A large majority of college courses require a group project for the class.  While some students love working in groups, especially if they have friends in the class, for others, group projects create a large amount of stress.

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Here are some tips for successfully completing group projects:

• If you have the opportunity to choose members for your group, choose carefully and consider everyone’s skills and abilities before making your decision.
• Hold a meeting to discuss the project and the desired results in detail before getting started. Setting clear expectations at the start of a project will help eliminate confusion as the project progresses.
• Make assigned tasks and progress reports visible to everyone. This will keep members motivated and on point.
• Make sure that work is equally distributed among the group members.
• Make sure that everyone (including yourself) understands their personal responsibilities.
• Create an online calendar and task list so that everyone can easily check up on project progress, important due dates, and other essential information.
• Meet at a time that is convenient for everyone in the group. If finding time to meet is hard to schedule, think about telecommuting options as well.
• Stay on top of deadlines throughout the project so that the final deadline doesn’t create a lot of stress for the group.
• Follow through on your commitments and encourage other people to do the same.

Information from: “Tips for Working on Group Projects” by Karen Schweitzer

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Most importantly, remember to not let differences interfere with the project or your grade.  While you do not need to be friends with your group members, it is essential to work well together as a group and get a good grade! 

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact us at cm.pass@umb.edu.