This is the first week of data collection for my project and I’m both very excited and nervous. Everything has to be finished up and polished before my first data collection session on Friday. Most of my nerves stem from the fact that I’m a bit of a perfectionist, and I want to make sure that I do each step correctly during the session. I know that it will get easier after the first session, I just need to get over this hump. I will definitely be practicing the steps a few more times before my first session.

Besides being somewhat nervous, I’m also very excited to get started! It is a little intimidating to meet real German students (even if remotely), but it’s also a really wonderful opportunity! I may not be chatting with them directly, but I am still very curious to hear what they have to say (since my project will involve participants discussing their experiences as students with each other). It is still going to be intimidating to speak German in front of German students though. I know they’ll all be understanding if I slip up, since they all know what it’s like to learn another language. But it still feels more high-pressure when I’m speaking German to a native outside of a classroom context. Of course this is very good practice for me to develop more confidence when speaking German in these contexts. 

Despite the fact that it’s a little intimidating, I’m still ready to get everything started for real! In the week ahead, the first recruitment emails will be sent out on Tuesday, my last pre-data-collection meeting with my advisor is on Wednesday, and the first session will be on Friday.