<p>I can't possibly be the only one who despises group projects as my mother makes it out to be. I express for one second that my teachers probably all know that I'm not a "group worker," and my mother goes on this whole rant on how it's just the way society works and how society will "throw me away" if I don't work in groups. </p>
<p>It's not like I don't like the people I'm assigned to work with; I like them, but as people. In the course of Junior year, I've only worked on /one/ project that turned out relatively successful because I just clicked with the other member. But all of the rest, I end up doing all the work. I admit, I'm relatively demanding when working in a project, but no one else seems to like to do anything until the day before it's due, which pisses me off to the nth degree. Furthermore, when we're assigned to "learn together" my brain glazes over. I don't know /why/ but it just happens. So I tend to do learning problems/assignments alone, instead of together as my Chem teacher consistently insists on. </p>
<p>This probably isn't good for whatever future workplace relations I'll have. I can only hope it's not as bad (though I'm told it's not.)</p>
<p>You’re not alone!
There are only a couple of people that I’ve met that I can work well with. The test of them are just a drag. Most of them aren’t in my classes (or school for that matter); so yes, I also hate group projects. </p>
<p>It bugs me when people use the excuse that “people work in teams in the real world” to justify group projects in school. Group projects in school are a contrived social experiment that do not necessarily simulate the conditions that naturally come up when colleagues have the same goal in mind and they find that they require each other’s help to accomplish this goal.</p>
<p>Yes, in real life, you have reached your post based on past experience. I.e. all the people working at a top law firm probably are of around the same intellect and experience because it takes intelligence and a long amount of time to reach that post.
So in real life, you typically work with people like you… Not like in HS, where you have a variety of IQs and experiences.</p>
<p>I hate group projects as well. Usually I’m pretty lucky now and get the option in many of my classes to choose who I work with, and I know who will actually work well with me on the project. But when the teacher assigns us to projects, I have to freak out a little since I know half the time I’ll end up doing a lot of the work…It’s frustrating! Especially since most other students don’t actually care about what’s going on.</p>
<p>In my personal opinion while for normal stuff random partners chosen by the teacher is okay (I still don’t like it), I think teachers shouldn’t be able to force people (randomize) groups for projects. Especially since the teachers tend to put the “smarter” (using the term very loosely, not insulting people’s intelligence) with less motivated students. Projects freak you out because they are hard to get done and some unhelpful people can tank you down really bad when they don’t help</p>
<p>Every time I get in a group process it is a cycle- 2 responsible people and then the other lazy people who do not want to do work, and I feel like I have to take the stand as a leader and do the extra stuff on my own time. Without ranting that is another part I hate about some group projects is that the distribution of work is unfair and often someone has to deal with the brunt. I just personally don’t think teachers should be able to randomize on a huge part of your grade. </p>
<p>What one of my teachers does for group projects and tests is she puts you in groups based on your grades in the class. For example in a class of 32 students, the top 4 grades would be put into one group, the next best 4 would be put in the other and so on and so forth. I think this makes it more fair because a top student isn’t getting screwed by being put in the same group as three students who wont do any work, and a terrible student can’t be put in a group with three straight A students and get an A on a project/test for doing nothing and letting there group members do everything.</p>
<p>Some people work well in groups though, so it’s only fair that teachers assign group work as well as individual work. I’m sure there are people who hate individual work. I say this as someone who occasionally likes group work, but definitely does well alone. </p>
<p>I’m extremely shy, but for the most part I enjoyed group work in high school. A lot of times it was the only way I could bring myself to talk to anyone at all, and some of my best memories of high school involve group projects. </p>
<p>I mean, if I work in a group, I either do all the work or the rest of the group is awesome and helps me (which can suck if you’re a control freak, but I’ve learned to ignore my tendencies toward that). If I work alone, I definitely do all the work. </p>