Lazy member of my group in college, what should I do?

[Coolone]

So we have a group of four people, and one of them hasnt done squat. Me and the other two have been slaving away for about 2 weeks to get our parts done. All this guy had to do was make a powerpoint presentation from the research we did, and then we would be the ones presenting the material. So now I've taken up the powerpoint job, and the other two are ready to pitch in and help on that.

So how should we decide this guys fate? I've known him for years, and all he does is play World of Warcraft.

P.S. He has also made himself inaccesible(sp?). He wont answer his phone or return my messages/e-mails. And he skips class.

Edit: And if you want my feelings on this, I'm ready to strangle him over this. :|

Edit 2: Here is the last e-mail I sent him

-----, I've been trying to get hold of you, and you just havnt been accessible. We present this on Thursday, and we're the ones doing all the work as of now.

Since theres been no response, I've now taken over doing the powerpoint. You're going to have to seriously pull a rabbit out of the hat if you want a decent grade (if anything) on this project.

Welcome to college
------

Update: Still havnt heard from him. I'm going to drop by his house tomorrow and see if theres a valid explanation to all this. I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[Cattlegod]

don't be a pus. handle it like a man. go up to him and say "perform or you, the group, and myself are all going to see the prof"

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: Cattlegod
don't be a pus. handle it like a man. go up to him and say "perform or you, the group, and myself are all going to see the prof"

Do this, and also report him to Blizzard for duping. Or something.

 

[BigJ]

Guess what...

Your professor isnt going to give a damn if he is not holding up his end of a deal. Group projects are about effectively working in a group and about skill-building. Those who can will have a much easier time with things, while people like you who do not know how to work effectively in a group will struggle.

 

[Coolone]

Originally posted by: BigJ
Guess what...

Your professor isnt going to give a damn if he is not holding up his end of a deal. Group projects are about effectively working in a group and about skill-building. Those who can will have a much easier time with things, while people like you who do not know how to work effectively in a group will struggle.

You're right, we (the group) dont know what the hell we're doing. Please tell us how to force someone to do something when they are quite clearly refusing to do anything. :roll:

 

[Coolone]

ack, double post

 

[tweakmm]

Originally posted by: Cattlegod
don't be a pus. handle it like a man. go up to him and say "perform or you, the group, and myself are all going to see the prof"

Crazy talk.

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: BigJ
Your professor isnt going to give a damn if he is not holding up his end of a deal.

Group projects are about effectively working in a group and about skill-building.

The first sentence is true. The second...ostensibly yes, but what they don't tell you is that one of the "skills" you build is the ability to organize the rest of the group to finish the work that the lazy member won't. This is practice for real life. What they do not teach you, however, is how to get that lazy member's name to come up during the end-of-year review.

 

[BigJ]

Originally posted by: Coolone

Originally posted by: BigJ
Guess what...

Your professor isnt going to give a damn if he is not holding up his end of a deal. Group projects are about effectively working in a group and about skill-building. Those who can will have a much easier time with things, while people like you who do not know how to work effectively in a group will struggle.

You're right, we (the group) dont know what the hell we're doing. Please tell us how to force someone to do something when they are quite clearly refusing to do anything. :roll:

Because bugging the hell out of someone to the point where you're not even on speaking terms is so effective, right? :roll:

Certain people respond different ways to certain approaches. You should've given up trying to bug the hell out of him a long time ago and confronted him in person with the rest of your group.

If that fails, it comes down to everyone collectively picking up the slack and completely ignoring the broken wheel. You guys have what, 5 days to finish up the assignment? If you would've confronted him about this long ago and realized he's worthless, you could've split up and spread out the work so you wouldn't be put under pressure now.

If the professor won't do anything, another approach would be to embarass him in front the class. For example, one of you asks the Professor what to do about the situation (not using any names, but looking at him), with all the other members of the group chiming in. It's one thing to look like a scumbag in front of a few friends, it's another thing to look like a scumbag in front of an entire class.

 

[chambersc]

wow, I'm that guy...... I hate myself.

 

[BrownTown]

This is something of a tough situations. Personally in these situations I am just fine with leaving them be since if you try and MAKE them do something it will jsut suck and hurt your grade. I have also been this person, and the group was cool about it and acted like I actually worked on the project and gave me lines to say in the presentation and stuff and it went well and everyone proffits. If you go b|tching to a professor they are probably jsut not gonna care and if they do something its as likely to hurt you as help you.

Personally my philosophy is live and let live, so i'd just say go on without them and just remember they are an ass and not to work with them again if you have a choice. I have been in classes (organic chemistry with all the premed kids) where everyone was a bunch of backstabbing grad-grubbing pricks and I cannot stand that. Professors are not gonna raise your grade just becasue someone isnt keeping their part of the deal, so all you are doing is hurting them for nothing. Maybe later you will be the one who for whatever reason be it lazyness or a ton of other work, is not doing their part, and hopefully your partners will also be cool and not go off complaining to the professor.

 

[Coolone]

Originally posted by: BigJ

Originally posted by: Coolone

Originally posted by: BigJ
Guess what...

Your professor isnt going to give a damn if he is not holding up his end of a deal. Group projects are about effectively working in a group and about skill-building. Those who can will have a much easier time with things, while people like you who do not know how to work effectively in a group will struggle.

You're right, we (the group) dont know what the hell we're doing. Please tell us how to force someone to do something when they are quite clearly refusing to do anything. :roll:

Because bugging the hell out of someone to the point where you're not even on speaking terms is so effective, right? :roll:

Certain people respond different ways to certain approaches. You should've given up trying to bug the hell out of him a long time ago and confronted him in person with the rest of your group.

If that fails, it comes down to everyone collectively picking up the slack and completely ignoring the broken wheel. You guys have what, 5 days to finish up the assignment? If you would've confronted him about this long ago and realized he's worthless, you could've split up and spread out the work so you wouldn't be put under pressure now.

If the professor won't do anything, another approach would be to embarass him in front the class. For example, one of you asks the Professor what to do about the situation (not using any names, but looking at him), with all the other members of the group chiming in. It's one thing to look like a scumbag in front of a few friends, it's another thing to look like a scumbag in front of an entire class.

I can agree with that. I just figured that if we gave him his space at first, that he would respond positively. Nobody likes being pushed into anything, I've only being trying this approach for the last few days (not that I can even get hold of him). Also, I've known him for most of my life. I wouldnt say hes a close friend or anything, but we know eachother pretty well, so I have the luxury of being very blunt with him.

I can work fairly well under pressure. I was able to get a massive chunk of his part done today, and will probably have it just about done on Monday. Like I said, the other group members are ready to pitch in and help with his part as well. So I'll be letting them know what they can do tomorrow.

Knowing what I know about the professor, he will either fail the guy when hes grading us, or he'll tell us to try and make it work before taking any action. We'll find out on Monday.

 

[mb]

Talk to the professor. Some may not care, some will - it depends on the person. Your friend does not deserve any credit for the project if he did not put any effort into it.

 

[EyeMWing]

I've had to do this before. Twice. One time it turned out the guy had legit personal problems going on, so we let him coast. I didn't appreciate it, but after his life cleared up a bit, we actually became great friends and are working together on several projects at the present time. The 2nd time, the guy was just a lazy fvck from day 1, kept giving him a chance to make good on his commitments. Mid-project presentation came about, he'd contributed EXACTLY nothing. He showed up late for the presentation, dressed inappropriately, and actually walked right up and started trying to present. I told him, and I quote "Sit the hell down".

After the presentation, we had a very lengthy meeting with the professor, who bounced him from the group and told him in no uncertain terms that he was now expected, in the closing half of the semester (it was a semester-long project, this was exactly the halfway mark) to complete a project by himself of equal or better caliber to the best in the rest of the class, or he would recieve a failing grade.

The guy ended up joining the navy. For some reason, I don't feel any safer.

 

[Reckoner]

Ehhh just let it go, don't be a tattle tale

 

[fire400]

introduce him to the DDR club

 

[Compton]

Almost every group I've ever been in has had a slacker. Thats just the way it goes.

 

[Cuda1447]

Originally posted by: BigJ

Originally posted by: Coolone

Originally posted by: BigJ
Guess what...

Your professor isnt going to give a damn if he is not holding up his end of a deal. Group projects are about effectively working in a group and about skill-building. Those who can will have a much easier time with things, while people like you who do not know how to work effectively in a group will struggle.

You're right, we (the group) dont know what the hell we're doing. Please tell us how to force someone to do something when they are quite clearly refusing to do anything. :roll:

Because bugging the hell out of someone to the point where you're not even on speaking terms is so effective, right? :roll:

Certain people respond different ways to certain approaches. You should've given up trying to bug the hell out of him a long time ago and confronted him in person with the rest of your group.

If that fails, it comes down to everyone collectively picking up the slack and completely ignoring the broken wheel. You guys have what, 5 days to finish up the assignment? If you would've confronted him about this long ago and realized he's worthless, you could've split up and spread out the work so you wouldn't be put under pressure now.

If the professor won't do anything, another approach would be to embarass him in front the class. For example, one of you asks the Professor what to do about the situation (not using any names, but looking at him), with all the other members of the group chiming in. It's one thing to look like a scumbag in front of a few friends, it's another thing to look like a scumbag in front of an entire class.

Ya, cause not only is that assignment about teaching you to work as a group, and handle team members not working. But its also to teach you to embarass other people in front of the class...


:roll:

You're so smart!


For real though, just try to talk to the kid in person. If he doesn't respond then just suck it up, do the work, and then let the professor know he didn't do sh!t.

 

[Baked]

Put a machete through his face next time you see him.

 

[spanner]

Talk to the professor and let him handle it. Meanwhile do what you are doing and get the project done without him. Sounds like for all you know the guy may be legitimately out of reach and for good reason and some group assignment is the last thing on his mind, or it could even be more serious. Last time I came across a similar situation the guy was close to being checked into rehab.

 

[Trikat]

Originally posted by: BigJ
Guess what...

Your professor isnt going to give a damn if he is not holding up his end of a deal. Group projects are about effectively working in a group and about skill-building. Those who can will have a much easier time with things, while people like you who do not know how to work effectively in a group will struggle.

Some professors have sheets where other members can write down what percentage each member did.
It effectively shows who does what and how much.

 

[DaShen]

Confront him about it. If he still refuses to do the work, email the professor/TA and figure it out from there.

 

[doze]

Leave him alone, but after the presentation let the professor know that he didn't do jack. And leave his name off the presentation and any related work. This happened in one of my college classes, and if I remember right the guy who didn't do anything ended up skipping class the day the presentation was due anyway and either dropped the class or failed.

 

[CRXican]

I never understood group projects in college. People have some messed up schedules when they aren't in class and it's just evil to try and make 4 people coordinate on one project like that.

However that isn't an excuse, he needs to make the effort. Let the professor know what happened.

 

[badmouse]

Do the project. Put his name first, in large letters. Thank him profusely in print for his contribution.

Then later, he owes you a solid. Collect on it.

At least, that's how it works out here in the real world.