Group Projects!

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So, me and another student just spent the last two days doing the work of two lazy jackasses we were millstoned with for a class project….

It is going to be all I can do not to strangle these jerks when I see them on Friday for the final/presentation.

I’m thinking of sending them angry emails in hopes of scaring them into skipping class (that way they wouldn’t get credit).

Anyway, I’m wondering, do people ever do their fair share in group projects? Or do people like me ALWAYS get stuck doing everything?

I remember that for the in class projects in high school at least, I was like you, mostly getting stuck doing the majority of the work for the rest of my group mates. Luckily for me, I didn't care what anyone said or did, so when that happened I took as much as I could before I told the teacher, as I figured that was better than me basically ripping their heads off then me getting in trouble just because they wouldn't do their fair share of the work.

I've done ALOT of group work, and really there was only one situation where someone didn't put in their fair share. More often the problem I run into is people doing all the work, but making lots of little mistakes and such. I think the most important thing in this kind of a situation is to communicate your point of view to the "problem" group members, listen to their take on it, and try to reach a compromise (do this in a completely respectful manner, mind you). Everyone has different work ethics and styles, sometimes one person in a group may feel like he's been working himself to the bone, when in reality he's only doing half of what the other people are.

This is me:

-We get project ahead of time with 1/2 a month to go before it's due, time to start

-I'm the early bird doing all the work with maybe someone else

-2 weeks before the deadline no one is doing anything and then suddenly halfway in between they start putitng input

-All the work I have done is broken down, for their useless piece of crap idea. To many Chiefs not enough Indians

-We're suppose to present the following week, we look like a bunch of f*****g fish who didn't learn how to swim because they decided to make last minute changes.

I will destroy every group project I have to do after that incident.

Do what I do, collaborate the total amount of time you spent working on a project(simple, just use a timer and keep a tab on what you do during project time), create a pie chart of it and do the same with the jerks, then include the results in the presentation.

This always seemed to happen to me! However I soon found out that if people aren't pulling their weight you simply say so and they won't get the marks. And if your school/teacher refuses to grade them differently because they didn't contribute then you and anyone helping you leave the group and finish it yourself.
Theirs no real thing stopping you from handing in a group project by yourself/with a couple others. What will they say? "Oh my you did more work then you were supposed to, unacceptable!"

I admit it sucks having to hand in a project with less people then designed but it's better to do that then work with somebody expecting you to do it all. What's the point in education if you don't actually get educated?

Not in my experience. The last group project I was involved in was a similar dynamic - four people, two of whom did absolutely nothing despite being allocated specific tasks. I ended up doing their work, but I dobbed on them to the professor shortly before submitting the project. I'm pretty sure they failed that component.

This happened to me, too. I was the kind who never wanted to tell on anyone, so kids took advantage of me sometimes, but I kind of didn't mind because I liked doing stuff. Sure, it was a little maddening when someone didn't do anything, but the teachers could usually tell. Like if one of the lazy guys got up there and didn't seem to know what the project was about.

I had one really nice teacher who would often say that even in life, you often have 20% of the people doing 80% of the work, or 10 and 90, or something. And, I've found that to be true.