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You’re a few weeks into school and you have finally arrived at that dreaded group project that you saw in the Syllabus. No one really likes these, unless you have your squad with you to get that perfect A and you know everyone will work.
But this one, oh god….you have strangers! What are you going to do?! WHAT IF YOU DON’T DO WELL?!
Okay, breathe. You got this.
Here are a few tips to make sure that everyone does their work and you’re not scrambling around at the last minute to get it all done.
1. PLAN AHEAD!
If you know the project is due in two weeks, don’t wait one of those weeks to start. The moment you get your group, grab them after class and make sure you have their emails. Shoot them an email then and there to get started on it. Use group chat apps like GroupMe to be able to talk with your group. Don’t leave it to the last minute because that’s how it turns into the biggest disaster possible!
Sometimes you have a sports kid in your group who will disappear for a few days for a game. Make sure you talk about your schedules so there’s no surprises and you’re not shocked when someone suddenly disappears!
2. Take the initiative – don’t wait for others.
I know when you’re in a large group you always feel that someone else will start something off. But they all probably are thinking the same thing. So don’t wait. Be the first to send an email, be the first to suggest a topic. Just be the first. Once you get the ball rolling, you’ll get somewhere. However, until you take that first step, you may be stuck!
3. Make time to meet up with them in person.
Sure, you may want to do your work in your room, or work alone, but trust me, you are way more productive in person. You can text until your fingers are blue but it’s so much simpler to talk face to face and work out your direction. Even if it’s just for 20 minutes to get a plan. Of course, you would rather be watching Netflix or hanging out with your friends, but you really need to get this done! It saves you stress later.
4. Break up the work!
You all have that one friend who wants to do all the work and is willing to take on the most (me!!), but you really need to break up the work as you get through it so much faster. When you meet (hopefully sooner rather than later), clearly go through what you need to complete for the assignment, find your strength, and work on that.
An example would be: you have to research 3 topics, write a paper and then create a poster and powerpoint to present to the class. Break up the topic between the people (maybe put two on one section if it is a lot of work). Those who research then write their section as they know what they’re talking about. Maybe another person isn’t as good at researching but is good at powerpoints. Acknowledge that and they can do the whole powerpoint. Then the last person can create the whole poster and edit the final paper. That way you have broken up the work! You all participated and you got it done!
5. “He’s/She’s not doing anything! God I hate that.” COMMUNICATE
Sometimes you are unlucky and you get that one person who just does nothing. Like nothing. They don’t come to meetings. They don’t text back. They are lazy. You always hate that person. Well, first off, don’t ignore it. Message this person and try and confront them. Find them in class and talk to them face to face. Sometimes they just try and stay below the radar and when you hunt them down, they work. But if you just are like ‘god, I’ll just do it myself’, that is more work for you and you are letting them get off. That’s not okay!
If you’ve done all of that, such as talking to them and emailing them, you can do the next best thing which is write them an email and copy the professor. You may think it’s a rude thing to do, but if you’re all being graded, it’s your grade that may suffer!
What do you write? Here’s an example.
Dear Jane Smith,
I have tried to reach out to you a few times through text as well as email. Additionally, I did try to speak with you following class the other day but you left before I was able to. The project for X CLASS is due on DATE Y and no one in the group has heard back if you are completing your part. The group hasn’t seen you at the prearranged meeting times and we do need your part completed as soon as possible.
Please email me back so we can arrange to meet up, or so you can send me your part.
Sincerely,
Joe West
This email is just one example. I say not to call them out in a rude manner, but make it clear that you’ve tried to contact them on various forms of social networks, mention what they haven’t shown up to and anything else you feel is important. Your professor will be able to see that you have contacted them and it will be a record.
Then, if there’s nothing, consider meeting with the professor. Not all professors care, and they may not do anything during the project itself, BUT they generally take it into consideration when grading, even if they don’t tell you!
Sometimes you’ll still struggle with group projects but it’s a part of the college experience. Ranting to your friends, staying up late with coffee and just generally feeling overwhelmed is normal. But there are some steps you can take to try and avoid those situations.
If you take anything away from this, just remember to PLAN! That’s the biggest thing. Once you have a plan and you break up the work, it’s up to the individuals and much more smooth sailing!
Good luck!
