you, and will be less
likely to interrupt you, walk away, or say/do something inappropriate
(all of which for me, negatively influence my speech). When you
are no longer constantly trying to be 100 percent fluent, you
don’t work as hard trying to hide it and it actually becomes
easier to manage.
It seems odd, but people will actually be impressed when you
tell them you stutter. The fact that you came out and told them,
shows that you are managing your stuttering and you are in control.
It is not something you are ashamed of.
ADVERTISE
Wear a “Friends” shirt around campus, at class, and
in the dorms. This is an easy, indirect way to advertise the fact
that you stutter without having to say so. You might be
surprised about the reaction. I wore mine a few times, told friends
(no pun intended) about the organization and they were so impressed
they actually bought T-shirts themselves. Soon enough I
had about a dozen friends walking around in Friends shirts
TALK TO YOUR PROFESSOR
Talk to your professor during the first few days of class. (Introducing
yourself to a professor is a good idea even if you don’t
stutter so they can put a face to a name on their long list of
students.) Introduce yourself and let him/her know “I
stutter, it’s not a big deal, just sometimes it takes me
a little longer to say what I want”. This way if you choose
not to participate in class, the professor will know it is because
you stutter and not because you didn’t do the work.
GIVING A PRESENTATION
Public speaking is often difficult for people who stutter. Before
giving a presentation it helps to let the class know you stutter
and if you want, make a joke to get the presentation rolling. This
can be done by again telling the class “ you stutter,
its not a big deal, and sometimes it takes a little longer to
say what you want to say,… which works out because that
means I only need about 8 minutes worth of material for a 10
minute presentation.” You do this and I promise
you’ll be much more comfortable while giving that presentation.
IF PEOPLE FIND OUT YOU STUTTER….
the
world is not going to end, and chances are people will find out
as soon as you start talking anyway.
Remember, that often stuttering
is a bigger deal in your mind than it is in other people’s
minds. People will react to your stuttering based on how you react
to it. If you are comfortable with it, chances are, your listener
will be to.
Good Luck,
Michael Caggiano
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