To ask if reasonable adjustments can be put in place for university presentations?

[canitbedonee]

Hi, I'm not sure if anyone can advise. I suffer with anxiety and part of that is I really struggle with public speaking or being put on the spot. I will worry about it for weeks, and have been known to do everything in my power to avoid them (even leaving jobs).

My anxiety was quite severe last year and I got signed off sick by my GP, and since then I've been on medication. I'm thinking of going to the university's disability service and disclosing to them I have anxiety, but I'm not sure if it will be helpful at all? I'm really worrying about a presentation I have to give in a couple of months which will be filmed for the markers to assess, I hate being photographed or filmed. I'm thinking of leaving the course completely because of it.

I'm nervous to mention my anxiety though as I'm studying to be a nurse and I haven't had occupational health clearance yet as I need to have a meeting with them about my anxiety which is in a few weeks. I don't want it to seem that I'm not fit to practice when I think I am - I'm just anxious about public speaking in front of an audience and being filmed.

Does anyone have any advice on whether it's worth telling the university or just trying to get on with it as best I can.

Having anxiety does not make you unfit to practice and if you want adjustments, you have to disclose. Also it may be worth speaking to your GP about medication. I always take a couple of propranolols before I have a public speaking event. I’m NHS too.

Definitely worth speaking to the disability service. They can usually agree reasonable adjustments for things like this

What adjustments would you like?

Definitely speak up

A reasonable adjustment might be to pre record it so you're not doing it live/can redo it until you're happy with it.

Not recording it at all wouldn't be reasonable as otherwise it might be impossible to moderate and more difficult to mark.

It would also depend on whether it's considered that a live presentation would be part of your professional competency as a nurse - I'd say it wouldn't but nursing isn't my area.

Definitely speak up. I've seen multiple forms for students saying they may need adjustments for presentations, I don't use presentations in my assessments so I haven't had to go any further but I'd be very surprised if it's a new issue.

Also depending on the assessment criteria they might be able to just record the audio if that would make you feel better? They might just be doing this anyway.

Have you tried getting beta blockers from the GP? Have you tried desensitising yourself by presenting first to a single person such as your mum then gradually increasing the scariness? Or you could present by yourself and film it, then watch the playback with someone else to begin with?

Most people suffer some anxiety when public speaking, for many people that never really goes entirely even when they do it regularly. It's not unusual for people to faint, blush, have a shaky voice etc. Your assessors will have seen it all before and will doubtless be supportive

I wouldn't ask the university for special treatment unless you've tried everything you can yourself first, however, I would explain how you feel and ask if they have any advice and see what they suggest.

Think carefully about the kind of adjustment you will need and how it will still meet the learning outcomes. If ‘presenting online’ is a learning outcome then it is worth chatting with your disability support service. They may recommend you seek help with your anxiety. You should also seek out ways you can help yourself. Student presentations are a fact of life at university and will become increasingly used as a strategy to minimise impact of ChatGPT.

I don’t think you can say that any specific adjustment would not be reasonable as (presumably) you don’t knew the specific course.

There was a student who sadly took her own life over the last couple of years and the coroners court made it very clear that reasonable adjustments should be made (including not having to do something as a presentation) unless the learning outcomes for the course mean that it needs to be done in that specific way. So for example, a presentation where the LO are - describe the prevalence of yyy in the UK in specific populations, evaluate evidence for the use of xxx as a treatment with YY condition, describe the social policy context of xxx. There’s nothing in here to say it needs to be a presentation so according to this coroner, it’s reasonable to do this as an essay, or just write the presentation and not deliver it.

Academic here, OP. All universities are sadly aware of the case referred to by @ChocolateCakeOverspill and the only good to have come from it is a heightened awareness that students deserve reasonable adjustments. Please do consult your university’s disability service. I think they will be able to help you.

I’ve done a degree before and mustered through the presentations as I didn’t want to make a fuss or disclose, but I feel like the anxiety has gotten worse as I’ve gotten older. I left my previous job because of it, they asked me to deliver a presentation and I got so worked up over it I had a meltdown and had to go off sick. I had reasonable adjustments put in place when I returned but I ended up leaving after a few months. the anxiety sounds so exaggerated but it’s honestly has a huge impact on my life.

im already on a strong dose of anti anxiety medication.

You should definitely apply for reasonable adjustments and if you haven’t done already, sign up for student well-being. / mental health support or IAPT / talking therapies. Not just for your course but because of the impact that anxiety is having on your life. I know it feels uncontrollable but you can learn to control it, honestly. It won’t happen overnight but it will happen

Which university was the student at @ChocolateCakeOverspill ?

Off the top of my head I can’t remember but I think it was one in the South West.

I think it was Bristol.

Yes just checked, it was Bristol

I think you need to think about whether you’re on the right career path. Anxiety is awful, but you need to manage it. Contemplating quitting a degree because of a filmed presentation (when it doesn’t seem as if you’ve tried to work on yourself or requested adjustments) is disproportionate, and you’ve left jobs before rather than speak in public. Your anxiety isn’t the problem, your lack of management of it is.

The best piece of advice I ever got around presentations was to offer to go first. It’s over before you know it and so the anxiety doesn’t build the same as watching others go before you assuming it’s a whole class style presentation.

In my MSc dissertation presentation, I pulled the table to the middle explained to everyone I had problems with anxiety and actually sat on the table. It was easier for me as I physically shake and stutter. Being sat down helped and I got through it. I was also dealing with a lecturer picking on me at the same time but thankfully another lecturer stepped in and told them to shut up and leave me alone.

Just try to ignore the cameras, easier said than done but practice with you phone camera might make it easier (I also hate cameras so can sympathise) Trust yourself that you know your topic. Hope it goes well.

What adjustments do you want to ask them to make?

Nursing is a very high pressured environment. There are also presentations required for many nursing job interviews now.

Don't leave.
They should make adjustments for you.
Tell them, perhaps you can present to just a couple of people who could mark it "live" rather than recording it.

There has been a case of a student committing suicide over something like this - the university should be well aware. Bristol was found guilty for not helping this student.

Bristol University found guilty of failings over death of student | University of Bristol | The Guardian

My daughter has ADHD and gets really anxious doing presentations. She has a support plan that the disability service made for her at the uni.

She gets to do her presentations on a one to one basis with the lecturer now.

I was the same as were a few.others on my course. Uni had no sympathy and expected us to continue. It did get easier but I could barely speak at first. However it really is crucial in the role as you are often in large meetings or have family members observing. You also may need to present training etc to team. So it is worth continuing. If I can do it anyone can.

I meant to add that many unis do have sessions such as 'help with public speaking' or using drama techniques.

A lot of us are very anxious about public speaking, especially for the first time. I think it depends how valuable it is to you to be able to do it. (In many, maybe most, jobs it's necessary to do it sometimes, not necessarily brilliantly, but competently.)

I am very anxious about medical procedures. If I needed an urgent operation would it be in my interest to get signed off it because of anxiety? Probably not, if the operation was needed...