Going to the doctor is never particularly pleasant for me. But I couldn't put it off any longer. It was time for my annual physical, and there was no getting around it. So I picked up the phone and called for an appointment. "I'd like to see Dr. Shimoya next week, please, if that's possible," I said. Of course, it wasn't possible. The doctor was booked until next month, the receptionist told me. "Okay," I said, "let's schedule it for next month.‚" When the day arrives, I drive over to the doctor and check-in at the receptionist desk. I have to present my HMO card and pay the co-pay of $15.00. The receptionist instructs me to go to waiting room B, down the hall, first door on the right. So I go there and take a seat to wait. And wait. And wait. Finally, my name is called and I go into see the doctor. The nurse weighs me, takes my temperature and blood pressure, and asks me why I'm there. I tell her it's time for my yearly check- up. She tells me to follow her to the examination room, and then to strip down to my underwear. Now I'm sitting on the exam table, half- freezing, waiting for the doctor to show up . Finally, he walks in, looks at my chart, and begins his examination. "Breathe," he says, as he places the stethoscope on my chest. "Breathe in and out slowly," he says. I do so. Then he checks my throat and has me lay down to check my abdomen. Finally, he orders a blood test and says, "Well, you're good for another year, Mr. McQuillan." Thank goodness, I think to myself, and get dressed to leave. Script by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

I've finally landed my first interview. Well, actually, that's not really true. I have been on many interviews for part-time jobs. This was my first interview for a full-time job. In less than two months, I will graduate from Arizona University. After a lot of back and forth trying to decide on a major, I finally decided to double major. I would study both political science and marketing. These are not majors that usually go together. In fact, most people thought I was crazy. But, after a lot of soul searching, I decided to combine my two main interests: 1. politics and 2. getting a job! Those are my two priorities. I thought that if I get degrees in these two fields, I could cast a wide net when going job hunting. And, that's what I'm trying to do now. Since I don't know if I want to work in the public or private sector, I've applied for jobs in both. In the public sector, I could work for the government. Maybe one day, I could even be a speech writer for the President! Okay, maybe I should shoot a little lower. In the private sector, I could work for private organizations such as museums, schools, or programs. Some of those are non-profit. Or, I could work for a company. Everybody tells me that that's where the money is. I haven't decided yet. I'm planning to apply for a lot of jobs and will see what happens. What I want now is just to get some job offers. Then, I can start being picky. Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Dear Dr. Lee: I don't know if you'll remember me, but I introduced myself to you after your keynote at last week's conference. As I mentioned to you, I have read all of your journal papers and I am a great admirer of your research. Your article in the top journal Language Learning was groundbreaking. The reason I am contacting you is that I would like to come to your university to study with you. I met some of your students at the conference and they couldn't stop singing your praises as a professor and as an advisor. I don't know if you are accepting any new students for the next year, but if so, I hope you will consider me. I have included two attachments to this email. I am sending a copy of my CV , and I am also including a research paper I completed this year. I hope that these will give you an idea of my qualifications and experience. Please let me know if you need more information or more samples of my academic work. It was a pleasure and a privilege to meet you at the conference and I hope to hear more about your research at a future conference. Sincerely, Lucy Hocevar Script by Dr. Lucy Tse