How do you handle group work in school?

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Is anyone else completely inept when it comes to group work?

All the classes at my uni are really into group work and I can't stand it. All of my education classes pretty much revolve around it, and my school work is not as good as it should be because of it. I had to do a unit plan with a partner that was worth 20% of my grade, and I really really wanted our topic to be dragons or fairies- some sort of fantasy theme that's different from the everyday topics you get in school. My partner didn't like any of my ideas, and we ended up doing her brilliant idea....the weather. The group work has gotten so bad that I've been dreading going to classes because of it. In my first year of uni I used to love going to my classes because they were mostly lecture or classes where the teachers have a sort of open discussion with the class. Those are good because I can feel comfortable voicing my opinions when I want to and at the same time don't feel forced into talking and collaborating with people. In most of my education classes the professor's theory on group work is that we're going to have to be good at working with people and sharing ideas as teachers, I just wish that everything didn't have to be so social all the time. School used to be fun for me because I didn't have to focus on what I did and said and was able to think and learn contently without being bothered.

That would be quite horrible. Can't you tell your teachers about this? What do you study? Although dragons and fairies are nice to talk about I really like the weather a lot. Not the chatter part such as "How's the weather been?" or "I hate rain". I mean the concepts behind the weather such as air pressure and temperature.

I would have thought your teachers needed to be more sensitive to your learning style, if you have a dx (not sure if you do though). I get concessions on my course, such as moving to another room to do group work so I don't have to filter out the noise from other groups when trying to hear my own. A good teacher blends a lot of different styles of teaching, not just sticking to one particular method. It's a shame. I hope you can talk to them and explain why it's not working for you.

I study Elementary Education. I guess it's a very social major .

The problem wasn't so much the topic of weather. If she were genuinely interested in the weather and had some really cool ideas about it, it would've been fine. But the only reason she picked it was because it was a safe topic in which there are a multitude of examples of on the internet.



Unfortunately I do not have a dx. I suppose it's all the more reason to get one. I do have an anxiety disorder, so I suppose I could use that....but I guess I feel weird talking to them about it and having them make such a huge accommodation for me. I can hear them saying, "If you can't handle group work, why are you in this major?"

I guess I should talk to them. The accommodations that you get sound really great and I never really thought that I would be able to get accommodations for something like that.

Thanks for the advice!

I just got out of another session of my totally-group-work-oriented class a few minutes ago (see my post below about group work and panic attacks for more details). Once again, I am trying to settle down and stop shaking, and wait for my latest Xanax to kick in.

I just had a new idea that I am going to try. After class today, I asked the instructor if he could give me a second blank copy of the in-class assignments from now on so that I can do them a second time all on my own. I asked in a cheerful and polite way so that he would know that I really want to do well in the class and that I am doing my best. The instructor was happy to help.

This isn't going to help with group quizzes or other things that are graded in class, but at least I will now be able sit down and figure things out by myself without all the hustle and bustle going on around me. (I really like the way the OP put it: "I didn't have to focus on what I did and said and was able to think and learn contently without being bothered.")

The fact is, I can either participate in a group OR learn the material, but I can't do both at the same time. I realize that this is going to make double work for me, but this course is a critical one for my major and I need to completely understand the concepts presented.

You might want to try this getting-a-second-copy trick too. Another nice thing about it is that I didn't even have to bring up a DX (which I do happen to have) at all. All the professor sees is a student who wants to do well and who is willing to go the extra mile to do so.

I can keep you posted on how this works out. In the meantime, know that I TOTALLY feel your pain, and I wish you all the best!

I always feel so distracted when I do group work. The other people are talking and I just want to say SHUT UP to them, but I know they won't anyways. So I usually do work by myself or only one other person.

I absolutely hate group work, especially when the teacher has everyone pick their own groups The few times when im assigned to a group, they accuse me of being lazy and not wanting to do the project because i cant contribute to the group.

I dropped my group-intensive class today. I looked OK on the outside in lab Tuesday, but on the inside I could not stop panicking, and it led to self-injury when I got back to my apt. I'm just glad that my hand isn't broken, just severely banged up.

My advisor says that I should use the extra hours freed up from the dropped class to learn how to better handle working in groups. He basically wants me to just try harder to be more NT.

Oh yeah, and I ended up in my disability resource guy's office doing a conference call with my therapist. I am no longer allowed to take more than 9 or maybe 10 credit hours per semester anymore. At least it will still count as full-time. I think this will help a lot. And when I do take group-oriented classes again, I will have time to work things out in my mind before and after the class session. Hopefully that will lead to not so much panic in the actual chaotic setting of group work. We shall see.

I am going to spend the next several days retreating and licking my wounds (figuratively speaking!).

I hated group work, because I was always the last one picked, or the one without a group. It was bad enough, not having a partner.

Picking your own groups is the worst. Everyone always picks their buddies and there's always an odd number of people in the class so I'm always the odd one out. There's nothing like turning around to a classmate and having them deliberately walk away with you so they don't have to have you in their group.

I loath group work..so much I can't even explain it. I am in a counseling degree program and often we have to buddy up to go into the booths and take turns being the counselor and client, and sometimes we have to sort out into groups for class projects. I just sit there by myself while everyone else forms groups until usually the professors notice me alone and asks people if I can join them. It's so humiliating and terrifying, but I have no idea how to include myself in a group of people I don't know. Also, usually no one wants to be my partner for the client/counselor roleplay because I am a horrible client, I have a hard time talking about myself and don't wish to share personal information with strangers, so no one wants me bc they think I am being difficult but I don't mean to be, I just don't know how else to be. What makes this really bad is that I am 5 years older than most of the kids in my class and none of the younger ones seem to be a social misfit like me.

You're definately not alone..group work is crap. And it seems like if you have a hard time with group work people automatically assume you're incapable and difficult and not a leader or a team player, which in my case is SO FAR from the truth. I am actually very hard working and determined and I would do anything I can to help anyone, and I am a team player and I am sure most other people who struggle with this are a well.

I am SO sorry you feel that way. I'm in my first year, and we are slowly rolling into the group work thing. I love classes where you go with a prepared stack of work (with us this is usually literary analysis) and discuss the works you've read. I can prepare on my own and think about the things without others deciding what my opinion should be. But we also have to do research in groups. In my past I've had bad experiences with group work, but I have come up with some things that work for me, and which I hope can provide some help for you:

1. Choose people that are right for you and what you want and who you can trust: (from my experience) if there's groups of four that need to be formed, I work with a set group. These are also kind of my friends outside of university, but I know what they are capable of and they are: the bold, the smart and the negative. The bold one always just comes up with tons of ideas - that are often quite unusual - that can help the group brainstorm. The smart one is a true teacher's dream and basically and encyclopedia. The negative one, who is also very smart, often says no to things and really gives me the idea when something will match with the teacher's expectations. I know they are all equally capable of achieving success, and we are very much in tune as a group. Now, I am definitely not saying that you should go with those types of people, but I feel it's very important to have people you can trust, and that work along the lines of your ways.

2. Dare to speak up. If anything group work should 'teach' (I very much dislike that teaching part though), it's that you can voice your opinion, in order to work your ways to a product that equally involves all of the group's effort and ideas. Come up with ideas of how you can accomplish that, like if somebody is not participating according to plan, you can perhaps consult the teacher on how to handle it.

3. Don't be afraid to approach your teacher: about anything. If it's the amount of group work, perhaps you could come up with a plan for you to do assignments on your own a bit more often. Or if your group mate isn't working along.

4. This one is perhaps the most important: try to find a way to adjust to some of the things. I can understand that this sucks really badly (pardon my French), but personally I've come to terms with my autistic tendencies, and I know that school (in my country especially university) doesn't always adjust to your needs. Maybe you could try to find a different type of outlet for the things you love, like writing essays or forming your own opinion for classes (I do this by writing personal essays and really contemplate on everything I read).

You're not lost in university with this, I feel. Don't be afraid to ask for help, and don't not go to classes.

My personal credo: you're a lion, take what's yours.

I hope you'll feel better soon!

Would you be able to expand upon this, please? I would love to hear more details. Thanks!
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To leschevalsroses: Continuing to send good thoughts your way. Please keep us posted on how you are doing!

Well, you know how sometimes there are these things that you don't necessarily agree with, but you know there's very little you can do to change them? I try to regulate those things by not putting so much emotion (anger or whatever you will) into it, and then find a way to express myself in another form.

For example, I like to be highly prepared for classes with a good understanding of what we'll be talking about. Then when asked to discuss a certain topic with another student, I quickly come to the conclusion that they have no idea what they are talking about. This is something that can really aggravate me (as I'm sure you understand), but I don't quickly go up to that person to tell them how I feel, because their grade is not my responsibility but theirs. Then at home I pick an article with a topic I enjoy, read it and comment vigorously on it - form my opinion and get into a 'conversation' with the author, and ultimately myself. I don't have to share it with anybody, but I do have a way to express myself the way I want to. Knowing that, in class, I might not always get to the height of the discussion I'd like to reach, I do get that at home. With myself.

I see it as a coping mechanism, perhaps, but I'd like to hear your take on it. I hope I explained it a little better!

Are the topic you are asked to discuss with another student and the enjoyable topic you pick at home usually the same, somewhat related, or completely different?

I like the idea of having a discussion with oneself. Now that I think about it, it is also intellectually stimulating to explain a topic to someone outside of class who is interested in the subject but knows little or nothing about it. The questions they ask can help you discover and ponder different viewpoints or send you running to the computer to find out about a question to which you don't know the answer.

Thanks for the explanation!

Well, to me it's not necessarily about the topic itself as it is about putting more energy into doing something I very much enjoy. This way I kind of distract myself from the other thing, that I don't enjoy. To me this is purely about having the freedom in university, and not feel like this one thing is dragging down my entire academic potential.

Of course, it is fun to prepare something for class, then have that 'dissatisfying' discussion, and then go home and read the same thing and still have the interaction you want.

And indeed, it is very helpful to explain something to somebody who is interested but doesn't know anything about the topic. Sadly, I am really bad at that. I can explain something in the same way I see, read, hear and write it, but when I have to do it in layman's terms, I talk to the other person as though they were a child. Might need some work on that.