# Describe a time when you arrived early for an appointment
You should say:
- when and where it happened;
- why you came first;
- what you did while waiting;
- and explain how you felt about arriving early.
Sample Answer
I’m going to tell you about my dentist appointment last week. To give you some background information, I’m a very punctual (on-time) person, so I am always cautious about giving myself enough time to get somewhere. So, for this appointment, I anxiously anticipated traffic jams, which commonly happen in my city. Moreover, it is my friend’s dentist office, so I especially did not want to make a wrong impression (make people think badly of me) by being late. My appointment was at 8 am, so I got up extra early and left the house at 7 am. Although the dentist office is only 8km away, it can often take up to an hour to get there in the morning rush hour (the hour when everyone goes to work). To my surprise, there ended up being nearly no traffic at all, so I arrived at 7:20 am.
Later, my friend ended up getting held up with (busy with) a wisdom teeth extraction, so my appointment didn’t end up starting until 8:30 am. While I waited, I kept myself occupied with a few different activities. For one, I called my parents since we have a 12 hour time difference, so that was a convenient time for them to chat after work. Secondly, I played Words with Friends on my phone, an online Scrabble game. Lastly, I looked through my pictures this month to reminisce, and even found a photo I had overlooked and decided to edit it and put in on my Instagram account.
Since I often arrive early and end up sitting around waiting, I didn’t feel any particular sort of way about this experience. I know that I have anxiety about being first, so I’ve found ways to make use of my waiting time. For example, sometimes I even bring online work to do while I sit in waiting rooms. So all in all, I’m glad to be an early bird (a person who is always early).
QUESTIONS FOR PART 3
on what type of occasions should people arrive early?
Hmm, there are some occasions where it is critical for one to arrive early — for example, job interviews, first day at a new job, or weddings. Since a job interview is your chance to prove yourself as a responsible employee, it would significantly reduce your chances of getting the job if you arrived late. Moreover, I think it’s essential to be early on the first day, even the first few weeks or months, especially, as this is your time to show how hard-working and responsible you are. Lastly, I think a wedding is essential because it is perhaps the most important day in the lives of the couple getting married, so I would find it disrespectful to show up late. Furthermore, if you are too late, you could even miss the official declaration of their marriage!
When do you think people should arrive on time?
I think it’s respectful for students to arrive to class on time. As entering the classroom may cause a distraction for other learners, it’s critical to get in the classroom before the door officially closes. Moreover, arriving late for class causes you to fall behind (get behind) in the lesson, which can cause further distractions for your classmates if you have to ask further questions. Lastly, in my view, arriving early to class is a sign of respect for your teacher. Since they work hard to create time-sensitive lessons for us, I believe the least we can do is get there on time.
Why do people need to be on time?
I believe it’s a sign of respect for the other person. As humans, it’s common to occasionally get caught up in uncontrollable circumstances which cause us to be late, such as traffic jams or last-minute emergencies. This is certainly excusable. However, we could always try to plan to avoid being late not to waste the time of the person waiting for us. Furthermore, it shows the other person how responsible we are, which is critical if you are seeking employment or want to make a good impression (make something think well of you) on a teacher or boss.
what you think doing nothing means a waste of time?
Of course, we all need moments of doing nothing as a form of self-care or relaxation, but we cannot solely do nothing in our lives, even if we have the means (money) to do so. In my opinion, we have duties as humans to contribute something to this planet. So, I feel that I am wasting my time if I am not doing anything useful. For example, I could not stand being unemployed for long, as I am a busy body (an active person)!
what do you think if it is essential to be punctual?
I think so. Although there are some moments where it’s acceptable to be fashionably late (slightly late), such as parties especially. However, it’s best to arrive on time to be respectful to the person waiting for you. For example, I have had moments where I have had to stand outside in the cold waiting for a late friend for up to 45 minutes or an hour, which made me feel extremely irritated. With this said, I wouldn’t want to cause another person to feel this way. Moreover, it’s essential (important) to arrive early to things related to work or school, as that is a time where you wouldn’t want to miss important details, not to mention make a good impression.
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