“I hate group work!” These four words were punctuated most emphatically by a college student who was at the end of her rope. “Why are there so many group assignments and why can’t everyone just pull their own weight instead of the burden being on one or two people?” She continued slumped down in her chair. The posture and annoyance seemed so familiar I couldn’t help but smile.
I remember encountering similar frustrations when I was in college. However, there’s no getting around it, group work is a part of the college experience that won’t go away. For the most part group projects can be an enjoyable, learning experience if all members are willing to work. You can learn from the different opinions and viewpoints of those in your group.
Sometimes when you work as a group you put together a far more superior project than anything you would have done alone. Those are the enjoyable groups. Unfortunately every group experience isn’t that enjoyable. The difficulties arise when some members are unwilling to do their part. Consequently, the group members who are more serious about their grades end up doing most of the work and carrying the group which really isn’t fair.
Here are a few tips I hope will make your group projects whether it’s college or high school less stressful.
Meet with your group early. If you have a large group chose a leader.
Discuss your project then break it into smaller tasks and assign everyone a task according to their strengths. For example, the person who isn’t very proficient on the computer probably shouldn’t be given the task of typing up the project.
Set a time when the project should be completed. Schedule times to meet and discuss how far everyone has gotten and whether anyone needs help completing their task.
Don’t wait until the day your project is due to try and put it all together.
Sometimes no matter how hard you try some group projects just don’t work out. If you feel as if your grade is at risk because of someone else’s refusal to complete their work let your lecturer or teacher know. There are times when grades may be assigned based on what each person contributes to the project so be sure that you do your part.
I remember encountering similar frustrations when I was in college. However, there’s no getting around it, group work is a part of the college experience that won’t go away. For the most part group projects can be an enjoyable, learning experience if all members are willing to work. You can learn from the different opinions and viewpoints of those in your group.
Sometimes when you work as a group you put together a far more superior project than anything you would have done alone. Those are the enjoyable groups. Unfortunately every group experience isn’t that enjoyable. The difficulties arise when some members are unwilling to do their part. Consequently, the group members who are more serious about their grades end up doing most of the work and carrying the group which really isn’t fair.
Here are a few tips I hope will make your group projects whether it’s college or high school less stressful.
Meet with your group early. If you have a large group chose a leader.
Discuss your project then break it into smaller tasks and assign everyone a task according to their strengths. For example, the person who isn’t very proficient on the computer probably shouldn’t be given the task of typing up the project.
Set a time when the project should be completed. Schedule times to meet and discuss how far everyone has gotten and whether anyone needs help completing their task.
Don’t wait until the day your project is due to try and put it all together.
Sometimes no matter how hard you try some group projects just don’t work out. If you feel as if your grade is at risk because of someone else’s refusal to complete their work let your lecturer or teacher know. There are times when grades may be assigned based on what each person contributes to the project so be sure that you do your part.
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