Working in Groups

College Majors Engineering Majors
1

<p>This semester is my first semester in a lab course. As weeks pass, and experiments are conducted, I'm feeling more and more exasperated by the fact that I just might be the most competent person in my group. Now, I do not mean to come off as arrogant, but it really is frustrating when something you've said at the beginning of the experiment is disregarded, your lab group proceeds to handle the experiment the wrong way, and in the end say "Hey, you were right!" over and over again. Here are just two scenarios:</p>

<p>Scenario 1: In this lab we were working with simple circuits. Nice and easy plug and chug equations. We were finding the total resistance of a circuit and used the well known equation 1/R1 + 1/R2+...+ 1/Rn = 1/RTotal. When it came down to solve this, the members of my group insisted that the sum of these numbers was the total resistance of the circuit. I insisted back that the sum was in fact not the total resistance and that we must solve for it. I tried to explain it algebraically, but I got nowhere. In the end, our TA had to come over and host an algebra lesson.</p>

<p>Scenario 2: One day, our lab required the use of a computer program. Of our group, another girl and I were the only two who knew how to use the program. I was the only one, of those who knew the program, willing to use it. By the time the girl and I got the data, another girl in our group started entering in the data in the program. She insisted being the one who entered in the data. I, not wanting to waste anymore time, tried to tell her what to do, but it wasn't working. She didn't know where the keys were or how to navigate the program. In the end, I had to aggressively talk her out of the chair so that I could enter in the data.</p>

<p>Many times my labs leave me more frustrated than anything. I'm a leader at heart. If I find myself fit to do so, I will. If someone is more qualified, I step back. But...I don't see anyone else more qualified in my group. I just encounter bullheadedness matched with a lack of experimental procedures and familiarity with concepts. They don't seem to understand the effects of not being accurate with gathered numbers (i.e. dropping significant figures and rounding off numbers to varying decimal places)...not understand the importance of weighing the actual tools your using in the experiment if your results are dependent on weight (i.e. calorimeters and thermo experiments). I don't want to strong arm the lab. Team work is important. I don't appreciate it when I am unable to participate or am left behind without understanding something and would hate to do that to someone else, but I don't want to keep wasting time with triple thinking things that should require little to no thought. </p>

<p>No...you cannot weigh ice in a can...wait a couple minutes, pour it in to another can leaving water in the original container, use the mass previously collected, and expect it to be the same.
No...a capacitor's voltage is not supposed to be going up once you unplug it from it's energy source.
No...the data you collect that varies on an independent variable does not go on the x-axis of a graph. </p>

<p>Eh...perhaps, groups just aren't my "thing"...</p>

2

<p>Maybe you could ask the professor to be a “group of 1”, I am sure he would think you are a weirdo lol</p>

<p>All kidding aside, I have worked with people like you in the past and what usually happens is, If you are are working in a group and you think you know it all, what people may do is ostracize you, basically let you do all the work and contribute very little.</p>

<p>One time I worked in a Physics lab with this kid, he was a genius but I am sure he was borderline autistic. Anyways, he was totally unable to carry a normal conversation. He would just look down and babble to himself like “This is 5 times 3, so it is gonna be 15”. </p>

<p>We just let him do all the work since he did not seem to be able to connect with other human beings. Very awkward experience!</p>

3

<p>" I’m a leader at heart." - Basd on your post… maybe yes, maybe no. It sounds like you have great prep and talents. Try to be patient and find ways to get buy-in from your classmates when you think you know the best route. Good luck! </p>

4

<p>

Oh, yes. I’m very much aware of how people react to “know it alls”. When working in groups, I try to encourage discussion and thinking rather than declaring what I think is right. In the circuits lab, when we finished our calculations, I wanted to see if we all got the same answers. I asked how they got to their answers and when I saw we got different answers, I then asked their process after explaining what I did. I try not to come off as a “know it all”. I certainly do not claim to “know it all”, but I’m not going to sit around and play dumb because the people around me don’t know something…</p>

<p>I’m probably more aware of it than I should be. I know that there are some dynamics in our group that cause me to be somewhat ostracized at times, but it’s out of my control and is on them.</p>

<p>I think I do need to be more patient…and pick better groups. But how can you know your group is going to work if it’s by random on the first day?</p>

5

<p>Honestly, working in groups is very challenging and in my opinion, there is no magic formula. The more you do it, the better you get at it but I don’t think you are essentially doing anything wrong. </p>

<p>Every time you have to deal with “people”, you are bound to have a frustrating experience because people for the most part SUCK, myself included.</p>

<p>Just keep trying your best and don’t sweat too much. I have several years of experience working in groups in a corporate environment and I can’t think of many “awesome” team work experiences, there is always someone who wants to get away with doing as little as possible, there is always someone who wants to be the “boss”, there is always someone who wants to do everything his or her own way, etc.</p>

6

<p>In school groups, nobody is the manager, so they’re disorganized and frustrating. In the work force, you’ll have a manager coordinating who does what, which makes things easier.</p>

7

<p>“t how can you know your group is going to work if it’s by random on the first day?” - You can’t know. But I’ll play devil’s advocate and point out that it can be good training for the real world too. You have no choice about your coworkers, but you’ll need to collaborate successfully. </p>

8

<p>

</p>

<p>I’ve generally never had a problem with working in groups. Unlucky because I had no truthful experience to share in an interview. Worst case scenario, people usually won’t have a problem with you doing the whole thing, which I did once, but it doesn’t make a great interview response. </p>

<p>

</p>

<p>If you’re sure you’re right then just state what you know is right. “Discussing” to come to an answer when you know the answer is stupid and a waste of time. And it’s just annoying. </p>

<p>

</p>

<p>If you pick you groups work with your friends. At the very least you don’t have to take everything so seriously then. You can also make friends with people in randomly assigned groups. This has happened a few times to me, and many others are at least what I call “friendly acquaintances.” Be a normal person. </p>