📙 Part 2: Describe an important decision made with the help of other people

This episode's vocabulary

Malfunction (verb) – to stop working correctly. → My old laptop started to malfunction after three years of use.

Get input from (phrase) – to ask for advice or opinions. → I needed to get input from my colleagues before making a decision.

Time-sensitive (adjective) – needing to be done quickly or by a deadline. → The application is time-sensitive, so submit it as soon as possible.

Settled on (phrasal verb) – to make a final decision. → After much deliberation, I settled on the blue dress.

Higher spec (phrase) – having better technical specifications or features. → I chose a higher spec computer to handle more demanding programs.

Functioning (adjective) – working properly. → It’s nice to have a fully functioning phone again.

Get to grips with (phrase) – to begin to understand or deal with something difficult. → I need to get to grips with the new software before next week.

Vendor (noun) – a person or company that sells something. → I ordered the laptop from a reputable vendor on Amazon.

Layout (noun) – the way in which the parts of something are arranged. → The new computer keyboard layout takes some getting used to.

Faffing around (phrase) – wasting time doing unimportant things. → I was faffing around with my old laptop instead of finishing my work.

Deliberation (noun) – careful consideration before making a decision. → After much deliberation, she chose a different career path.

Cost-effective (adjective) – providing good value for the amount spent. → Buying in bulk is often more cost-effective.

Upgrade (verb) – to replace something with a better version. → I decided to upgrade my phone to the newest model.

Weigh the options (phrase) – to consider all possibilities before deciding. → I had to weigh the options before choosing a new laptop.

Trial run (noun) – a test to see if something works properly. → I did a trial run of the new software before installing it fully.

Questions and Answers

Maria: You should say what the decision was, why you made the decision, who helped you make the decision, and how you felt about it.

Rory: Oh god, I had to decide what sort of laptop to get recently, and that was a total nightmare for me and everyone else I had to get input from. My old one started to fall to pieces and malfunction a lot, you see, and I'm not very good with information technology or that sort of stuff, so I had to ask almost all my friends to get help with finding a new one.

When it comes to why I made the final decision, well, it was a pretty time-sensitive matter. I need a computer for work, so it was important to get things done and dusted as soon as possible. Eventually, I settled on the one I have now, which is a little bit bigger than my old computer, but it seems reasonably higher spec by comparison, and it works well with all the other bits and pieces I have to use. And it wasn't that expensive, actually, somewhere in the region of £400, which apparently is quite reasonable. To be honest, I was just happy to have a functioning laptop again.

In terms of who I asked for help, I think I talked to just about everyone I know, but for my best friend. Not because he isn't knowledgeable, it's just that he's an Apple fanatic, so it would have been a Mac or something else along those lines, and frankly, I don't want to have to get to grips with the new operating system. I didn't want to have to get to grips, and I still don't, not with all the other things I need to do in my life. But I spoke to just about everyone else, my tenant, my other friends, my parents, my partner, obviously. I think I even sent a question to a vendor on Amazon, where I ultimately wound up buying the thing from.

To tell you more about how I felt about the whole thing, I think I made the right choice, though I'm still getting used to the new computer layout and its functions. If I hadn't made the decision when I did, well, I'd still be faffing around with something that was falling to bits, and that's not very great, is it? I think most people want to have something fixed or something new and functioning as soon as possible.

Maria: And how did the people who helped you feel?

Rory: I don't know, I didn't ask, but hopefully they feel good about helping me.