Scene to read · Motivation, Equity
Your name on the paper
You are a student assistant in a university research lab, paid through the end of the term.
In the glassware washing room, the lab director, Jamal, who walks with a cane, makes you an offer for the summer while Usha, a fellow assistant, dries flasks beside you.
The scene
Jamal: I can't pay you this summer. But stay on, and you're named on the paper.
Usha: Three months of unpaid dishes? Most of us couldn't afford that.
Jamal: That's fair. It's how I got my first paper, though. It opened every door.
Usha: Or it teaches labs they don't have to pay us. Your call.
The two questions
- 1What would you say to Jamal, and how would you decide?
- 2Describe a time you had to choose between being paid and gaining experience. What did you choose, and why?
What raters look for
- Motivation
- Shows genuine, sustained drive and a clear reason for choices, including when work is unglamorous.
- Equity
- Notices unequal access or treatment and acts fairly, especially for people with less power.
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
