Learning Journal 30

My last learning journal! I can't believe the semester is almost over, and in less than one month, I WILL BE IN TONGA!  It almost doesn't seem real.  It's like everything that we have been doing in the prep class has been fine, but now I'm realizing everything we learned is about to be incorporated into this HUGE three month experience I am about to do. Today in class we reviewed basically everything we talked about this semester and I realized it was a ton of information, which is sad for the final, but really good at the same time.  Hopefully, I will be able to take all of these things I have learned and make one really awesome field study experience.  I was talking to my friend last night about how crazy it is that it's so close and how the closer it gets the more nervous I get.  But in class today, I started thinking about I think I am more prepared in some days than I remember.  For example, one of my concerns is what if I don't meet people.  But we have learned in the class how to enter the community and find gate keepers that can help you enter the community, which will help with that concern.  Another concern I had was what if my interviews go badly?  But this really shouldn't be that much of  a worry for me because I realized I know a lot more about interviewing than I think  I do, and I know the probes that can help interviews go better.  So it's really nice to see as I look back on everything we have learned this semester, that everything is coming together and things I have learned are REALLY preparing me for the field.  In my mind I'm kind of thinking ok, this class is over, now I can focus on my project.  But in reality, this class is helping me all the time in my project.  Anyways, it was just nice to see that connection today during the review session.  I'm excited to use all of the prep that we have had so far and actually go out into the field!