Surviving Group Work in Uni

Ahhh the dreaded group project. A staple of university life.

Group work in uni can be one of the most stressful parts of your academic journey. You’re not just juggling the assignment itself, but also people: flaky groupmates, clashing schedules, differing expectations, and the occasional Houdini who disappears mid-semester. Here's a guide on how to (hopefully) survive it without going crazy:

Someone Has to Take Charge (Even If It Ends Up Being You)

Every group needs someone to take charge! And if no one in my group is stepping into that role, I'll usually volunteer to do so. No point having too many captains on one boat so if someone is already doing a great job the next best thing to do is the take a backseat.

When I do take charge, I treat it like a mini project manager role. I’ll:

• Break down the assignment into clear parts

• Delegate the work based on people’s strengths and availability

• Set internal deadlines so we’re not rushing everything at the last minute

• Schedule calls when needed

• Handle communication with the prof if there are questions or doubts about the prof

It's a lot of responsibility, but having someone to organise and guide the team really helps prevent things from falling apart.

Set Expectations Early

Before diving into any actual work, clarify how your group’s going to function. The moment the group is formed, I always ask my groupmates in person to reply promptly in our Telegram group. I'd say something casual like "Can I just ask that everyone replies promptly in our chat and no ghosting ah..."

As you can see this is something that's VERY VERY important to me. You wouldn’t keep clients waiting for a reply in the working world – so why should it be any different here?

Being responsive is key to efficiency. It determines how quickly we can make decisions, troubleshoot issues, and keep things moving. If no one replies, the whole project stalls😠😠😠

You can decide for yourself what expectations you want to set beforehand, whether it’s about meeting internal deadlines, showing up for meetings, or putting in equal effort. Establishing this from the get-go prevents miscommunication and ensures everyone’s on the same page.

Internal Deadlines Are Your Best Friend

One of the worst things you can do is scramble to finish everything the night before the due date. You're essentially submitting your first draft for submission this way, so you can imagine what kind of grade that'll get you.

Setting internal deadlines i.e. submitting individual parts a week before the real deadline gives your team time to:

• Review and polish everything

• Catch inconsistencies or mistakes

• Ask the prof questions if needed

Treat your project like a timeline. Break it into milestones, and stick to them. You will thank yourself during crazy submission periods.

Slackers? Motivate or Mitigate

There’s always that one person. Maybe they ghost. Maybe they promise to submit their part and never do. Or maybe they turn in something half-baked five minutes before the deadline.

First, try encouragement. Sometimes a little positivity can go a long way. Something like:

"Let’s all do our best so we can enjoy a good grade together!"

But if someone’s totally MIA, it’s time for early intervention. Bring it up with them directly (nicely, of course), but if things don’t improve notify your prof asap. Most of them appreciate being informed early so that they can do something if needed. Don't wait till the final week and expect miracles.

Kindness Is Non-Negotiable

Group projects can get tense. Everyone’s stressed, juggling ten other things, and trying to meet deadlines. But no matter how messy things get, ALWAYS be kind.

One thing I make sure to do is say thank you often. Acknowledge your groupmates' efforts, even for the small things. Make your appreciation seen – it goes a looong way in building trust and keeping morale up. A quick “thanks for getting that done so fast!” or “really appreciate the effort you put into this” can shift the whole group dynamic. Try it!

Kindness and courtesy are the foundation of any successful team. If someone’s falling behind, offer help instead of blame. And if tough conversations are needed, have them respectfully. You’re not just completing a project – you’re learning the soft skills of how to work with people, which is just as valuable.

Final Thoughts

With a bit of structure, empathy, and strategy, you can turn the most dreaded group work into something (almost) enjoyable and 10000x more manageable.

And if all else fails: document everything, submit receipts to the prof if needed, and remember that your own growth as a communicator and collaborator matters just as much as the grade.

You’ve got this!