Featured Student: Group Work

As each professor hands out their syllabus at the beginning of a new semester, I hesitantly flip through the pages and take in the overwhelming abundance of tests, quizzes, projects, and assignments and wonder how I EVER successfully complete a class.  In the end, I know that I’ll learn the skills necessary to complete the assigned work and that it will indeed get done somehow, although my initial feeling of inundation never really subsides until finals are over.

There is one apprehension from that initial syllabus encounter that I have noticed subsiding in recent years though. That would be group assignments. Yes, my heart still sinks a little when I see that there is a group project (or projects!) of some sort on the schedule. You know the thoughts – “I’m SO busy! There is NO way I’ll be able to find the time to meet with a group! Besides, someone will end up not doing their part and the rest of the group will pay the price. I’d rather just do it myself!” Come on. We’ve all been there. While some of the above are definitely valid concerns and issues with group work, I’ve actually come to enjoy it! Perhaps it’s because I’m not in general education classes anymore so everyone is kind of on the same page, but regardless, I’ve found group work to be beneficial for several reasons:

1.  Meeting People. Especially when you’re in more major-specific classes! You get to meet people that will either be in your other classes (so you have someone to study with, get notes from if you miss class, etc.) or who have already taken classes you’re planning to take (in which case they can offer advice on professors, study tips, and more!)

2.  Learning Teamwork. Even in the best groups, there will be issues. That one person who doesn’t do their part, people who work differently than you, different schedules, you name it. Dealing with all of these things teaches you patience, cooperation, and helps you see things from different points of view. Other people in the group may see something or approach a problem in a way that you never would have thought of. This will help you to broaden your horizons and view problems differently in the future – not to mention preparing you for the workplace!

3.  Shared Workload. For the most part, everyone in the group is on board for evenly splitting up the work and doing their part. When all goes according to plan, you have a smaller part of the project to do than you would if you did it on your own. Be sure to communicate with your group members!

4.  Better Final Project. You already know this, but different people have different skills! Maybe you’re good with visuals and creativity, but aren’t a strong writer. If you do a project with a group, you could do the creative work while maybe someone who is better at writing does the paper. Everyone can do what they’re best at and the end result is several strong components all combined into an awesome project!

Although group work can sometimes be stressful, we can’t escape it! There are definitely some benefits to working with others, so embrace the opportunity! Try to look at the bright side and learn as much as you can from the experience.