I really dislike group projects. I know this might seem trivial, but I just need to vent and hear others’ thoughts on the matter. Apologies if my English isn’t perfect—it’s not my first language.
As the title suggests, I truly hate group projects. They can be so frustrating, especially for someone like me who cares about getting good grades on assignments outside of exams.
To give you some context, I’m currently attending a trade school for a social profession, which means I can’t avoid group projects like I could in my previous school. Generally, group projects in my current class are more productive because most people contribute. Well, usually. This time is an exception.
In one of my classes, we’re required to do a presentation, and our group decided to create a video since we all dislike speaking in front of the class. We checked with our teacher and got the green light. Fantastic! We divvied up the tasks, and I volunteered to handle the video since I have the most experience in that area. I was also willing to create a PowerPoint design, which I enjoy—if only I had everything I needed to finish it.
We started working on the project three weeks ago on a Wednesday. Our school gives us Tuesdays off for independent work, so I mentioned last week that I wanted all audio files and text for the video by Monday so I could complete it today. We need to submit everything by 11:59 PM tonight. But, guess what? One of my classmates only sent me their part at 2:50 PM. Now I’m stressed and facing a deadline I tried to avoid. If I can’t submit everything on time, I’ll be the one to blame.
I really can’t stand classmates who do this. Why wasn’t this done already? We had three weeks! Why wait until the last minute? I’m sure others have felt this way too. And it’s not like I can talk to a teacher about it; they just say we’re all adults and should work things out privately.
I totally understand your frustration with group projects! It can be really tough when you’re putting in a lot of effort and others aren’t pulling their weight. It sounds like you genuinely care about the project and want to do well, but it’s frustrating when timelines aren’t respected by everyone else in the group.
I agree that three weeks is more than enough time to get things done. It really makes you feel stressed when you’re waiting on others, especially when you’re on a tight deadline. It’s also annoying that the teachers expect everyone to manage these situations on their own, especially when it seems unfair.
Have you thought about discussing the issue with your group members after this project is submitted? Maybe you could bring up the importance of time management and communication for future projects. It might help to set earlier deadlines within your group so you can ensure everyone is on track.
Hang in there! You’re doing a great job taking the lead, and it sounds like you have a lot of talent in this area. Good luck with your presentation!