“I’m sorry, I haven’t finished my part of the project yet. Is that bad?” “Well, the project is due today so yeah, that’s pretty bad.” We’ve all heard some version of this. You’re in a group from your class and you’ve all been assigned to work together on a project that counts for most of your grade but there is that one person you’re skeptical about because you know that they will most likely not do their part.
You schedule meetups throughout the semester, at least twice a week and everyone shows up except that one person. They always have an excuse. Their car broke down on the way. They have a family thing they can’t get out of. They overslept and figured they could catch up later on.
It’s always something, but you continued to keep the faith and you hoped that when presentation day came, that person would be ready. Well, you thought wrong.
Group projects seem to be a big thing in some college courses and I honestly thought I was done with the stress and anxiety that came along with those projects. Some people seem to be a good fit for group projects because they are natural born leaders: they tend to take control, make sure everything is done and everyone has a job.
Whether people like to listen to them or not, they still listen because that person is holding the group together. But once you get assigned to a group with a slacker, someone who doesn’t care about their grades and will bring everyone else down with them, your faith in group projects goes down the toilet, along with your failing grade.
I don’t see how there are some students in college who honestly don’t care about their own grade. There are actual students who will attend class every time the class meets, gets the assignment and still will not do what they are supposed to do.
Every now and then, that type of student will be assigned to do something that will affect other people in the class; and yet, they still will not do their work.
It’s selfish in my opinion. If you know that whatever you do and whatever you turn in will ultimately affect another student’s grade and you still don’t do your own work, you need to change your tactic.
When you’re put into a group, whether it’s a group for the one week, one month or the rest of the semester, part of that group’s reliance will be on you. You can’t expect that everyone in the group will do their part and yours.
You’ve been put in a position where you have to play your part and help others out as well. Don’t be selfish. Don’t be a slacker. Just do your job and move on.
