There is always the split; sometimes you will love the group assigned to you in a course, but then there is always the assigned group that makes you want to shout as loud as you can into a black pit, hoping to fall in and never see the light of day again. The split between good and bad groups can be enormous.
Bad group projects can drain every ounce of strength and energy from you. I happen to have had my fair share of atrocious groups in my time at college. I’ve had the groups of all frat boys who’d rather look at themselves in the mirror than think for a second about the things going on around them. I’ve had the groups who don’t even attempt to text or email anyone till the day before a major project is due. But the worst group to get is the group where an idiot tries to lead an army of people into battle. This is the group that contains a person who thinks they know best but in reality knows absolutely nothing. And until you get THAT person, you think you’ve had that person.
I’m not talking about an arrogant asshole, I’m talking about someone who genuinely thinks they are nice, understanding, hardworking, communicative, and a responsible leader, but are, in fact, none of these things. This is the hardest group to be a part of because you either have to commit to their horrendous leadership style or challenge it. The hard thing about challenging this “leader’s” style, though, is it always being taken personally. If you challenge them too often they suddenly feel that their an entire person is under attack, but if you do nothing, you’re stuck on a ship doomed to sink to the bottom of some ghastly ocean.
The solution is 100% your choice. Maybe you’re willing to fight for leadership control or maybe you simply don’t have the energy to do so. Whatever you chose, best of luck, you’re going to need it.
~M