prospectus defense

The pressure has really been on the past few weeks for me to submit my application to the IRB.  I've felt really uncomfortable about it, and so of course very nervous about running out of time for approval, as my application will go full board and require additional reviewing time.  When I'd sit and envision the weeks to come and a day where I defend my prospectus, I thought it impossible.  I have all these classes to attend, so much homework to catch up on,  a proposal to complete,  and three presentations to prepare for that will occur this week.  Oh and by the way I teach special education classes full time to individuals with severe disabilities.  In addition to this, my two aunts from Colorado and San Francisco showed up this week and I really wanted to see them while they were here.  I was feeling like I was just running through one deadline to the next, barely making it before tripping or running out of breath or something.  I'd just finished a graduate research fellowship application as well as a few other applications, my course contracts, and IRB draft.  Here's the main idea to this nonsense: I was bushed.

Somehow, though, (1) I've sort of prepared for the presentations to come, (2) my proposal got polished up and just about finished, (3) I saw my wonderful aunts during convenient times like when it was time to eat meals, and (4) miraculously I've scheduled my prospectus defense which will take place next week.  On Friday just before class I submitted my prospectus to all of my committee members.  I'm terrified about the actual defense, but also pleased as punch.  I sort of skipped myself around BYU on the way back home.  I have a little bounce in my step because things are moving forward.  

In the end, I'm really grateful this field study pushed me so hard early on to get solid drafts of my project in the form of a proposal.  I think it's a big reason I've been able to pull off other things with so many deadlines and pressures.  I had a good foundation for my prospectus, fellowship applications, and so on.

I'm tired.