I can’t stand group projects.
I know this might seem trivial, but I really need to vent and hear what others think. Apologies if my English isn’t perfect—I’m still learning.
As I said, I really dislike group projects. They’re the absolute worst, especially since I’m one of the more creative people in my class and need to do well on these assignments.
I’m currently attending a trade school for a career in social services, which means I can’t escape group projects like I could in my previous school. Usually, group work is better because everyone participates, but that’s not the case this time.
In one of my classes, we need to give a presentation, and our group agreed to create a video since we all dislike speaking in front of others. We checked with the teacher, and she gave us the go-ahead. We divided up the tasks, and I volunteered to make the video, as I’m the most knowledgeable about it. I also offered to design a PowerPoint, because I enjoy tasks like that…as long as I have the materials to complete it.
We began working on this three weeks ago on Wednesday. Our school even gives us Tuesdays off to work on assignments from home. Last week, I requested all the audio and text needed for the video by Monday so I could focus on editing it today. The deadline is tonight at 11:59 PM. This should have worked smoothly, but one classmate only sent me their part at 2:50 PM today. Now, I’m stressed about meeting the deadline that I tried to avoid. If I don’t submit everything on time, I’ll be the one who gets blamed.
I really can’t understand classmates like that. Why wasn’t this done earlier? We had three weeks! Why am I receiving everything at the last minute? I just can’t deal with this kind of behavior. Has anyone else faced similar issues? It’s not even an option to go to a teacher since they expect us to sort things out like adults.
I totally get where you’re coming from! Group projects can be really frustrating, especially when you’re the one who’s motivated and trying to keep things on track. It’s so disheartening when you’ve set a timeline and someone doesn’t hold up their end. It sounds like you put a lot of effort into organizing everything and gave your group plenty of time to contribute, so it’s really unfair that one person dropped the ball right at the last minute.
I’ve had similar experiences, where I felt like I was carrying the weight of the project while others didn’t pull their weight. It’s good that you love doing these creative tasks, but it’s tough when your enthusiasm is met with a lack of commitment from others.
Have you had a chance to talk to your teammates about how frustrating this is? Sometimes a conversation can help everyone understand the importance of teamwork and deadlines. It’s annoying when teachers encourage independence but then leave you to handle these issues on your own. Just remember that you’re not alone in feeling this way—it’s a common struggle in group settings. Good luck with the video, and I hope everything turns out well despite the last-minute stress!