Introduction

Currently, I’m a high school student, meaning that I have to do a ton of projects and assignments throughout the duration of the year. Many of these projects are group projects.

Now group projects can definitely be amazing when you get to work with like-minded individuals who put in the effort to get a good grade. They can also be amazing when you are working with your friends

But unfortunately group projects also have the potential to be a miserable experience. When you find yourself in a group where no one actually contributes anything and everyone is just a pain to work with – it can be pretty tough to get through, forget getting a decent grade.

For the sake of this blog post, let’s imagine that you, the reader, are not one of the annoying group members. You want to try to get a good grade. Even though you may have good intentions, it can sometimes be hard to convey them in a group setting. This blog post will discuss how you can be an amazing group member while avoiding being the one who ends up doing all the work.

Tip #1: Be both a voice and a listener:

Nobody likes it if you are always the individual dominating the discussion, the one always being the loudest voice and only sharing your thoughts an opinions. Nobody is going to want to work with someone who makes them feel unheard. Therefore, while it’s definitely important to make your voice heard, work to make sure others’ are heard too.

For example, before sharing your idea on what the group project should be about, ask around and see what others have to say. After that, feel free to say whatever you want to say. This will allow for other group members to feel like their opinions and ideas are valued, while simultaneously making you a great person to work with!

Tip #2: Collaborate with everyone to set timely and achievable goals and deadlines

When your science teacher bombs a huge project on you, it may seem overwhelming at first. However, with the help of your fantastic group members, you can set clear goals and deadlines to help you chunk down the work. One of the main reasons for conflict during group projects is people not knowing what to do and when to do it by. If you collaborate with everyone to manage this beforehand, it will surely save everyone a LOT of arguing in the long run.

Try to assign tasks based on strengths. For example, if one group member is great at design, task them with designing the model. If another is better at research, task them with the bulk of finding valid information. After everyone knows what they have to do, make sure to set deadlines of when they should get it done. Make sure that these deadlines are loose enough to ensure freedom, but tight enough to keep everyone on track to actually finish the project.

Tip #3: DO YOUR WORK

I know this may seem like such an easy task, but it can be one of the leading factors in disputes during group projects. When you are given a task and a deadline, just do everyone a favour and complete it to the best of your ability. In group projects, everyone’s input is vital to the success of the project, and if you don’t do your part you may take everyone down with you. Make sure to set aside time to work on your project, and try your best. Your group members will look much more favourably upon you if you show that you finished your part to the best of your ability, rather than if you didn’t do your work entirely.

Tip #4: Don’t be a people-pleaser. 

I guess this tip applies to life in general, but it also applies to group projects. When working on group projects, it is inevitable that some members may not volunteer to take up any tasks. Just because they don’t show initiative, does not mean you are obligated to pile on the extra work yourself. When splitting up tasks, make sure not to bite off more than you can chew. If you do happen to do that, not only will you overwhelm yourself with the extra work, but your group members may look to take advantage of you.

If you act like the person who is always open to take on extra work, others will find excuses to give you their work. This is not good for you, and not good for them either. Make sure to set boundaries so that everyone has an equal amount of work to do, which will surely make your project much more successful, rather than if you did it all yourself.

Tip #5: Resolve conflicts respectfully, and provide constructive criticism if necessary

If you slap a bunch of random teenagers together with varying interests and values, conflict is just waiting to happen. But if you want to be a good group members, it doesn’t matter what the conflict is, it matters what you do about it. When trying to resolve disputes, make sure that EVERYONE’s voice is heard and values. Try and make sure that what the group is arguing about is worth your time, and understand when compromising is the way to go. When conflict arises, it is important to stay calm and focus on how you can solve the problem, rather than what the problem is and who started it.

Conclusion

Here are my 5 main tips to make sure that my group projects are on track for success:

1. Voice your own opinions but listen to others too.
2. Set deadlines and delegate as necessary.
3. Do what you say.
4. Don’t overwork yourself.
5. Focus on problems respectfully and calmly.