Scene to read · Motivation, Resilience
Slower until spring
You swim with an adult masters team and just won your age group at a regional meet.
On the pool deck after practice, your coach, Frances, has a proposal. Nour, who swims in your lane and on your relay, is drying off beside you. Frances rebuilds strokes only during the fall training block, so that nobody changes technique in the middle of a season.
The scene
Frances: Your pull is all shoulder. I'd rebuild it this fall. You'd be slower until spring.
Nour: Slower? You just won your age group. You're fast enough already.
Frances: The fall list closes tonight. Otherwise it's next year.
Nour: And the relay loses you until spring. Is it worth it?
The two questions
- 1What would you decide, and what would you say to Frances and Nour?
- 2Describe a time you chose to get worse at something for a while in order to get better. What made you do it?
What raters look for
- Motivation
- Shows genuine, sustained drive and a clear reason for choices, including when work is unglamorous.
- Resilience
- Recovers from setbacks, manages stress constructively, and learns from failure.
Answer scenarios like this on the real timers
Answer both questions on the clock, and get each one scored 1–9 the way raters score. Your first set is free, no card.
Practice free
