Group Projects

I always hated group projects. Every semester while I was in school, there would always be at least one instructor who would assign a group project, usually a paper or presentation. Whatever the circumstances, whatever the situation, there’s one rule that seems to hold true 95% of the time: all the important work ends up being done by a few people or by one person, and more often than not, that one person somehow ends up being you. It’s like a tired old play that’s seen one too many performances, with the same scenes and roles enacted over and over again, only with different supporting players each time. No matter how many grandiose ideas are put on the table the first time everyone meets to brainstorm, there always seems to be at least one person in the group who ends up barely participating, who doesn’t show up for group meetings, who doesn’t take an active role in either planning or execution, and whose final contribution usually ends up being something cobbled together at the last minute. There’s also at least one person who disappears altogether and who is never heard from again, often the one who comes to the first meeting practically frothing at the mouth with big plans for the whole direction of the project. Add to the mix the two or three people who have never read a book in their lives except those required for school (and possibly the occasional TV Guide or Sports Illustrated magazine), and who therefore have no reading or writing abilities of any consequence, and your typical experience ends up being something like this:

TIMELINE:

03/05	first “official” group meeting Diane, Thomas, and I discuss project after class; exchange pager/cell-phone numbers
03/16	brainstorm for about five minutes at bookstore (18:27-18:32)
03/26	Amy, Sherry, Sean, Tammy, Thomas, and I hold quick group meeting at start of class
04/02	Amy, Sherry, Diane, Sean (late), Tammy, and I hold group meeting in library for about 1 hour call Thomas after class; message never returned
04/08	brainstorm at bookstore from about 5:30 to 6:40; consolidate ideas prepare progress report sheet for group meeting from about 10:20 to 2:00 AM 4/09
04/09	make copies of progress report before class second “official” group meeting stop by Dallas bookstore in search of books pertaining to fundraising and event planning (for Amy); nothing found Amy calls me about project after 8:00
04/16	Amy, Sherry, Tammy, and I hold group meeting in library for about 55 minutes receive drafts from Sherry and Tammy for corrections plan next group meeting for 04/23
04/17	work some on Tammy’s paper at bookstore work on and complete corrections on Sherry’s paper at bookstore total of about 2 hours’ work counting periodic interruptions
04/21	talk with Amy, Julie, and Sean about project between classes receive draft from Julie talk to Amy on phone about project
04/23	quick work on Julie’s paper (5 min) just prior to group meeting Amy, Sherry, Julie, Tammy, and I hold meeting in library for about 45 min to 1 hour give back drafts; encounter some irritation on part of Tammy over proposed improvements group agrees on Tuesday deadline for input from Diane and Thomas
04/24	receive draft of Amy’s chapter over fax machine
04/26	work on Amy’s draft about 1 hour at bookstore
04/27	work on Amy’s draft at bookstore from about 7:30 to 8:45; many interruptions work on Amy’s paper at home from about 11:15 to 12:20 AM 4/28
04/28	receive draft from Thomas; receive Julie’s final draft through Sean; Sean has no draft talk with Thomas during class; agree to meet at my work on Friday (5/1) to discuss paper give Amy corrected version of draft after class; argument ensues for about 30 minutes over corrections
04/30	hold “group meeting” with Sherry, Amy, and Tammy; Sean is a no-show receive final drafts from Amy, Sherry, and Tammy go searching for Sean after about 40 minutes; find him in University Center; plan on receiving his part of paper via fax machine Friday morning (5/01) talk about project with Sean for about 45 minutes
05/01	wait for Thomas at work; never shows up or calls check fax machine in evening after work - no fax from Sean
05/02	call Amy (no answer), Sherry, Tammy about Sean look for fax from Sean twice; nothing in fax machine
05/03	work on putting final paper together at bookstore for about 45 minutes to 1 hour look for fax from Sean after work; nothing in fax machine transfer other members’ chapters (except Sean’s) to disk after work
05/04	talk to Sean at school about paper; gives me a disk containing his chapter transfer Sean’s chapter to disk put finishing touches on my chapter; format and print paper