You've already heard about the importance of communication skills—that catch-all phrase that encompasses everything from speaking to a crowd, writing memos, working in teams, conducting meetings, talking on the phone, conversing over a business lunch, introducing your boss to a business associate and most importantly, listening. So we won't go there. Rather, a more pertinent question is: How do you gain these communication skills when your curriculum allows one, maybe two, electives per semester and you little time?

One of the best ways to build communication skills is to use them. Simply take advantage of any opportunity to practice communicating, especially outside of your discipline's setting. Taking part in some painless, perhaps even enjoyable, activities will build communication skills.

The No-Pain Way to Build Communication Skills

• Read newspapers and magazines to learn how to have well-informed conversations. Staying current on the latest news and topics of general interest gives you the ability to converse intelligently with others.
  
  
• Go to a movie or play with someone and then discuss it to learn how to persuade people to your point of view. Debating the merits and content of a movie or play with others allows you to explore some of the more abstract aspects of a topic. Without realizing it, you are learning about persuasive speaking.
  
  
• Start or join a book club to learn how to connect your thoughts and opinions to someone else's ideas. What's good about this suggestion is that: 1. You pick the book; and 2. You decide what you want to discuss. Regardless of the books or subjects, you practice connecting your thoughts and opinions to someone else's work.
  
  
• Volunteer for campus or community organizations to learn how to empathize with your audience. The more variety of people you have contact with, the better your communication skills become. If you are tutoring a fifth grader, you have to learn to communicate complex ideas in a simple way. If you are working in a homeless shelter, you must empathize with the homeless. Such situations make you a better communicator because you master the art of understanding the people you want to reach.
  
  
• Attend presentations by speakers, musicians, artists or authors, etc. to identify what good public speaking is. You don't have to be familiar with the topic in order to listen to what they are saying and how they are saying it. Figure out why they are effective communicators. Challenge yourself to attend a presentation on a topic you know nothing about.
  
  
• Attend a debate to learn how to present material effectively and persuasively. As you listen, question why debaters present their arguments in a certain order. Look at how they get their points across and use inflection. Ask yourself what makes a good debate?
  
  
• Talk to people in industry to learn how to organize your thoughts. By speaking with people in industry, you find out how they use language, how they organize their thoughts and how they communicate information about fields they know well.
  
  
• Read, read, read to learn basic speaking and writing skills. It doesn't matter what you read -- novels, magazines, newspapers, reports, technical papers. The more you read, the more you know, and the more effectively you will speak and write.
  
  
• Give presentations in class to practice public speaking. Take advantage of every opportunity to give oral presentations in class, any class. This is a great exercise, and you will never get fired from college if your presentation isn't perfect.
  
  
• Join student organizations to learn how to interact effectively with others. Officers of clubs and organizations are responsible for scheduling, planning and conducting meetings, filing reports, submitting requests and interacting with people in various functions. Team members must communicate with each other to achieve the team's goals. Whatever your role, you are building communication skills.
  
  
• Contribute articles to school or department publications to learn concise writing. One great way to master how to communicate is to write about something you believe in and make it comply with guidelines set by an editor. You also learn to accept criticism by having your document edited.
  
  
• Get to know people outside of your major to observe how they communicate their ideas to you. Knowing a diverse group of people exposes you to new experiences and ways of thinking. Just talking with people who have different interests and backgrounds broadens your ability to communicate. Listening to others allows you to better understand different points of view.
  
  
• Attend classes to take advantage of all the information out there about how to communicate. Take as many courses as you can. There is a wealth of knowledge that they offer. But don't rely solely on the classes. Communicating is something you can do every day.
  
  
• Socialize to learn how to listen, organize your thoughts, respect others' opinions and present your ideas. This may sound a little too obvious, but think back to the last time you had a substantial conversation with someone and talked about a topic that was really important to both of you. Having an in-depth conversation forces you to listen, organize your thoughts, respect the other person's opinion and present your ideas clearly.