When we grow up we are being told not to speak when someone with authority is speaking. The sentence holds a core of truth inside it, but not where you would suspect it. It is very great to teach your children to actually listen to the meaning of what people say. So they can learn from things they hear and avoid mistakes.
If you encounter a new situation it is best to choose to listen to the people who are more experencied. Being independant it sometimes feels contraproductive to wait and listen before acting. During moments that require someone to speak up, take this chance to practise standing up for yourself and others.
Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen. – Winston Churchill
Speaking up for people in trouble requires courage to perform. However standing tall and accepting criticism while truly listening is even more difficult. When a difficult situation occurs you have 2 options. Trying to talk yourself out of it, or taking in the situation and listening to others to figure out a way to solve it.
At university there are many possibilities to practise your speaking skills. For example when the teacher asks the classroom for someone to step up and explain what has just been explained. Everyone will be waiting untill someone steps up. Take this moment to improve yourself. be courageous at the moment they least expect it.
Trying to find a balance between speaking and listening is difficult to obtain. Unfortunately there is not one way to go about it. It takes trial and error to find the perfect balance in every situation. Take a look how far you are at this point and experiment how you can get better at listening when you need to and speaking up when the opportunity comes up.