Red marked parts are mistakes I made when recording it.
Listen to a conversation between a student and a professor.
Uh, Professor Thompson, I
know that your office hours are tomorrow, but I was
wondering if you had a few minutes free
now to discuss something?
Sure, John. What did
you want to talk about?
Well, I have some quick
questions about how to write up the research I did
this semester - about climate variations?
Oh, yes. You were looking at variations in climate in the Grant City area,
right? How far along have you gotten?
I’ve got all my data, so
I’m starting to summarize it now, preparing
graphs and stuff. But, I’m just … I’m looking at
it and I’m afraid that it’s not enough, but I’m not sure what else to put in the report.
I hear the same thing from
every student. You know, you have to remember now that
you are the expert on
what you’ve done. So, think about what you’d need
to include if you were going to explain your research to someone with general or casual knowledge
about the subject, like … like your parents.
That’s usually my rule of thumb: would my parents
understand this?
Okay, I get it.
I hope you can recognize by my saying that how much do you know about
the subject?
Right. I understand. I was wondering if I should also
include the notes from the research journal you
suggested I should keep.
Yes, definitely. You should
use it to indicate what your revolution in thought was through time. So, just set up, you know
what was the purpose of what you were doing - to
try to understand the climate variability of
this area – and what you did, and what your
approach was?
Okay, so, for example, I studied meteorological records,
I looked at climate charts;
I use different methods for
analyzing the data, like
certain statistical tests, and then I discuss the
results. Is that what you mean?
Yes, that’s right. You
should include all of that. The statistical tests are especially
important. And also
be sure to include a good reference section where all your published and unpublished data
came from, ‘cause you have a lot of unpublished
climate data.
Hmm, something just came into my mind, and went out of the other side?
That happens to me a lot,
so I’ve come up with a pretty good memory
management tool. I carry a little pad with me all
the time and jot down questions or ideals that I don’t want to forget. For example, I
went to the doctor with my daughter and her baby
son last week, and
we knew that we wouldn’t remember everything we wanted to ask the doctor, so we
actually made a list of five things we wanted answers to.
A notepad
is a good idea. Since I’m busy now at the end of the semester,
I’m getting pretty forgetful these days. OK. I just remembered what
I was trying to say before.
Good. I was hoping you’d come up with it.
Yes, it ends up that I have
data on more than just the immediate Grant city
area, so I also included some regional data in the report, with everything else it should be a pretty good indicator of the climate in this part of the state.
Sounds good. I’d happy to
look over a draft version before you hand in the final copy, if you wish?
Great, I’ll plan to get you
a draft of the paper by next Friday.Thanks very much. Well, see you.
Okay.
Listen to part of a
conversation between a student and a receptionist
at the Registrar’s office on the first day of
this semester.
Excuse me, I’m supposed to
be having my physics class in the science building,
but no one’s in the classroom. Could you tell me
where the class is? Physics 403 - has it been moved?
Well, there is a room assignment sheet on the
bulletin board outside this office.
Yeah, I know, but my class
is not listed there. There must be some kind of mistake or something. Could you
look it up, please?
Hmmm… okay, let me check on
the computer. It’s physics, right? Wait, did you
say physics 403?
Yeah.
I’m sorry, but it says here that it was cancelled, but you should
have got a note letter from the registrar’s office.
What? I’ve never got it.
Are you sure? ‘cause it
says on the computer that the letter was sent out to students a week ago.
Really? I should have got it by now. I wonder if
I threw it away with all the junk mail by mistake.
Well, it does happen. Er…,
let me check something. What’s your name?
Woodhouse, Laura Woodhouse.
Okay, hmmm… Woodhouse, let
me see… ay, it says that we send it to your apartment on er… Center Street.
Oh, that is my old
apartment. I moved out of there a little while ago.
Well, and I suppose you haven’t changed your mailing address at the administration
office? Well, that would explain it.
Yeah, I guess that’s it. But
how can they cancel the class after offering it.
If I’d known this
was going to happen, I would have taken it last semester.
I know, it’s really inconvenient to you, I understand that, but er… if we don't have enough students sign up for the course, the college can’t offer it. You know, the practical
issue, like we can’t have an instructor when there’re
only a few students in the class. You see what I
mean?
I guess, but now I don’t
what course should I take instead.
Okay, let’s see. Do you
have any courses you’re going to take next semester? If you do, you might want
to take them now and sign up for physics 403
next semester?
Yeah, I guess I can do
that. I just hope it won’t be cancelled again.
Do you know how many people have to be enrolled in order
to keep a class from being cancelled?
Well, it depends on the class, but for that class, you have to have er… let me see, usually it should be at least 10
people. But since it was cancelled this semester, they might
even do it with less. But do you know what you should do? Give the physics
department a call a couple of weeks before the
semester starts. They will be able to tell you
if they’re planning to go through it. It’s their decision, actually.
Well, I’ll do that. Thanks for
the info!
No problem! Sorry about the
class! Oh, why aren’t you to go change a mailing
address now? It lonely takes a minute.
Oh, sure, I’ll do that right away.
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