My Comprehensive exams are a week from tomorrow. Really, that's giving too much credit, they're more like a week and 12 hours from right now.
I'm incredibly scared.
You see. These exams are the "make it or break it" period. They cover everything I have ever learned about speech language pathology.
For those of you who don't really know what that means, it's a lot. Let this be an educational moment...cue after-school-special music.
Speech Language Pathology is the study of speech and language.
Also, swallowing.
Also, cognition.
Also, reading.
See-well, except for swallowing-cognition and reading are heavily language based areas.
Speech and Language themselves are not easy areas to learn. Or teach. Or re-teach as it were. I've had to learn development-I'm talking from sperm+egg=baby up through dementia and death. I've had to learn about the brain, what it does, how it does it (if we even know), and why. I've had to learn anatomy from the pelvis up. I've had to learn about other cultures-their take on speech. on language. on folk-lore. I've learned slightly more than basic psychology. Not to mention counseling skills. I've learned how to write a social story, make a picture exchange system, operate a multi-thousand dollar communication device, how to teach a /r/, reading skills (for kids and adults), problem solving skills, social skills, and how to look at someone's vocal folds through endoscopy.
I've taken classes on brain injury, aphasia, dementia, school-age language (that's a large span y'all!), neurology, articulation and phonology (the sounds of speech), cleft palate, syndromes, alternative and augmentative communication, motor speech, dysphagia (swallowing-serious stuff...it'll kill you if we do it wrong!), stuttering, voice, research, and professional issues.
All of this I will be tested on in a week and 12 hours.
I've been studying, and I have a lot more to go. And I'm feeling okay.
No one has technically ever flunked out--though we do get 3 chances, and people have used all 3!
However; it is still weighing heavily on my heart. I'm tired, I'm stressed, and quite frankly I'm a bit grumpy (just ask David).
And the thing is, and this is the kicker, after these 2 DAYS of testing. I still have to take more tests for the classes I'm in now. And write 2 papers. And take finals! All of this (3 tests, 2 papers, and 3 finals) occurs just 4 weeks after comps (and Thanksgiving is supposed to happen in there at some point too)!!!
This is all in addition to clinic (and the paperwork that goes with it) of course.
I'm pretty sure this is there attempt to kill us!
Really.

All that said. Please pray (in that "without ceasing" sort of way if you don't mind too much).
Many thanks.