Have you ever been in the Sink or Swim situation?

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"Sink or swim" is a situation where you will either fail or you will find a way to succeed. " Example: "Sales is not an easy job here. We give you two weeks training, then it's sink or swim." If you are thrown into the water, you will either sink to the bottom or you will swim to safety. You will either fail, or you will find a way to succeed, in a situation that is sink or swim. Example: "How do you interview new teachers here?" Reply: "We just put them in with the kids, and see how they do. It's sink or swim." Sink or swim" means that you will either succeed, or you will fail completely, at what you are trying to do. How did you go about it? I could recall a few years back, I was making my Thesis for my Masters when I encountered a very unimaginable circumstance, the spouse of my Professor approached me one day (through email) stating that she was the one checking through my Thesis and found that I was 'off' the topic. This happened like a few weeks before the Graduation. She told me to meet her somewhere for consultation, upon meeting up with her at a local restaurant, she told me that she could clean up the Thesis herself (since she's an expert - so she says she is) for a fee. The fee was a substantial amount. I could pay if I wanted to, but the thought of her as my teacher's spouse and offering me this is just awful. I didn't know how to react. Well, I told her I'd think about it then she mentioned I didn't need to tell my teacher about the meeting - to which I was puzzled. I needed to meet up with my Prof. the end of the week and when I met up with him, he seemed hmmm.. weird he said that I am on my way with the paper and the paper was fine. No mention of his wife, etc. but I was cautious. Well, to make the long story short, I opted to do the paper myself. Polished it the way I could and called her up to tell her that I won't be needing the service because I have gone this far (to start cheating, but I didn't say that to her) and should I pass, I'd want it with my own effort. That was my sink or swim. I'm glad I showed myself I can do it. I passed and swam like hell for it.