I remember vividly the overwhelming feeling of anxiousness that I had, after my school counselor told me that I needed to take a Speech Communication class. Knowing that it was a pre requisite to graduate, I know that I had no other choice but to tough it out. The next several weeks, I thought would be some “agonizing” weeks, turned out to be some of the most fruitful times I had at National University. Public speaking has always been one of my weaknesses, but taking this class has provided me with many tools to add to my tool bag to be successful in public speaking. One of the lessons I have learned is knowing the basics of communication is important in building the foundation of a good speech. So, when we are preparing for a speech, we have to know our audience. Another part of the basics of communication that is just as important is knowing how ethics ties into communications. When speaking to an audience you must build trust based on factual information. If you give factual information and not false information your audience will be more likely to receive your message. Another important lesson I have learned is, how important Speech preparation is. It can either make or break your speech. So, come unprepared, you are almost guaranteed to fail in delivering an effective speech. If you prepare properly, your speech will come out almost naturally. The first part of speech preparation is to know what type of speech you are going to give. Is it to persuade inform, or entertain? Based on the three types of speeches, knowing your end goal, and knowing your audience will help you decide on the right speech to give. After constructing the speech, it’s time to practice until it becomes almost second nature to speak about your chosen topic. Doing this will also alleviate your anxieties in the most powerful way. This class not only