I’m a nervous person, and when I found out I needed to take a public speaking course, I panicked. I panicked while I prepared for speeches. I panicked immediately before giving speeches and panicked while delivering them.

My public speaking course taught me the basics, but if I had had the guidelines I’m about to relay to you, speeches could have been easier.

First: It’s okay to be nervous if you have to give a speech.

Communication studies professor Diana Carlin says it’s natural to be nervous, and if you aren’t, then you should be worried. Carlin, who teaches a speech writing, class, says one way to help ease your nerves is to practice your speech beforehand. She says knowing your introduction well will get you off to a good start.

Before you can plan your speech, you need a topic. Your topics may be limited if you’re giving a speech for a class, but try to pick something that interests you.

Carlin says to search for model speeches on the Web and find what makes them good. Tutorials and textbooks are other ways to learn what makes a good speech, she says.

Carlin shares two guidelines to remember when putting your speech together: First, know your audience, and second, understand the audience’s expectations for the type of speech you’re delivering. For example, she says during Commencement, the audience expects the speaker to congratulate the graduates.

Carlin says to start by organizing your points and put them into an outline, a manuscript or a combination of both.

Barbara Ballard, associate director for civic programming and outreach at the Dole Institute of Politics, says to try to have fun with your speech. Ballard says even if the speech is about a serious matter, there are still ways to engage your audience. She says one way is to ask the audience a question, pause to let them ponder the question and then answer the question.

Student body president Adam McGonigle says it’s important that your message is meaningful to the audience.

“If you want people to have an enthusiastic response to what you’re saying, then you need to say it in an enthusiastic way,” McGonigle says. “You need to be able to energize people around your message.”

Ballard says to know your subject matter and audience. She also says it’s best to make an odd number of points, like three or five, because it’s easier for the audience to remember.

“If you’re well-prepared, then the nervousness sort of goes away,” Ballard says. “If you’re not prepared, I think you stay nervous because you’re not sure exactly how it’s going to go.”

Ballard compares giving a speech to an athlete performing in the Olympics. She says even though athletes have practiced, they’re still nervous, but they know they can perform.

Ballard also says to make eye contact. She says people don’t like to be read to, so the more natural your speech seems, the more the audience will pay attention. If you can interact with the audience, then they will feel like they are a part of what you are saying, Ballard says.

It also helps to familiarize yourself with the setting. What type of room will you be in? Is it big or small? Will you be addressing the audience from a lectern on a stage or on the floor directly in front of them? Ballard says these are all things to consider.

Electrical engineering senior Jamie Hines gives recruitment speeches for the School of Engineering. She says a good way to practice is to videotape yourself delivering the speech. This makes you aware of your flaws, she says. Hines says she recorded herself and noticed that she would rock while giving her speech. She was then able to work on eliminating that distracting habit.

Hines also says if you appear confident, then your audience will think you’re confident. She says be honest, clear, concise and try not to sound like you’re giving a sales pitch.

Carlin says public speaking is the No. 1 fear for most people, and it’s not easy to give a speech. She says even if you make a mistake, audiences are forgiving—just laugh it off. Also, if you make an unnoticeable mistake, just keep going, she says. No one will know the difference.