Some of you have never worked on your communication skills (and it shows)
By Rhiannon Evans, March 2 2026—
Alright, I may be biased in this opinion because I am, in fact, a Communications and Media Studies major, but I’ve noticed an alarming trend in classmates outside the realm of communications or media: most of them don’t know how to communicate properly.
Now, I’m not saying that you need to add a comms course to your class schedule. In fact, please don’t unless you have to; those classes fill up fast, and we few comms majors desperately need them to, you know, graduate (but that’s a subject for another day).
What I am hoping to persuade some of you to do is engage more effectively with communication opportunities in your daily life. Having effective communication skills can help you not only in your social life, but also in your professional one.
Many assume that when I say communication skills, I simply imply talking to one another. While that is somewhat true, verbal communication is only a small aspect of the skillset I’m describing. In fact, there are a whole variety of ways to communicate — including verbally, non-verbally and in writing — and enhancing your abilities in each is actually a lot simpler than you might think.
The most obvious first tip for developing communication skills is to simply communicate with people. I can see you sitting there saying, “Well, duh!”, but notice how I said “communicate” and not “talk.” People talk to each other every day; however, it seems like every day, fewer and fewer people are able to effectively communicate their thoughts and ideas to each other.
The best way to work on your verbal communication is when you’re in a group setting or talking one-on-one with someone, especially in low-stakes scenarios to start (I’m talking especially to those of you too afraid to speak up in class). Think about how you speak: the words you use, your pace and the clarity of your voice — these small things can make a huge difference when you’re trying to have meaningful or thoughtful discussions with someone.
Moreover, do your best to pick up on non-verbal cues. This is something I personally struggle with, but I’ve found that non-verbal expressions are the best way to tell if someone is actively listening to you. If someone is maintaining eye contact (but not too much), leaning into the conversation and/or making gestures such as nodding along to what you’re saying, you’re on the right track!
Looking past the obvious way of improving communication skills, another trick that’s helped me is filming myself whenever I have to do an important presentation, interview or meeting. When I watch myself back, I can clearly see which of my physical tics and speech behaviours might make me look or sound less confident. Then I can make some tweaks and film myself again and again, watching myself back until I’m happy with the result. With this trick, I learned how to speak more confidently and concisely, which I brought into my daily conversations.
Some other quick things to note when you’re working on your verbal communication skills:
Don’t be scared to ask for feedback, such as constructive criticism from a peer after a presentation or even just in a conversational setting. You can simply ask, “Is what I’m saying making sense?” Being able to get feedback is crucial when learning any skill, and it applies to communication as well. If you’re not clearly expressing yourself and someone lets you know, all that means is that you get a chance to try again by rephrasing yourself or clarifying your ideas. The skill of communication is something we can work on for our entire lives, so don’t feel bad if you don’t get it right away: you have lots of time to practice, but what matters is that you’re practicing at all.
Written communication is also on the decline, and in this new age of AI and hyperspecific slang, it’s not hard to see why (yk? 6 7 fr fr). And yet, whether we realize it or not, written communication is the method we use the most often, especially as students. Whether you’re sending a sensitive text message to your friend, composing an email to your professor for an extension, or writing a massive twenty-page essay, having efficient writing skills can be an enormous advantage in your student life and beyond.
The best way to work on your writing skills is honestly just to write as much as you can. Luckily, with today’s smartphones, we write every day. Whether it be a text message or an Instagram post, using our phones for writing is an indirect way to improve those skills, especially if you make a conscious effort to use proper spelling and grammar (wtf? wut do u mean???).
Perhaps the most significant part of developing your written communication is finding the right tone and voice in your writing. Have you ever read a message from someone and thought they were either angry or overly enthusiastic about what they were talking about, when in reality they were just sending you a quick, nonchalant text on their way to class? A lack of tone or voice in writing can cause poor communication and lead to some seriously major misunderstandings. What I find helps with this is reading what you’ve written out loud to yourself, or even a peer if you prefer to get instant feedback. I find that once you’re comfortable listening to yourself, it’s easier to correct simple mistakes and give your writing much more clarity.
As students, communication skills are crucial both in and outside of university life. I cannot express enough how having a good sense of communication has helped me in different situations, such as group projects, socializing with friends and even job interviews. Having a good handle on communication will open doors for you after you graduate. Employers are always seeking candidates who can articulate themselves and their ideas effectively.
Improving these skills will also improve your confidence. When you have found your voice in your verbal, non-verbal and written communication, it becomes a million times easier to connect with people. Who knows where a simple “Hello!” can take you!
This article is a part of our Opinions section and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Gauntlet editorial board.