It’s that time of the year where assignments are in full swing, and one of the most dreaded part of it is the groupwork tasks. It’s easy to fall behind in group assignments, expecting other people to do the work for you, but I’m here to make sure you get involved and stay productive, so this is how to be a good team member in group assignments and work more efficiently…

1. Don’t be a stranger!

Making a group chat is always a great first step, but if you’re a silent group member, ignoring the messages from your group and not contributing to ideas, you’re going to struggle to work with them and most likely the rest of your group will be complaining to the lecturer that you’re not trying as much as others in the sense of taking part. All in all, make sure you’re an active member in the group chat so you can build trust with the others and allow yourself to become more involved in the project.

Photo of social media apps on an iphone

2. Section off parts

Sectioning off specific parts from the get go allows you all to have an equal part to do. This stops you from slacking and doing less than everyone else, and it will help you feel more involved in the project! On top of this it also makes you more responsible as if you don’t complete your part of the project the slack will be on you not the rest of your group. So do it for yourself and you’ll be seen as a good team member!

photo of someone writing a checklist in a notebook

3. Attend all the meetings

When it comes to group work, meeting with your team are very important and it is vital that you attend all the meetings you and your group arrange unless there are reasonable circumstances where you cannot attend. This is so you don’t fall behind or present yourself uninterested in working with your group. Meetings and zoom calls are where most of the ideas come together and plans are put in place. Therefore, if you if you don’t attend these groups meetings you’re only going to fall behind and let the team down (and nobody wants to be THAT guy).

Four students are talking and laughing in student accommodation.

4. Pick a section you’re passionate about

If there’s a section you’re particularly more passionate and interested in then take that part of the assignment. If you choose to take on something you actually enjoy, you will work much more efficiently and take more in the groupwork whereas if you get stuck or choose to contribute to something you don’t really understand as much, you are going to end up struggling – if your heart isn’t in it, you will not work your best!

Students working on computer designs in the Maker Space