Studying Abroad

The nightmare continues

By Kazuya Muto

I didn't have time to be disappointed with my exam. There was a business presentation round the corner, one where I had to speak for one hour. The topic was: values, ethics and emotions in the workplace.

Strictly speaking it wasn't a presentation. It was like a role-play session. I would be the teacher and I had to teach a topic to the other students. It's hard enough to speak in front of people, but interacting with them would be even more difficult.

I prepared a Power Point presentation, some large charts, and some jokes to make people relax. It took forever to prepare and I stayed up the night before — stressed and cursing and eating way too much chocolate — to get everything finished in time.

To make matters worse, I had a politics exam on the same day as the presentation, and politics is stupidly difficult. I somehow managed to get that out of the way, and immediately afterwards I sprinted to the library and started rehearsing for my presentation. I was nervous. My hands were sweating, I had butterflies in my stomach, I just wished time would stop.

Time, of course, didn't stop, and four o'clock — the time of my presentation — eventually came round. "Thanks for coming, guys," I started. I felt sick. "How are you doing?" I launched into a couple of jokes, but they didn't go down too well, so I moved onto the main part of the presentation.

I'm so grateful to some of the students there. I don't think I could have passed the whole presentation off without them. They helped me by giving some very good answers to my questions, and even when I struggled to keep track of their various opinions, they helped me through it. One hour shot by, contrary to all expectations, and soon everyone was clapping.

I felt like punching the air in triumph. I did it, I made it through, I survived. This had to be one of the most difficult things I have ever done in my life.

After class, I had a chance to talk with my tutor. She said I'd done a very good job. I hope she wasn't just saying that.

So finally, the most grueling week of my term has come to end. I am so relieved! The mid-semester break is here and it's time to relax and enjoy life a little more.

Shukan ST: Oct. 6, 2006

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