Mr. Smith, the professor at my business class, had a unique way of going over the answers to our weekly tests. For each question, he would ask a random student for their answer and then continue to grill (盘问追问) him/her, forcing him/her to defend that answer. It was certainly a memorable way to review. How I wished I'd been a more experienced student and got used to the professor's grilling! I wasn't, though.
But in my anatomy (解剖学) class, Dr. Cuddy introduced "high power" and "low power" body positions, saying "high power" positions involve taking up much space and making yourself look big, while "low power" poses, in contrast, involve making yourself look small, keeping your arms and legs crossed and held close. People tend to see others with high power poses as natural leaders, and are more willing to hire them. Her research finding was that spending just two minutes standing in a high-power pose increased a person's feeling of power and self-confidence. She wanted us to try it out.
On my next quiz-review day, instead of bending over my book studying quietly, I sat up straight and spread out my books and notebooks on the entire surface of my desk. When our teacher asked if anyone had any questions about the material before we began our quiz review, I raised my hand.
The effect was surprising. My professor answered my question as if talking to a colleague, and I had a wonderful feeling of calm. Suddenly, I realized that the important thing was that I was participating. I just needed to engage fully in the class and learn.
Today, before a presentation or a test, I spend a few minutes "thinking big" — taking up space and being seen. It calms me down and when I do, my best always turns out to be pretty good.
