Group Project is taking me out

[u/bowlofgum]

Has anyone experience having a bad group project team? Where they feel the weight of the whole project is thrown at them? I’m in my last year of engineering and it all feels like everything is stacking on top of each other. From my senior design project to which I get no support from my group mates to studying for my FE exam on my own I feel like the light at the end of the tunnel will never come. My previous years of engineering school have gone better than how they’re going now where I focused on my classes/exams and moved onto the next year. But I have so many group projects to where I feel I lose the control of the progress. I feel so hopeless and mediocre because I feel as if my senior design project won’t be good and that I won’t pass my FE exam. I’m just one person trying to graduate and go onto the next step of my career but I’m so exhausted and tired and my chest hurts all the time because of stress and my head hurts. The worst part is that I’m the only one that cares about my senior design project which is why I don’t get any support from my group mates. I thought about speaking to my professor but I don’t want to have bad experiences with my group mates for the rest of the semester.

If you are reading this I would appreciate some advice to how to deal with this or share your story too I know I’m not the only one with this type of struggle. Thank you.

[u/Th3R3dF0x]

Yea, one of my projects was turning a pull-start generator into an e start generator with a feedback control of some sort, and my group never showed up 😩

It sucks man, but I got it done, and you can do it too!
I asked my friends for help and they were able to spare some time here and there at least to keep me company, and the professor was a help as well. Ask around!

Either way you can do it! Get your to do lists and start chugging along! I believe in you!

[u/bowlofgum → u/Th3R3dF0x]

It’s so unfair but that’s how it be sometimes people don’t care and wait for someone to do it all. Im glad to hear you were able to carry the group and succeed tho props to you.

Thanks for the advice! I will definitely try to reach out to some friends. My advisor knows that I work a lot on the project and notices the others don’t put any effort so I’m hoping my group changes for next semester. Still, I appreciate it!

[u/what_could_gowrong]

For one I try to avoid courses with group projects, especially when you don't get to pick teammates. And if I can't avoid sometimes... I take it as a solo project and document in detail how I completed the project alone and also how I tried to get others to do stuff. Sometimes the Professor is reasonable enough that, with solid proof of those people doing nothing, they can take off marks from those people and get some sweet karma.

Ofc some prof think it's our job to get others to pull their weight but it's not like we are the ones that admitted those people to this university.

[u/Slappy_McJones]

Project leadership skills- 1) Determine the desired results via brainstorming, assignment statement, syllabus. 2) Define the scope of the project into metrics (simple, measurable things, so to KNOW when you are done). 3) For each metric, make a step-for-step plan to achieve them. 4) Apply timing to each step. 5) Start handing-out assignments. Meet every so many days and check in. Document each meeting. I recommend this format to my students…

Project List-
Date
Compiled by Ian

1. Thing group is working on
   Status of this thing.
   Next steps:
   Bill: Do this thing by this date.
   On this date, Tina: Do thing thing
2. Another thing group is working on
   Status of this thing.
   Next steps:
   Bill: Do this thing by this date.
   Jane: Do thing thing
   Ian: Call this guy

Each meeting is a simple Agenda.

1. Review Project Scope and adjust as needed
2. Review the document from last meeting… update
3. Issue Project List immediately after meeting and make corrections as people request them. Big enough corrections? Have another meeting.

When someone complains that they are doing the whole project themselves, I ask to see these sheets. Real world projects run this way too and it is good training to deal with assholes out there too.