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"If you won't give it 100%, it's your problem. If you don't think you can do it, I can't help you." -a very angering yet inspirational quote from a good irl friend.

Lovely. I have a CFL Speech comp next Tuesday,and I haven't signed up yet. My speech needs some major revision, and I'm not sure if I can memorize a supposed 7-minute speech. This Speech/Debate season is almost over, and I've only been to, like, two or three comps because of a different activity I had prioritized over this one. My season for THAT is over, and I dunno if I should save the speech for next year or just effing go to the comp.

I think I'm going to do it just to see how little I've improved. You may yell at me to do it or to gtfo. :D

Memorizing is easy if you do it right. Break the speech up into small chunks and memorize them in sequence. While you're reviewing, make sure to read it out loud for flow; what sounds good in your head doesn't necessarily translate to clear, understandable  speech. Remember it's okay to make pauses every now and then; the worst thing you can do is speak too fast and blurt everything out. 

Eloquence is something I definitely need to improve. :/ I don't stutter or stammer, usually, but I DO begin to speak faster or slow down too much when I feel that I'm about to forget everything I wrote.? Surprisingly, I don't pause unintentionally in my speeches, again, usually.

?Thanks for the tip! :D It makes me less frightful of the comp!

Do it! Just do it! Don't let your dreams be dreams! Yesterday you said tomorrow, so JUST DO IT!!! ^_^

I didn't realize how much Chancellor Palpatine sounded like a frog with a bad chest cold until I saw this ^_^

Attempting to memorize a speech may be a bad idea. Instead, it can be much easier to simply learn the speech, then have a note card (or something) with a few phrases on it to remind you of the main points. If you know the material, the main point will remind you what you want to say and then you can create your own speech on the fly. If you don't know the material, this will never work, though.

Having a notecard knocks of a rank or two.?

Well that's rather silly. But hey, we don't get to make the rules. In that case, I'd suggest the same: learn the topic, then memorize 3 points (that you would have put on the notecard). Intro, point 1-3, conclusion. Then practice, practice, practice. The idea of standing in front of a mirror to practice never worked for me, but practicing while sitting at my desk, actually saying the things I plan on saying works well for me. That also helps me get the timing down so I know I'm taking the right amount of time.

It's that you can't win with note cards. If someone gives a mediocre speech without note cards and you give a good one with them, they'd place above you.

Yeah, the mirror thing never worked. :/ For timing, I typically just talk slowly because I usually subconsciously talk fast. :<

Update: CRAP. Today's the day of the competition, and I haven't memorized the speech yet. xD I have about four hours before the comp, but I am in school. T-T I will get this memorized not !!!

All the best for it! Remember, focus on the start, middle, and end (psychology says those three are the only things anyone remembers, unless something really weird happens inbetween)

Well? How did it go?