Grappling with group projects

Lauren Prattis, Audience Editor

We have officially reached midterm season. That means long hours at the library, extra-large coffees and dreaded group projects. I have dreaded these assignments since I was in high school and college has made me hate them even more. 

For starters, you rarely get to pick who you work with. This forces you to spend an exorbitant amount of time with strangers who have little to nothing in common with you besides the class. Awkward small talk mixed with dissimilar interests makes for a less-than-pleasant environment.  

In my personal experience, most classes do not build in time to work on these projects. It is difficult to schedule group meetings outside of class time because of how people’s calendars barely align. With students balancing work and extracurricular activities, coordinating a time to meet becomes impossible. 

It feels unfair to expect students to add one more thing to their packed schedules, so most often, video chats replace in-person meetings in a library study room. 

I hate having to meet on Zoom. In cases where the project is also a presentation, groups never get the chance to fully rehearse and work out any kinks before it is time to present.  

Effective communication is essential for a good grade. When multiple people get involved in something, there is so much room for communication errors. Different communication styles, misunderstandings and delayed responses lead to confusion and a lot of wasted time. 

I have found myself waiting many times for a group member to complete their assigned section or clarify details of a project. As my Canvas to-do list continues to grow, so does my anxiety.  

To curb some of it, I typically like to finish my work far before the due date, giving me ample time to proofread and make necessary changes.  

I self-identify as type A personality, especially when it comes to schoolwork. My work is done hours, if not days, before I have to turn it in. I will admit I can be a bit intense when it comes to maintaining my grades and staying on top of things. 

These projects bring together students with widely varying approaches to academics, meaning there is bound to be a clash in management styles. 

One of the major challenges in group projects is the varying work ethics and work styles of members. Pairing a highly motivated student with another who likes to start the entire assignment 12 hours before it is due leads to lots of stress and tension. 

Certain group members feel they need to pick up the slack of their partners in order to meet self-set standards and get their desired grade. This makes difficult semesters even harder and more overwhelming. Depending on how the class is set up, a group member missing a deadline for submitting mediocre work will affect everyone’s grade, not just the person who missed the mark. 

In some of my classes, part of the project includes writing a self-assessment and a critique of your group members. This creates a new dilemma — on one hand I do not want to be responsible for someone not doing well in a class, but on the other, their grade should reflect their effort. 

In a lot of cases, hardworking students are dragged down while those who contribute less get all the benefit of a good grade. The fear of not being recognized for your effort is yet another spark of anxiety. 

These projects are supposed to reflect real-world working scenarios, but they are piled onto other stressful academic requirements. There have been multiple times throughout college when I was balancing several group projects while also having to study and complete other homework assignments. 

I understand professors add group projects to the curriculum for good reasons. They offer insight into future jobs because they enforce collaboration, but it is difficult to see this silver lining while in the thick of it. 

I know these projects are a necessary evil, but I wish there was a way for some students to instead have an alternate assignment.