Random Thoughts

[Candide]

I had a few group projects like that when I was at uni. One was notorious as I was the only one doing any work (the rest were international students - although so was I - who didn't understand sith) yet we ended up placing 3rd out of 44 groups. My (bad) experience from dealing with that group helped me a lot in my future role in management.

There's always something positive you can draw from bad group projects.

[rosely]

What are the chance, I'm conversing with this japanese-pop-culture-crazy-caucasian-chick-who-spouting-japanese-and-anime-word-every-minute on twitter and she is from Edinburgh LOL.

She throws everything at me, kisu, aishiteru, xoxo, humps
Man, crazy chick are awesome

http://www.twitter.com/deukgu

[yittz]

I had a few group projects like that when I was at uni. One was notorious as I was the only one doing any work (the rest were international students - although so was I - who didn't understand sith) yet we ended up placing 3rd out of 44 groups. My (bad) experience from dealing with that group helped me a lot in my future role in management.

There's always something positive you can draw from bad group projects.

The fact is that's what real life jobs involve. I guess that's why commerce is especially group work heavy.

[Ken Cheng]

Add rant to crappy group partners. In the end, the biggest problem is the feeling of injustice. It's usually not too much extra work. Call me selfish, but the fact that they are piggy backing on my effort, time and abilities drives me up the wall.

I'd rather swallow that than allow their incompetence/laziness to swallow my grade though.

My advice remains: as soon as you're assigned to the group, assume dictatorial powers over the project. If they're lazy flakes, they not only won't object, they'll welcome it. If they care enough to object, then you won't need to worry because they'll probably care/be competent enough that you won't need to play dictator.

[Guo Xiang]

I had a few group projects like that when I was at uni. One was notorious as I was the only one doing any work (the rest were international students - although so was I - who didn't understand sith) yet we ended up placing 3rd out of 44 groups. My (bad) experience from dealing with that group helped me a lot in my future role in management.

There's always something positive you can draw from bad group projects.

Yep. I certainly did learnt a lesson there, and feel more equipped to handle such situations should they pop up again.

I'd rather swallow that than allow their incompetence/laziness to swallow my grade though.

My advice remains: as soon as you're assigned to the group, assume dictatorial powers over the project. If they're lazy flakes, they not only won't object, they'll welcome it. If they care enough to object, then you won't need to worry because they'll probably care/be competent enough that you won't need to play dictator.

Correct. But I obviously wasn't enough of a jerk... which was why things screwed up...

[rosely]

The problem with me when I'm doing group work especially the programming job, I ended up doing the whole things. My energy as a programmer, coder is equivalent to 5 persons lol. Usually I just let my group to write the report. Most of the assignment, I do very fast, coz I code non-stop day and night.

The last time, I do MSc course in Edinburgh, my groups complaint why I do the whole thing. I just replied, well it's not my fault if you code things like a snail and please just shut-up and finish the report .

[HuangYushi]

Re: Dictatorial powers

Good idea, but it can be a bit difficult to pull off if one is not given to dictatorial tendencies in the first place.

So I "compromised" during project work in uni/college: We discussed the project and agreed on the areas that needed research. Everyone took one section and came up with the necessary documents/information, while I did my own research on the whole thing. When the docs/info were ready, I corroborated them with mine (I tended to have more), organised the whole lot and wrote the final report. Then, everyone read the report and presented sections of it to the grading panel. The final grade consisted of the report (as a group) and the presentation (as individual grades), so lazy fellows who didn't even read/understand the report and practise their speaking skills wouldn't do well anyway. Plus, weaker group members (who were not really lazy but actually lacking in one skill or other) had the opportunity to actually learn something from their participation in the project without really hurting anyone's grades (mine included).

[Han Solo]

My 2 cents about group projects in uni:

The whole point is to learn how to delegate and cooperate with other people.

Getting good marks are good, but the essential skill is being able to function as a team because that's what is the deal in the real world. All complex projects and business have teams.

Failure to work in a team by being a loner, poor communicator, failure to do your part marks you down in terms of how well you would advance post-uni.

Han Solo

[xJadedx]

If you're competent and have decent leadership skills, group projects shouldn't be a huge issue.

[HuangYushi]

Unfortunately, no one in the real world -- regardless of how competent they are and how decent their leadership skills are -- likes to work with someone who can't carry his share of the load. And no one in the real work likes to clean up the marketing/PR/customer-service aftermath (among many consequences) that is caused by someone's gross incompetence.

Han: Remember the kutu incident? No amount of leadership (short of a complete take-over) would have been able to turn this grossly incompetent, negligent and "couldn't care less" person into a decent team player that could more or less carry her share of the load.

Edit: With reference to Candide's post #532 below, the person in the kutu incident has since lost her job.

[xJadedx]

Hmmm, I guess in the real world I'm in, being competent and having decent leadership skills usually gets things done. But then again, at my work place, I am usually working with competent people, and also have the choice of delegating work to others (and I have a say in who these others should be, so they usually are competent as well). Guess I'm lucky then.

[Candide]

If you're in the real world, report the slackarses to the right power that be and get them fired.

If you're at uni, just tell those idiots straight up that you (and other competent members of the group) will do this project for them and will not report their lack of contribution to the lecturer (or whoever's marking it) in return for them buying you lunch / dinner / kiss your arse / whatever, name your terms. Some of them are dumb enough that you can make them your personal slaves.

If life gives you swine flu, make sausages!

[pandamao]

random thought -

i should be studying for my exam, why exactly am i here right now?

[Han Solo]

Man i spend the last 5 hours updating the links in the translation forum.

Totally spent.

[HuangYushi]

First: BIG CAR, small brain > annoying road-users.
Next: BIG MOUTH, small brain > ridiculous commentators.

[Guo Xiang]

First: BIG CAR, small brain > annoying road-users.
Next: BIG MOUTH, small brain > ridiculous commentators.

Yes... some big car owners think they own the roads or something. Love to show off their big cars too.

[remember_Cedric]

If life gives you swine flu, make sausages!

How?

I mean, what's the link between sausages and swine flu? Enlight me!

[Ren Ying Ying]

How?

I mean, what's the link between sausages and swine flu? Enlight me!

candyman thinks the swines are the ones getting killed

[remember_Cedric]

candyman thinks the swines are the ones getting killed

Oh ok I missed that! Pardon me, I'm not so much of a porkster. My sausages are usually made out of chicken.

[Ken Cheng]

Hatred is a surprisingly intense *physical* sensation...in its throes, you feel strong enough to smash Superman like an ant. In its aftermath, you feel like an ant could smash you as if it were Superman.