Whether group projects are something you dread or live for, they’re a reality of university. Group work is similar to many other aspects in life, so you’ll get what you give! Being in the Human Resources Management (HRM) minor at UW means that I am well versed in the completion of group projects – nearly every HRM course requires a group paper/presentation/assignment.
Here are my 5 Tips for surviving group projects at UW:
1. Get acquainted with your group members.
This is an important first step! Do the typical, cheesy UW introductions: name, program, fun fact, etc., to get to know each other a little bit and then you can really get going! You could be spending a considerable amount of time with your group members so the introductions are essential – I personally find it a little awkward if I don’t know someone’s name midway through the term…
2. Set expectations.
Discuss expectations as a group, both for each other, and the group as a whole. Communication is key. Some important topics to discuss include what you want to get out of the experience (e.g. a grade of 90% or higher on the assignment), deadlines (hard or soft), and individual expectations (if you want to divide up the work or tackle tasks together).
3. Get to work!
Don’t waste time dividing up tasks over and over again, determine what needs to be done and get started – it’s easier to go in and make edits and restructure the project (if needed) once you actually have content to go off of.
4. Reevaluate.
Are your deadlines reasonable? Are group members accomplishing their tasks? Make sure to focus on your own tasks for the group work but it’s important to check in with your group and see how things are going – nothing is worse than finding out the night before a project is due that group member X did not complete their share of the work.
5. Be honest!
In my experience, a lot of courses that have group work also have some form of peer evaluation. Even if your course doesn’t, don’t be afraid to reach out to the prof or TA and explain your team dynamics! If 4/5 of your group members completed the entire project and the 5th member did absolutely nothing, they should not be getting credit for it. It’s not fair for you and the other group members and it will only set that 5th member up for failure in the future.
As with any new thing, put your best foot forward! Group work can seem really daunting but you can do anything you put your mind to, so get out there and ace that group project!