I am titling this blog "Group Poop" because Group Sh!t does not make for a very polite headline. My final group project for this class was submitted this morning, and I am sooooo glad to be done with it! Although the cause is important to me, group projects tend to go like this: one or two people do all of the work, while everyone else sits back and lets them do it. This project was a bit different, but there was still one obvious slacker in the group.
My problem with the group project dynamic is that I am a "recovering workaholic". I am the type of person who will dedicate all of my time to my work/school projects, to the detriment of other areas of my life. Often time I have said that "there is a reason I am [insert age here], never married with no children". Although those reasons are several, one of the big ones is my dedication to my work - and the sense of perfectionism that I bring with it. I can't just let stuff slide and hope that someone else will do the work because every time I try that I end up working double-time to catch up because nobody else bothered to do the work, either! Because I am aware of my tendency to drown my life in my work, I must make a conscious effort to STOP and balance myself or see my personal life suffer for it.
As for the technical extent of this project, I realize that I have experience in web-building; but my experience is in web graphics/design and writing HTML code. Six or seven years ago, web building software was in its infancy, and social host sites like Yola.com and SocialGo were either non-existent or very, very expensive to use ($1,500+ per yearly contract, as opposed to $100 - $300 now). I have had to make the time to learn how to use these sites, just like everybody else. My experience with HTML coding allowed me to work around some of the limitations of the paid-subscription-only features on sites like WuFoo Forms (BTW: I LOVE THIS SITE!!!), but this does not excuse the fact that one of the "founders" of the site that has been our group project contributed NOTHING except her personal profile and a very short, barely researched blog! In fact, her one source of research was a YouTube video that another member had already posted to our site! How ballsy is that? This person has a semester-long history of phoning it in, so to speak, but this move takes that attitude to new levels!
Overall, the group dynamic of this final project has worked well, with each of the remaining members contributing in some important way; I am just wondering if my dedication hasn't made it too easy for my group-mates to blow off a large portion of the assignment - i.e. learning how to use the social host software, or how to create a WuFoo form. Then again, if I were not so dedicated, I am not certain our site would be as professionally done as it is. Fjavascript:void(0)or my last group project, I was partnered with a different student, and the work he contributed was amazing. For this group project, we are separated; and the difference in the quality of work is obvious. I am really not impressed with his group's site, even though I love the topic [responsible government spending].
I just hope that my influence helps to bring out the best efforts of others, without me coming off as a total b!tch...because behind the scenes - away from work and the formal settings of the university - I can be immature, unorganized, crazy, and loud; but boy am I FUN!
I am so sorry you had to suffer due to some selfish people. I have the exact same issue as yourself. I take on way too much of the project because no one else would care and my grade is important to me. I have learned to go right to the instructor and say something. Or even tell the group right then and there. It is awful of how some people could take advantage of your dedication and talents for their "poop". I hope that you get all the rest you deserve.
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