Painfully Slow Progress

Some days (well ok, most days) it feels like every time I take two steps forward on my PhD I turn around the next day and have to go back about 27 steps. That said, I really do actually feel like I'm creeping forward. My proposal is approved, pending IRB approval and I am hip deep in the IRB paperwork.

I suspect that I'll have to have some kind of review (maybe not the full blown one) since I want to work with high school students, but there does exist the minute possibility that it could be deemed harmless enough at first read through as to be rendered exempt. We'll see. Of course, I won't know until they do the initial review, and that won't be until the 15th of June, because they only do initial reviews on the 15th. I am hoping to have my paperwork uploaded by the end of this weekend to be sure that it's received in time. Because if they do need a more full review, June begins to cut into my timeline just a tad (they say to allow 60 days...I have just slightly less than that.)

It's always something...still, I'm actually beginning to believe the end is in sight.