Excitement Phase

Well, the RAs have been selected. I am sure there is a lot of excitement about being chosen and being a part of the project. As someone who has gone through this a couple of times before... it always feels wonderful to have this part done. The "yippeeeee, I am part of the project" is starting to sink in. There is pride in being selected, and a feeling of accomplishment. So what happens next? Many times it is an overwhelming feeling of "what am I in for?". The "what ifs" start. What if I can do the analysis, what if it is too much for me, what if I am not as good as the other RAs, etc. I look at this as the fear phase of research. Even experienced researchers have this issue: What if we don't meet our N, what if we don't have significant results, what if no one wants to publish our results......

This remarkable thing about this project is that no one is alone. We are all here to support one another. While some may have exceptional skills in interviewing, others may have skills in analysis, or writing, or asking questions. We are all in this together; supporting one another, learning from each other, and growing together.

So, if and when the "fear" hits.... remember that you are not in this alone, nor are you expected to be the perfect assistant. This is a project that is built to instill cooperation and mutual growth. If you get hit by the "fear" experience.... let us know so we can help you through it... We have been there before and actually survived to continue research :)

MG