need advice on mistake I made last semester

[greysquirrel]

I'm a first year graduate student in the social sciences. Last semester, I ended up pissing off a professor (with good reason I know) for turning in a final late- instead of asking for an extension. I am non traditional and while I've taken classes since undergrad, they have mostly been quantitative or research based. Writing a paper/ the final (this is a breadth course) took me about 10x as long as it used to and my writing skills are so rusty it's painful. By the time I realized this, I felt it was too late to ask for an extension and I was embarrassed and not thinking clearly. Luckily, my writing on this turned out decent but it took an undecent amount of time to get there. My previous paper for this course was truly terrible.

My advisor had to get involved and we will need to have a formal discussion next semester. I know I messed up, I just want to salvage what I can from this experience. I feel like damaged goods.

Any words of advice as I prepare to meet with my advisor?

Thank you.

[robot_hamster]

Just be honest about it and acknowledge what you had done wrong. Tell them you will do better in the future. Your adviser will probably be disappointed, but I don't think it will be the end of the world for them. My adviser is very understanding when I am having a problem or am feeling insecure. He tries to be reassuring no matter what happens.

Edited December 29, 2010 by robot_hamster

[MoJingly]

I agree. Advisors are people too

[StrangeLight]

yeah, just be honest. that's all you can do, really. admit your writing is rusty, that it took you longer than anticipated, and that you WILL start writing projects much earlier/go through several edits in the future.

if you own up to your mistake (and sounds like you have), it should all work out fine.

[greysquirrel]

Thanks for the support. I really need it!