Class participation..ANYONE HATE IT?

I can very much relate! I have severe social anxiety and also panic a lot and freeze so I've never been able to speak in social situations.

You might find that at university you don't need to speak up too much in your usual classes - it depends on how many people are on your course, but if there are a lot of people in your lectures they don't often involve much participation. Seminars are smaller groups of people where participation might be more necessary, but universities are very understanding. I'd recommend speaking to either your personal tutor at uni or one of your lecturers early on at uni so that they can help you out where possible. It might be that they can alter situations where you have to do presentations, for example. I didn't cope well at all with the social anxiety during my undergrad degree, but one of the lecturers on my MSc realised very early on how much I struggle and set up a situation with me where I could e-mail him my thoughts on the readings before the seminars and he would give me feedback then and help me to try and say a couple of words out loud.

You can always e-mail your university to ask if they can offer any support with your anxiety issues, but try not to worry too much, you will be able to cope.

I found that it was really useful for my confidence when I started participating in class alot more in Year 13. In Year 12 I was just a guy who didn't say much at all and people could never remember my name. I just kept trying and trying and I got used to it. A few of my teachers have told me that I've grown significantly since Year 12 and they were really surprised.

I'm in my first year of university now. My lectures have at most 350 people in them, and it can be quite daunting. I've shouted out the answer to questions a few times and it's so different from being in a class of 30 people. Your heart kind of starts racing and you feel kinda smug if you've got it right.

In the tutorials (about 16 people in mine) hardly anyone says anything and every tutor of mine doesn't really pick on anyone, they just go on to explain the answer if no one answers. So I suppose you don't have to do it. Don't worry too much.