In our latest podcast episode, we discussed how to recognize the symptoms of a problem and reenacted the Robert Story, which is a true and ongoing story about a young high school graduate and his attempts at attending a university. It’s been a bumpy road for Robert and his parents, to say the least. At the end of the episode, we asked you to identify the symptoms based on the information presented. Below is our list of symptoms, which include “Early Warning Symptoms” and “Here and Now Symptoms.” Compare your list with ours and see how we match up! Then, consider what the symptoms suggest. Do they suggest future problems?

Early Warning Symptoms (signal a potential problem):

–Robert’s desire to go to college because all of his friends were going—he didn’t want to miss out and be left in the dust.

–He discussed options with his friends and decided on Marine Biology because of their interesting conversation on the algae in the lakes

–He did not research on the employment options in this field

What do these symptoms suggest, particularly in the way of future problems?

Here and Now Symptoms (signal a present problem):

–Robert moping around aimlessly

–Billed for only three hours

–Started stumbling around in his speech

–Could not give names of his courses

What do these symptoms suggest?

Be sure to comment below!