Interpersonal Communications class - anyone take this?

[shoe]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone took this class, it's pretty scary sounding but at the same time sounds like it could be therapeutic - seeing as how I've been able to tame the anxiety I usually experience in social situations somewhat (with medication). Anyway, here's the course description from my college:

COMM 110 - INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
This course is a survey of concepts, principles, theories, and practices of Interpersonal Communication. Students will participate in small-group and large-group experimental learning simulations that reinforce theory and practice of effective Interpersonal Communiction. Emphasis is on self- awareness as the key to awareness of others. Topics covered include listening, self-esteem, self-disclosure, interpersonal dynamics, and assertiveness training. Students who complete this course will become more effective and confident in their relationships with family, friends, colleagues, significant others, and strangers.

Its the closest thing to group-therapy of the sort that would work on social skills I could find (including real therapist-based stuff). Of course, I doubt there'll be anyone else with Social Anxiety taking the same course. Argh.. I'm scared and interested at the same time...

Whats kind of funny is that one of the books required is one I already own in regards to communicating more effectively.. and the other books look just as intriguing..

anyway, let me know if anyone's taken the class or thought about it hehe

thanks,
shoe

[Mngirl]

dont worry about the fact that no one else will struggle as much becuase they dont have sa, its hard, but try to only focus on yourself and the fact that you are doing this for yourself only....dont compare yourself to others, it will just mess things up. compare yourself to yourself each class, improving each time.

[Maslow]

I took a class in interpersonal communications. It was pretty interesting. We didn't have to split up into groups, though. I didn't say a word in class the whole semester.

[Squizzy]

I'm taking public speaking because some of the colleges that I'm looking to transfer to don't accept interpersonal communication as a 'speech' credit or whatever.

Anyway my mom took interpersonal and it sounded really, really interesting. I thought it was a bit like a psychology class because she learned a lot about humans & emotions and social interactions.

[shoe]

thanks everyone for the comments =) I guess I could at least go to the first class and then determine if its worth it based on that. (and get a refund if necessary)
I might feel the need to tell the teacher about my SA.. not sure how that would turn out.

Ahh well, if I do take it, at least I would get to ask questions and get a syllabus.

[R]

It's a lot better then the public speaking class. your school might be different but at mine i had to take one of the two.

[ghostgurl]

I took it, and I learned a lot from it. It was that class or public speaking, and there was no way I was doing public speaking. We didn't really do any speeches in that class, so it was pretty easy. Of course it may depend on the teacher you have too.

[itchynscratchy]

Originally Posted by shoe

Of course, I doubt there'll be anyone else with Social Anxiety taking the same course.

You would be surprised how many people have SA that you come in contact with on a daily basis! I just wouldn't go to seek them out, though!

I took it last year and I found it helped me understand how people relate to one another, and realized it was more than just a way to avoid public speaking. It examines communication through sociology and social psychology.
Our instructor had us work in small groups and my group seemed to be made up of a lot of terminally shy people , which made me feel better. We did have to do a presentation together, but it was easier that way, I thought. We wound up being very supportive and helpful to each other and even though our presentation stank, we were able to laugh about it later. And, as I watched the other groups present theirs, I realized that they were just as scared as we were!

[whiteclouds]

I didn't have that specific class, but we did cover some of those concepts in speech class, like listening and assertiveness. My speech class was a combination of public speaking and general communication, and we did a few group activities similar to those mentioned in your post.

Honestly, I wish that interpersonal communication courses were a requirement for all schools and not mere electives, even though some of the activities provoke my anxiety! These are very important skills that everyone uses and needs in life. Doesn't matter what's your gender, race, socioeconomic background, school major, etc... everyone on earth uses these skills in their lives. Oftentimes, I feel that schools overlook the fundamentals of life, and they need to get their priorities straight if they want to strive for a better society.

[Gerard]

I took it then dropped it for I felt embarrased to share my journal assignments with everyone.

[LoveThySelf]

I signed up to take a class almost exactly like that one, then I chicken out and dropped it before it even started.

Stick to it and take it. It will help you. It might even teach you how your "supposed" to act, so you can learn to fake it a little.

[Softy785]

I survived one day of interpersonal communications class. It just seemed way too overwhelming for me to handle. Lots of group work, presentations, and peer evaluations.

[Gerard]

Also to add, there was a project which i didn't stay for because I dropped it. You work on a certain aspect of your communication. Could be on shyness or being more assertive or what not. I really think I could have benefited from the class. But instead this semester I'm taking a general speech class, an fundamentals of oral communication class. Hope it goes well for you though. Hope you benefit from it. Good Luck.

[shoe]

Everyone, thx again for the comments. it really helps to hear different opinions. I actually looked on http://www.ratemyprofessors.com and the teacher gets excellent reviews, which is reassuring.. but some of the things mentioned in the reviews scare me a bit.

This one in particular:

Easy class but strange. Get ready to talk in front of people ALOT. You sit in a circle and talk about your day. Also a 10 min speech where you have to bring in objects that represent yourself. Overall a nice guy but very strange on the surface.

holy smokes - a 10 minute speech! and sitting in circles where everyone can see you is scary as heck!

Another guy said:

Awesome guy! Weird class at first... you talk about how you're feeling, but gets very interesting! You wont mind going to class!

Talking about my feelings.. great.. I guess it wont be easy to hide my SA thoughts.

Ugh.. I've been feeling that registering for this class might be a mistake - because I'm assuming that you should be 'practicing' some of the exercises on a daily or weekly basis with friends/family. And the problem with that is I have zero friends in real life, and my family lives thousands of miles away from me, and I hardly talk to them at all. So how would I practice? argh..

I'm gonna have to email the professor and try to get a clearer picture of whats expected.