Reflections

Hey again! I know it’s been a long time since I last posted, but I have been busy with the IB. Now, I’m working on my CAS diaries and decided to share one of my reflections. A little while back, I took on the challenge of making a public speech and performing it in front of all of my peers.

Reflection

The English Public Speaking Competition was held at St. Olav on Tuesday the 24^th of November 2015. I, along with five other classmates, competed in the competition while our peers watched and voted for their favorite speaker. However, the main objective of the competition was to encourage students to take the stage and share with the audience their thoughts on the topic, which was how everyone has power even if they do not know it.

At first, I was very excited to face the challenge of making my own, creative speech and then performing it in front of over 50 people, however the last few days before the competition were nerve-wracking and I almost backed away from the challenge. Whenever I tried to write or research information for my speech, I would avoid it and think about other things to calm me down. However, I took on the challenge and faced my fears. On the last day before the competition, I practiced in front of a mirror and researched tutorials on how to present a good speech; my perseverance did not let me down and I was determined to do my best on the final day.

Once it was the day of the competition, I could not focus during classes because my mind was in a different world—the world of my speech and its message, the speeches that I would hear from my opponents, the feeling I would have being on stage. When it finally was competition time, each of my opponents took the stage one at a time; I listened for about the first 30 seconds of each speech and then I was slowly dragged back to my speech and its world. And then last was me.

I slowly rose from my chair and carefully walked to the stage, taking one shaky step at a time up the steps. My heart pounded 100 miles an hour and before I knew it, I stood on the stage, feet planted on the floor and my body facing 50 people with curious faces. I then took a deep breath and told my story. Some say it was creative, others say I may have been too harsh, while the rest may say I moved too much on the stage. However, I did not take notice. How not? I was in my own world. I felt the words pass my lips and hit the audience with their strong meanings and emotions. My arms waved around, telling the story and trying to bring the audience into my world. At one point, I felt so empowered with the words coming out of my mouth that I almost felt a tear roll down my cheek. The emotions flooded me; the thought of influencing so many people was overpowering.

Once I finished and exited the stage, a smile crossed my face. I could not be any prouder. My opponents and I then exited the room and the students and ESU representatives voted for their favorite speaker and at that moment, it did not matter if I won or not. What mattered was the message I gave to my audience. Soon, the results came and I found out the devastating news that I did not win. I did not even get second place, but I held my head up high and I thought back to the week before when I was struggling to even write my speech. Now I had accomplished my challenge and proved to myself that I can face anything as long as I have the perseverance and keep my commitment.

Throughout this experience, I have gained much knowledge within the realms of public speaking and communication among peers. I have not only learned how to create a moving speech, but also how to deliver it; I also recognize my need for improvement. I am very proud of myself for taking on this challenge and learning to face my fears. I have learned something that cannot be taught through a textbook or a teacher—what I experienced was the power of my words, the overwhelming wave of emotions, and the influential moment while realizing that I was delivering my message to over 50 people—all in one, special moment. That is something that you can never learn from others, you can only learn it through your own experiences.

The six contestants along with the whole 2IB and two ESU representatives

I would like to add that this journey to Oxford University was absolutely amazing and definitely an experience of a lifetime. I will always remember the times I spent there making new friends and independently exploring the world while grasping at my chance of freedom. I learned so much about the IB diploma, different cultures, how it is to live in a university, and how important the environment is around you. I gained so much knowledge of what it really is like to live at Oxford and the chances of being accepted into the university. Even though it is very difficult to be selected for an interview, being student at Oxford University will always be a part of my dreams.

For those of you out there who also have similar goals, don’t let anyone ruin your dreams. Even if your chances are slim, there is still a chance to accomplish whatever you want as long as you have the determination to stand up for what you want and/or believe. No matter how many times a person pushes you down, stand back up and fight. Think about all of the positive aspects and your advantages. Think optimistically. As long as you believe in yourself, you can accomplish anything.

I have already achieved one of my main goals, and that was being accepted into the school I now attend. When I first moved to Norway and went to a Norwegian school, my grades weren’t perfect. I struggled in Norwegian with a starting grade of 2 (equal to around a D in American grades). I was okay in everything else, especially in English, but I had a problem: I wanted to be accepted into an IB school. The minimum grade point average to enter the class was 5,0 (equivalent to a 3.8 GPA). For the next two years, I studied and took extra language classes for my Norwegian. I also did all of this while competing in at least two handball games a week, playing two instruments, and participating in school clubs. My grades grew higher and higher as the years passed by. At the end of my last year in middle school (10th grade), I accomplished a GPA of 5,1. I was ecstatic and genuinely proud of what I had accomplished. I not only achieved my goal, but also went as far as leading a school club and improving my handball skills.

Now that I take the IB, I feel as though there is still so much for me to accomplish. I have a whole two years’ of work laying in front of me. The stress has already begun to take place, but I’m still starting the year off strong.