I teach a course called "Introduction to Speech" at Towson State University in Maryland. The students give four or five speeches during the semester, and one of their biggest obstacles is overcoming the fear of speaking in front of an audience. In fact, studies show that this anxiety is greater than the fear of death. I teach my students specific tools that they can use to overcome this very real fear and even enjoy the experience. So why didn't I follow my own advice? Good question.
In an attempt to save face and reconcile my personal shortcomings, I put together the following ideas that I hope might help those of you who are preparing to take a stage check with a different instructor or getting ready for the highly anticipated final checkride for your certificate. I managed to pass and got my ticket. You can too. I was very nervous despite my training and background, but I did control that fear and eventually made it work for me.
First of all, it is completely normal to feel nervous and a little bit overwhelmed. When students give a speech, it is very hard to tell how they feel inside - same with a checkride. You might feel like a bundle of nerves, but most of the time the examiner will never know. Don't worry about others thinking you are upset, scared, or even terrified. If you are like me, you are concerned about all the time and money you have put into this project. You worry that if you fail now you will never get over it. It just isn't so. The trick is not to let your nervousness control you. The single most effective way to settle your nerves is to quite simply be prepared. If you have not practiced your power-off and power-on stalls enough to be comfortable, pay the bucks and practice. If you keep missing the airport on the emergency approach - guess what - practice. In an attempt to save time and money, many of us might rush to take the checkride before we are truly confident with all of the necessary skills. I am telling you it will quadruple your stage fright if you don't have these things down before going up for that all-important flight.
Let's assume that you have studied every minute detail of both the oral and the flying aspects of the stage check. You will still get nervous, that's OK. Try this: Close all the books and get your mind off flying at least an hour before you are scheduled for the test - that's right, try to forget about it. Watch television; put together a puzzle; clean the basement; wash the dog - whatever! The important thing is not to be consumed by thoughts of incompetence, failure, and fear. You already know your stuff-just relax. The skills and knowledge inside you will surface when they are needed.
During the checkride itself, you can keep yourself together by trying a few basic techniques to control your thinking, breathing, and that racing, pounding heart. First, try breathing in and out on a count of seven. This technique is something that I picked up from a 2,000-year-old rhetorician by the name of Aristotle. Start by breathing in slowly, counting to seven. Then breathe out slowly, counting to seven. You will be amazed by the difference it makes in lowering your heartbeat in just three minutes.
Once you've got that heart rate under control, try controlling the pace of the checkride by repeating the last question that was asked of you. You can also try clarifying a maneuver by repeating it back to the examiner. It slows down the pace of events, giving you more time to think between tasks. And it helps to keep your mind clear and focused on what you are doing. Don't worry. Your instructor or examiner won't think you're an idiot. They will actually think that you are paying closer attention.
Also, try saying aloud all of the items on the checklist before taking off, during maneuvers, and before landing. By speaking aloud, you are less likely to forget or skip a checklist item, and hearing your own voice builds confidence. It's like talking to your best friend. You might even try talking to your airplane, a tip provided by the designated examiner who gave me my private pilot checkride. Your examiner might think you're crazy, but it will calm you down.
There are rare occasions when one of my speech students gets up in front of the class completely terrified and can neither say nor do anything. Some students even begin to sob and shake. They basically have a mini-nervous breakdown. It's painful to watch and very difficult to do anything about. If you are consumed with thoughts of failure and fear and you are shaking uncontrollably, do everyone a favor and don't fly that day. You need more practice and maybe a vacation. You might even try taking a simulated checkride with a different instructor. You might have to do this more than once, but it can help you conquer your fear. For 98 percent of us, there is hope, and success is waiting at the end of the checkride.
Stage fright, whether it's experienced in the classroom while giving a speech or in the air while trying to coordinate steep turns, is controllable and healthy. Without some fear, would flying, or for that matter life itself, be as interesting? Be well-prepared, recognize your anxiety, embrace it, and resolve it. You can do it.
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