How I Survived with Just 90 Minutes
Communication Skills — yeah, that one subject in college that’s supposed to make you better at talking but somehow just makes you panic more. For me, it was a full-on nightmare. A 3-credit course and I was zero credits in confidence. I had already bombed the previous practicals — my speech was flat, my book review didn’t hit, and every time I tried to speak in front of people, my brain hit a 404.
Naturally, when I heard we had to give a final report presentation, I was already sweating. But destiny had other plans. The presentation kept getting postponed. Sometimes the teacher didn’t show up, sometimes the students were “busy” (read: avoiding eye contact with responsibility), and I convinced myself I’d deal with it later. I even had a college competition coming up, so I thought, “Cool, I’ll give it after I come back. Sorted.”
Spoiler: It was not sorted.
One random morning, I wake up peacefully at 11:00 AM. You know the type — birds chirping, sun shining, no stress in the world.
11:02 AM: Class CR drops a bomb in the WhatsApp group.
“Guys viva today. Submit by 12:30.”
My soul? Left the chat.
Imagine me, barely awake, no topic chosen, no PPT, no mental prep — and I’ve got 1.5 hours to somehow become the next TEDx speaker. I panicked. I paced. And then I went full “Jo hoga dekha jayega” mode.
I called up my friend — “Bhai, kya topic liya tu?”
“Social media impact on students.”
Me: “Perfect. It’s mine now.”
He sent me his report. I made a few edits (you know, just enough to pretend it was mine), rushed to the market to get it printed, and ran to the lab like I was auditioning for Roadies. It was 11:55. My legs were shaking, my heart was breakdancing, and the teacher was inside grilling students like she was hosting Kaun Banega Communication Failure.
One by one, students came out looking like they just got served. She was asking questions like an investigator and pointing out every small mistake. And there I was — still trying to figure out what my first slide said.
Then my name was called.
I walked up, pretending like I totally knew what I was doing. My friend displayed the PPT (again, shoutout to that legend), and I just… started speaking. No notes, no script, just vibes and impromptu survival mode. I looked at each slide and made up points on the spot. And somehow — I don’t know how — it worked.
I didn’t fumble. I didn’t freeze. I wasn’t even stuttering.
The teacher just… listened. And when I finished, she smiled. Like really smiled.
I nervously asked, “Ma’am, any feedback?”
She looked at me and said, “Kuch nahi, jao.”
Still smiling.
Bro. That hit harder than a standing ovation. I walked out of that lab feeling like I just conquered Everest barefoot. For the first time ever, I felt confident — like actually confident — in my ability to speak in front of people. I was just boasting about this to my friends and to my family like I have conquered the biggest challenge in life.
And since that day? I haven’t been the same. Whether it’s presentations, group discussions, interviews — I show up, I speak, and I don’t let fear win anymore.
The moral?
Sometimes the push you need doesn’t come in the form of prep or practice.
Sometimes it’s a last-minute panic and a pirated PPT that awakens the beast inside you.
So yeah — next time life throws a surprise viva at you, just remember: Jo hoga dekha jayega. You’ve got this.