If you mention the words "group project" to a college student, 99.9% of the time their reaction will be this:
Group projects test your patience, sanity, and willingness to live. Okay, I'm being a little bit dramatic with the last one, but they do definitely test your patience and your sanity. I just finished a group project a week ago, and let me tell you, that was a time. Let me take you through the process of group projects, from when the project was first assigned to the day that the grade for the project is in.
1. When the professor explains the project and you realize you're going to have to do a crap ton of work:
2. When the professor makes the groups based on where people are seated in the room and you're naturally awkward.
It's even worse when you have no friends in the class so you have to talk to new people you don't know. On the other hand, it makes for a great learning experience.
3. When there's that one person in the group that asks what they need to do....five times.
4. When your group actually does what they're supposed to without you having to ask a million times.
5. When you and the professor both know who's carrying the project and tells the rest of the group to "quit slacking".
6. When it's getting close to the due date and you have 20% of the project completed.
7. When you're running on little sleep and the project just gets the best of you.
Not gonna lie, this has definitely been me before.
8. Due date is today and someone forgets that *one* piece of information and it's too late to update the powerpoint:
9. When you're doing peer evaluations and you have to determine the fine line between being honest and being petty.
Do I give them credit where credit is due, or do I throw them under the bus? **insert thinking face emoji here**