By Sara Gutierrez |Staff Writer|
As soon as your professor announces you have a group project to complete, the groans start.
Group work for some can be the bane of your college life.
According to a professor, group work goes against the competitive nature of our first 14 years of schooling, which is why group work is so challenging.
The selection process can be tumultuous and personalities may not mix.
“You choose your groups at the beginning of class. You find a small [commonality] and choose your group members. [In the end] you realize they weren’t the best people to work with,” said student Lucya Amezcua.
The fact remains, group work is required in a number of classes.
Collaboration in groups mirrors the same expectations needed in the workplace.
“Overall I do not like [group work]. It’s difficult to get everyone’s schedules in order, ” said student Conrad Negron.
The majority of students balance work, school, scholastic activities, families and relationships.
Scheduling time to meet up has to work for everyone and group members have to be willing to compromise.
Luckily, new technology is changing the typical definition of meetings.
“[Your group] can Skype those people [unable to attend] meetings,” said student Charlene Cheng.
Skype, text messaging and e-mail are essential tools in communicating quickly, regardless of location.
An effective group needs to have clear tasks and members need to distribute the work evenly.
“[Split] up work into equal parts and make sure people do their part and have deadlines,” said Amezcua.
Groups need to elect a leader in the group to check on member’s progress and keep people on track.
“[You need] a leader because [the group project] wouldn’t [get] done or it wouldn’t be done right,” said Amezcua.
Be an active, efficient member in all your class groups, it will make your experience more enjoyable.
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