Do-Overs

I have never been one to beg teachers for extensions or breaks, and I never tolerated kids who did that. I'm also not a point-grubber. If I get something wrong, I read where the teacher is coming from and I learn from the mistake. If the question was SO egregious, the teacher almost always notices anyway and makes it void.
But then today happened. We had to do a "morphometrics" project for my developmental biology class. It was assigned just as we were leaving for Thanksgiving break, and to be honest, I knew then that it wouldn't be started until the night before it was due (i.e. last night). I have had the busiest two weeks, and since we had a major group project due earlier this week, I devoted myself to that.
Last night (erm...around 11:30), I decided to get started. The assignment was only two pages long- how bad could it be? Nightmare. We had to use this software called image J, and none of my data made sense. The directions for the second part said to use a CD that I wasn't sure we were given. A few texts/calls later, I found out some classmates also had no clue. I came in early today, and we made no progress. So I handed in what little data I had, embarrassed and stuck. After class, I swallowed my pride and went to the professor's office. I told her that I don't know where I went wrong, but I felt like I needed to know this for the final, and I'd take my loss on the project. Yeah, it was uncomfortable, and yeah, she chastised me for waiting (and for not writing some extra directions in my notes)...but then she said I could redo it and email her. What. A. Relief. I still don't understand 100% of the assignment, but I feel like now I could at least get an A or B on it (boy does my grade need it). So new lesson- take a chance once in a while. It helps that I'm not a class pest, I think. I might not always have the top grades, but I think that in general, professors tend to like me. For that, I sleep better at night.