As the professor walked in with an oddly cheerful smile on her face, the class rustled in unease. The hairs on the back of my neck quivered, as if trying to warn me of what was about to come next. Dumping a thick stack of documents onto her desk, she shattered the silence in the room. After waiting for the whispers to settle, she happily declared: "Next project will be in groups!” A collective sigh spread across the classroom. Sinking into my chair, I thought to myself: time to look at this guide again.
What do students fear the most during their academic life in university? Probably final examinations. But after that? Assignments? Papers? Endless homework?
For me, it has always been group projects. They seem to be everywhere, following you like a plague, no matter which module you take. We all know how frustrating it can be when you end up doing all the work, or when the group suddenly awakens hours before the deadline like a hibernating bear disturbed from its sleep.
For students going through this suffering, I have put together a guide that may give you some hope in this pit of despair. Because despite all the chaos, awkward Zoom calls, disappearing teammates, and “Sorry guys I was busy” messages sent at 2 AM, group projects are somehow unavoidable. So instead of fighting destiny, we might as well learn how to survive it.
Assert your dominance during the beginning phases of the project
No, I am not kidding. The beginning of the project often defines how the group will progress later on, making it one of the most important phases in a group project. Usually, a group chat is created, and it’s important to check whether someone is taking responsibility to initiate some work. If not, that is your cue to assign work or schedule a discussion. Trust me, silence at the beginning of a group project is never a good sign. It is the academic equivalent of watching tumbleweeds roll through a desert town in an old western movie.
Everyone joins the chat, sends a polite “Hi,” and then disappears into the void for three days. The moment you notice that nobody is stepping up, become the person who does. It does not mean you have to become some strict military commander barking orders at everyone. It simply means bringing organization into the disorderly. Suggest a meeting time. Ask people what parts they are comfortable doing. Create a shared document. Anything.
People naturally follow whoever creates momentum first. Once one person starts organizing things, the others usually fall into place as well. And honestly, it saves everyone from the classic situation where the group realizes the deadline is tomorrow and nobody even knows what the assignment is about yet.
Assign set work to each of the group members
One thing I dislike about group projects is that your progress is often tied to the other group members. It feels like being chained together in some medieval prison cart while hoping nobody trips and drags the entire team down with them. I found that dividing the work into sections that can be done individually was the best solution to this problem. This way, it becomes like an independent assignment, and all you have to do is assemble the final pieces together like a puzzle and submit the work.
On top of that, you can complete your work at your own pace. This method also reduces confusion significantly. Without assigned sections, people often overlap their work accidentally. Two people might create the same slides while another important section is left untouched entirely. Then suddenly, hours before submission, your presentation looks like five different personalities fought for control over the PowerPoint theme.
Assigning clear tasks keeps things organized. One person handles research. Another focuses on editing. Someone else creates slides or visuals. Simple. Of course, there is always one mysterious group member who somehow chooses the easiest section imaginable. While everyone else is writing ten pages of analysis, they proudly announce they will “handle the conclusion.” We all know that person.
Still, having defined responsibilities makes it easier to hold everyone accountable. If somebody does not complete their section, it becomes obvious immediately instead of creating confusion for the whole group.
Communication
We all have one group member who never writes anything in the group chat, giving no updates whatsoever. Sometimes you genuinely begin wondering whether they are still alive. You have to be the one to show initiative. While posting your updates in the chat, kindly ask your other group members for a status update as well. This way, the project will commence with no delay and stay up to date.
Communication is honestly the backbone of every successful group project. Even a weak project can survive with good communication, but a strong project can completely collapse without it. One thing I learned is that people are much more likely to contribute when the group chat remains active. If nobody talks for a week, everyone mentally disconnects from the project. But frequent updates keep the assignment alive in everyone’s minds. Even something simple like: “Hey guys, I finished my section. How is everyone else doing?” can make a huge difference.
Also, do not be afraid to remind people about deadlines. Some students avoid sending reminders because they think they sound annoying. But honestly, reminders are necessary. University life is chaotic enough already. Everyone is juggling assignments, exams, part-time jobs, and sleep deprivation all at once. Sometimes your reminder message is the only thing stopping the project from collapsing entirely. And if you notice someone struggling, help them instead of immediately getting frustrated. A little cooperation can save hours of stress later on.
Expect the unexpected
No matter how organized your group is, something will always go wrong. It is almost a universal law of university group projects. Someone’s laptop stops working. A file disappears. The presentation formatting explodes five minutes before class. One teammate vanishes during the most important week of the semester.
I once saw a group member accidentally delete half of our shared document the night before submission. Watching everyone panic in real time felt like observing a ship sink slowly into the ocean while the orchestra continued playing peacefully in the background.
The best thing you can do is prepare for disaster before it happens. Save backup copies. Keep shared files organized. Finish work earlier than necessary whenever possible. Because the closer you get to the deadline, the more cursed everything becomes.
Have fun!
After all, one of the advantages of doing a group project is the opportunity to meet new people. Who knows, you might discover your next best friend. Having a meeting with the group can sometimes turn into just a hangout session. Although no work gets done, it is still a good way to relax and de-stress.
Some of my funniest university memories actually came from group projects. The collective suffering somehow creates a strange bond between people. Sitting together late at night, fueled entirely by caffeine and desperation while trying to fix presentation slides, creates memories you somehow end up laughing about later. And honestly, group projects do teach valuable skills, even if we hate admitting it.
You learn patience, teamwork, communication, and problem-solving. Mostly patience. A terrifying amount of patience. So while group projects may feel like a curse sent specifically to torture students, they are survivable. You just need organization, communication, initiative, and a little bit of luck. And if all else fails, at least the suffering is shared equally (I hope).
Written by Siwoo Lee (Class of 2026)
