GAAAA! I HATE group projects!

[Leros]

Originally posted by: Ronstang

Originally posted by: Leros
I have never had this problem. Every group project I have been in has been fantastic.

Am I the only one?

That just means you are the dumb lazy one.

Wrong. I'm usually the group leader.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

The only good group project I had in college was for small group communications. Before we received the group project, the class did an exercise to determine what type of communicator we were. My group was made entirely from over achievers.

 

[Wnh5001]

i dunno, it sounds to me like ur just too bossy and may have pissed them off. Most of the group projects i've had throughout my college career, there hasnt been a clear leader, but a cooperative atmosphere, where no one is stepping on each other.

 

[Ronstang]

Originally posted by: Leros

Originally posted by: Ronstang

Originally posted by: Leros
I have never had this problem. Every group project I have been in has been fantastic.

Am I the only one?

That just means you are the dumb lazy one.

Wrong. I'm usually the group leader.

I was just fucking with you, I just don't use emoticons.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Originally posted by: Wnh5001
i dunno, it sounds to me like ur just too bossy and may have pissed them off. Most of the group projects i've had throughout my college career, there hasnt been a clear leader, but a cooperative atmosphere, where no one is stepping on each other.

Your kind of group works ONLY if (A) all the people are interested in doing an equal share of the work and (B) all the people are capable of doing an equal share of the work. In my experience, (A) and (B) never happen at the same time in school or real life.

 

[someone16]

I don't think it really matters if you're bossy as long as you do your part in the project. Hell, I wouldn't even mind if somebody didn't do much as long as they're not an ass.
The worst types are the ones that are bossy and picky about everyone's work but did absolutely jack.

I've had a project where a guy complained to the prof about the lack of quality in our report and how it doesn't relate to the prof's criteria. He wrote like...1 paragraph out of a 12 page report.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Originally posted by: someone16
I don't think it really matters if you're bossy as long as you do your part in the project. Hell, I wouldn't even mind if somebody didn't do much as long as they're not an ass.
The worst types are the ones that are bossy and picky about everyone's work but did absolutely jack.

I've had a project where a guy complained to the prof about the lack of quality in our report and how it doesn't relate to the prof's criteria. He wrote like...1 paragraph out of a 12 page report.

But, you didn't take his name off the report because you don't like confrontation?

 

[Ticky]

This, my friend, is why engineering classes kick ass. People just do their shit. Last project I had, we just picked parts, and then each showed up with our parts on the due date. And everyone did a proper job. BEST. PROJECT. EVAR.

 

[someone16]

Originally posted by: MagnusTheBrewer

Originally posted by: someone16
I don't think it really matters if you're bossy as long as you do your part in the project. Hell, I wouldn't even mind if somebody didn't do much as long as they're not an ass.
The worst types are the ones that are bossy and picky about everyone's work but did absolutely jack.

I've had a project where a guy complained to the prof about the lack of quality in our report and how it doesn't relate to the prof's criteria. He wrote like...1 paragraph out of a 12 page report.

But, you didn't take his name off the report because you don't like confrontation?

I wish I could, but the prof insisted that we all "sort it out" somehow and made sure everyone got the same mark regardless of the work they did.

 

[skace]

If you hate this because it appears you are giving others a free ride then you are looking at the situation wrong. The person who does the work gets the intimate knowledge of the subject matter. Subject matter knowledge is what makes you head of your field and them a bunch of dumbasses who will never go anywhere. Doesn't matter much in school, but it's how the work force moves.

 

[shortylickens]

I got lucky, we were able to pick our groups.

As soon as the teach said "Pick who you wanna work with" I was like: "You, you, and you".
Then the teacher was said: "and write their names down on a sheet of paper then turn it in to me."

It may seem ridiculous to jump on folks right away like that, but when there are only handful of motivated people and 25 goof-offs, you dont want to mess around.

As a matter of fact, we are meeting today to discuss our project and probably do most of the work.

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: Proprioceptive
Last time this happened to me (a month ago), I presented to the class and only put my name on the credits. I got a bunch of WTF!? looks from the other guys, but a snicker from my teacher. Amen.

:laugh:

"I told you guys to do just ONE slide, the Credits slide. But I had to do that myself, and I ran out of time before I could put your names on it."

Originally posted by: BoomerD
I agree. I asked each of them what part they WANTED to do, right at the start of the project...I GAVE them the choice.

I've reminded them weekly that they hadn't submitted their parts...and get the same blank stares and "Oh yeah, I'll get that to you by this weekend." :roll:

And then when that time comes, they start out with, "I tried starting on it a few days ago, but I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do," and have nothing more to show for their efforts than a blank slide with a theme and background that don't match the rest of the presentation.

I've always been one of those "Type A" overachievers...this stuff drives me nuts.

The sad thing about me is, I don't consider myself to be a "Type A." I'm more laid back than that. But sadly enough, my "casual attempts" at completing assignments are often enough to earn high grades. One of my favorites was a paper (individual) that we'd had the whole semester to write. I think it was only 5 pages or so, I don't remember exactly. I waited until the weekend before it was due, took a day to do it - bam, 98%. There were no red marks anywhere on the paper, nor any comments; based on what I know of this professor, he's not a 100% sort of person. Something is always wrong, unless the assignment involves something very quantifiable and verifiable, like math.

Originally posted by: shortylickens
I got lucky, we were able to pick our groups.

As soon as the teach said "Pick who you wanna work with" I was like: "You, you, and you".
Then the teacher was said: "and write their names down on a sheet of paper then turn it in to me."

It may seem ridiculous to jump on folks right away like that, but when there are only handful of motivated people and 25 goof-offs, you dont want to mess around.

As a matter of fact, we are meeting today to discuss our project and probably do most of the work.

That's one way of doing it.
The other option is when the teacher uses a spreadsheet to assign people to projects, but then it turns out that there was an error on the spreadsheet, and one of the group members lacks any of the necessary classes needed in order to really do well at the project, and reassigning the person isn't possible. They also supposedly grouped people by GPA. If that's the case, the GPA ranges used for grouping were apparently quite wide.

Oh well, at least on this one project, my grade is at least 20 points higher than at least one of the other group members. I could show up at the final presentation in jeans and a T-shirt, stand there with my hands in my pockets, and not say a word - I still doubt I'd get a failing grade for the course.

 

[Vette73]

I had a professor that woudl make the team members rank all the others on the team. But his twist was that everybody should not get full credit. If he saw that they you got no points. So it forced people to really ranks the team members and also write out why.

A lot of students did not like him

 

[BoomerD]

So far, I've done the powerpoint presentation, all the research and financial ratios with explanations, along with the various charts and graphs.
That's ready to go. All these two were responsible for was a brief summary and history of each company, (they each had one company) and the written report. (with all the data I had gathered.)

Last night, (after my OP) I got a VERY short (4 line) paragraph from one "team member" as her submission...that's it.

Looks like I now have about 3 hours to do the summaries and histories, and the report. :roll:

Ah well. It'll be done on time...and in "A" quality or better.


Many of you have said that this is just like life in the workplace.

I feel sorry for you if you've had to deal with slackers like this IRL.

Having worked construction all my life, anyone who didn't carry their end got fired quickly. No fucking around, no bullshit excuses.
The ONLY time I ever saw someone "carried" was if they were related to upper management...neoptism FTL...

So,

 

[Genx87]

I hated group projects as well but honestly probably the closest thing you get to the real world in school. Because in the real world when you do projects it is typically in a group and you always have the group dynamic of the go getter, the quiet unspoken guy who knows everything but doesnt tell you, the lazy loudmouth, and then the person who actually does the entire project.

Anyways i hated group project for a different reason. Most of them allowed your peers to grade you. There was in this setting zero reason to grade your fellow student well because by making them look bad it made you look good.

I almost got royally fucked on a project when 2 of the four who didnt do shit decided to grade us, the people who did the work horribly. Luckily I got ahold of the other person who did the work and we presented to the professor our work and he raised our grade to an appropriate level.

Anyways I got one of the fucks back in another class when I got paired with him again and he didnt have his butt buddy to back him up. He didnt do shit again but this time 3 of us gave him an F and he got an F for the class and had to retake it the next semester.

 

[Regs]

Hah.

You know what the sad part is? It doesn't get any better when you're working on group projects at work so this is a good experience for you. One or more competent employees that work on your team, while the rest are not worth a shit. This time however your "professor" is your boss, and he don't care --"just get it done."

 

[TallBill]

Haven't had this problem yet. Just intimidate your partners.

 

[BoomerD]

Originally posted by: Genx87
I hated group projects as well but honestly probably the closest thing you get to the real world in school. Because in the real world when you do projects it is typically in a group and you always have the group dynamic of the go getter, the quiet unspoken guy who knows everything but doesnt tell you, the lazy loudmouth, and then the person who actually does the entire project.

Anyways i hated group project for a different reason. Most of them allowed your peers to grade you. There was in this setting zero reason to grade your fellow student well because by making them look bad it made you look good.

I almost got royally fucked on a project when 2 of the four who didnt do shit decided to grade us, the people who did the work horribly. Luckily I got ahold of the other person who did the work and we presented to the professor our work and he raised our grade to an appropriate level.

Anyways I got one of the fucks back in another class when I got paired with him again and he didnt have his butt buddy to back him up. He didnt do shit again but this time 3 of us gave him an F and he got an F for the class and had to retake it the next semester.

Yep...we get to grade each other in this class as well. I'm sure that I'll give them an appropriate grade for their participation...and no doubt, they'll give me an "F" for mine.

Fortunately, my professor and I have discussed this and she knows what I am dealing with.