The Case of ...Not Missing a Thing
Some people write down a few things in class. Others write down most things. Jennifer Beck wrote down everything.
The woman was virtually a human dictation machine. She spent her time in class in a whirlwind of notetaking, writing down in a clear, meticulous script seemingly every word her instructor uttered. By the end of a term, her notebooks were so lengthy that they approached the size of telephone books from a small city.
Yet despite her thorough notes, Jennifer was only a mediocre student. She was a hard worker and studied her many notes thoroughly before tests. But she never managed to get grades higher than a C+. It seemed unbelievable to her. She worked incredibly hard in class taking good notes. Why wasn't it paying off?
How do you think Jennifer defines "good notetaking"?
Why does Jennifer's method of notetaking produce such poor results? What is she missing?
If you asked Jennifer to summarize the instructor's main ideas after a class lecture, how successful do you think she would be? Why?
Do you think it would be easy or hard to study for a final exam using Jennifer's notes? Why?
Do you think Jennifer evaluates her notes during or after class? Do you think she ever rethinks them? What questions would you ask to help her perform these steps?
In general, what advice would you give Jennifer on notetaking?
The Case of ...Interviewophobia
Dale had found his dream job.
A few weeks before finishing college to get his degree in fitness training, Dale found an online job posting for an entry-level training job with the professional basketball team that played in his area. Dale had long been a fan of the team. The salary and benefits were excellent. The facility where the team trained was only ten minutes from Dale's house. In short, the job was perfect, and Dale was thrilled when, a week after submitting his résumé, he received a call about scheduling an interview.
But then Dale started to get nervous. He had failed miserably at the only job interview he had ever had, for a sales position at a retail company after he finished high school. He'd actually gotten into an argument with his interviewer. What if the interview for the fitness trainer position went just as poorly?
Other worries started creeping into Dale's mind. What if the interviewer asked questions about Dale's limited training experience? What if Dale forgot to mention the key experiences on his résumé? What if he wore the wrong clothes?
As the interview approached, Dale went from excited to terrified. He was certain he would blow the interview. So much for my dream job, he thought.
What advice would you give Dale? How is this interview different from the one he experienced just after finishing high school?
What steps could Dale take to ready himself for the interview? How could he build his confidence?
What could Dale do to prepare for questions about his work experience?
What tactics could Dale employ to make sure the interview remains cordial, and to get on his interviewer's good side?