What if the professors in my liaison areas don't see me as being on the same level as them? Every subject area I've been assigned ends in ology. I barely passed most ologies during my undergrad. How can I talk the talk when I don't even think of myself as being on the same level as these professors? I didn't even know what "testing instruments" were in relation to psychology until a month ago. I've never done a literature review, and I certainly never took a class called "Research methodologies."
What if I open my mouth, and stupid comes out? This is actually based on an incident from a couple of months ago. I was at my first big university workshop thing, sitting next to my Dean, in front of 40 people from across campus, and the facilitator of the workshop asked me a question about something I'd heard of, but didn't know much about. Under the stress, I panicked, and rather than say, "I don't know, I've only read about that, but haven't had any hands-on experience." Stupid came out. All over me. I felt like I was wearing it the rest of the afternoon. Like I'd thrown up on myself, and as punishment, I was forced to wear my soiled clothes until I got home and could change.
Breathe, Deana.....breathe.
What if you kick ass at your new job? Students might love your goofy down-to-earth personality, and faculty might respect your honesty about your knowledge limits, and appreciate your natural curiosity. Remember, you are here to be their guide, not to have all the answers.
