Every college student will have to do some public speaking at one time or another. It is good practice for the real world, where most people will have to address a large group at one time or another in their lives. Here, I am going to give you the best hint to picking up public quickly, and succeeding with it at the collegiate level. No, it is not to picture the audience in their underwear – that is actually awkward and a little creepy. No, the secret to giving a speech in college is to pick the most relevant and interesting topic possible. If it is something that interests you and you have some knowledge over, odds are that your audience will feel the same. Once that connection has been established, everything else is easy. As such, here are some suggestions for good speech topics to succeed in your college course:
* Current Events: Relevant topics from the news world are always a good topic when you can work them in. They are fresh topics that are likely to hold everyone's attentions. If you choose to take a stance (specifically a political or religious one) on the event, I would caution you to toe very carefully. Inflaming the leanings of your audience can alienate both them and the person who is grading you.
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* School Organizations: For college courses, few topics are better than talking about the events at your school. Bring to light a group or organization that does good work at the college but never receives any recognition. Or, if you want to win a popularity contest with your classmates, talk about the history of the school's football or basketball team. Another cool idea is to tell the audience why your rival school is terrible. These are all easy ways to form a connection and get your listeners in your corner while barely trying.
* Your own passions: Focus on a subject near and dear to your own heart. It may not be a love that the audience shares, but they will feed on your passion. And, if it is something that you are truly passionate about, you will be able to bring to light new facts about the topic that nobody in the audience knows. This is your chance to impress them.
* Controversial (but not inflaming) Takes: This is a tough topic to master, but can be really successful if you do. It basically boils down to making an argument for argument's sake. For example, one of the best speeches I ever saw was a man who talked about "reasons that you should smoke." Examples that he gave included losing weight, being part of the in crowd, and looking cool like movie posters from the 1940s. In this vein, if you choose to go this route, it is best to give the speech with tongue planted firmly in cheek.
One last reminder: No matter what subject you choose, make sure that your speech has an overall point or thesis. Anybody can get a narrative from Wikipedia, so what are you trying to tell your audience?
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