congrats! I'll be finished mine some time this summer. As someone who is way too close to being a septuagenarian, I didn't really aspire to being an instructor, but I took the course for the challenge and an opportunity to improve the skills that I had thought were pretty good already.
What a wake up that was! The first couple of pool sessions were quite humbling, and the next few weren't a lot better. With practice and the critical eye of the instructors, things improved to the point that at least I don't embarrass myself in front of students.
For an old fart like me, the stamina tests were the most challenging, except for the tread water which was a breeze. I was pleasantly surprised at my times for the swims and tows...not hardbody jock fast, but not the slowest in the class of 6. the "stress test", (I still think that's a misnomer), I think was designed to provide the instructors with entertainment. One tried unsuccessfully to get my buddy and I to really think about the "one air source" requirement. We just did it like anyone else, successfully, but with the usual comedy act common to anyone doing it for the first time, and he explained what he was talking about later, not that I think it would have helped that much.
(No, if you don't already know, I ain't telling)
It looks look the pool sessions are all done for the OW students, so there's just the Open Water sessions in the quarry, the Advanced Classes in Toby, the mapping, and the rescue to do, and I'll be joining the DM ranks. I've found it to be the best thing I've done in my diving career so far. It's been a total blast.
Oh yes, it was an eye opener to learn as well that, contrary to my view of DM's as pretty high up the dive chain, we're often just the instructor's bi****s
....and ya know what? That's cool too if it keeps us from getting too full of ourselves .
Breathe in, breathe out. Repeat as necessary.