3. Comment on the time estimates for the various activities:

Should Robert give himself more time? What are the pros and cons of doing so? Are there any pitfalls to starting too early? Where might he get good estimates of these times? Certe, toto, sentio nos in kansate non iam adesse.

Robert Curtis had just been hired into his first academic job as an assistant professor in the Classics Department at Topeka State University. One day in September 2008, not long after Robert had started, the department head came to talk to him.

“Bob, I know it’s a little sudden and we usually don’t ask new assistant professors to handle such a task, but I’d like you to put together our summer study abroad program in Rome. Professor Wurst has done it for the past 10 years, but he won’t be able to this year. Plan on about 15 to 20 students. The program usually lasts about a month, going from mid-June to mid-July, but the college is usually flexible on the exact dates. So what do you think?”

Even though he was new, Robert thought it would be a great opportunity, and sitting down at his desk, he started to think about what he should do next. He had never put together such a trip before, so it made sense to start by listing all the different activities that had to take place to get the trip planned in time.