First Year Seminar 191CNS2 - FYS- Topics in CNS

First-year (R1ST) Course Title: Talking in Front of Humans
Hate presentations? You are not alone, and this course is designed to make public speaking less intimidating! You may have heard the advice ?picture your audience naked,? but we'll focus on more practical techniques. Through low-stakes practice, feedback, and repetition, we will focus on organization, storytelling, slide design, speaking style, and audience engagement. The course emphasizes communication, clarity, and confidence over subject expertise. Presentation topics are flexible; the real focus is learning how to communicate ideas clearly and confidently in front of other people. Like other FYS, we will also cover skills and available resources to help you succeed in your first semester at UMass Amherst.