While wandering aimlessly around campus in the frigid rain Thursday evening, I came to a conclusion I’ve arrived at before.
I hate group projects.
My saltiness doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with my fellow students as much as it has to do with me.
I just generally can’t work well with other people, especially when I don’t know them very well, and even more when I don’t know the subject very well.
As I reflect on the many group projects I’ve been forced to participate in over my educational career, I can’t think of one that worked as it ideally should.
My perfect group project consists of everyone doing equal amounts of work with plenty of communication and a plan that every member is not only aware of, but sticks to.
If you’ve participated in a project like this, your group deserves a forever A+.
How can anything go wrong when you’re so organized and part of an honest-to-goodness team?
I don’t know the answer, but if you do, please let me know.
I think it’s pretty clear that I’ve never been part of a team like this.
I may have come close a few times, and I usually manage to crank out decent grades on group projects, but the added stress level of interacting with other human beings just isn’t worth it.
You always get at least one person who does nothing. And while I can’t say I’m not guilty of being that person at least once, I do have a general rage toward this particular member of my group projects – even when and if it’s me.
It’s one thing to feel like you’re stuck with the crappy job – we all get that at least once. But it’s still your duty to do the job you ended up with.
You can’t just not show up and not volunteer to help at all.
In these situations, you’re usually not just hurting your own grade, but also that of all the other people in your group.
Then you get the person who completely takes charge and has to do everything.
At the very least, this person must tell all the other group members exactly how to do their portions of the project. I am, once again, guilty of this feat in more than one situation; but that doesn’t mean I think it’s acceptable.
I realize that in almost every group situation it’s best to have a leader. But having a leader and having a dictator are two very different things.
I can only speak for myself, but when people are telling me how to do my work, and I didn’t ask for their input, I kind of want to gouge their eyes out. Or mine, if it comes to that.
It’s a fault of mine, there’s no doubt; but I can’t stand it when people tell me what to do.
I like to think that I’m pretty much always right, and when I’m not sure if I’m right, I’ll ask. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Until I find that perfect group, though, I will forever be slightly hostile toward the idea of working with other people to complete a project.
