It’s 12:44am on a Wednesday night and I’m prying my eyes open to complete my part of my tragic group assignment. Amongst other assessments with impending deadlines, having to work in a group is definitely the highlight of the semester! Nothing makes the university experience better than relishing in the spirit of cooperation and collaboration.
As the weeks go by, my faith in group work slowly dwindles. The types of characters in a group make or break the experience of working together. I myself identify as the mute, the compliant follower type; the one who isn’t the most vocal when coming up with ideas but quietly completes their work. With each group assessment completed, I am convinced that each character brings with them a certain conspicuous charm if you know which traits to look out for.
The hard carrier
You know who they are because they’re always the loudest. The hard carriers are the ones setting up the assignment, making suggestions, and always completing their portion of the work on time. Overpowering and controlling, call them what you want. Their existence in the group is a godsend. No one wants to be the one to break the silence and get the assignment moving when everyone is sitting around the table looking down at their laptops, pretending to be distracted. Having them in the group is a relief because it means I can sit back and not worry about talking or coming up with ideas.
Joey Tribbiani
While the rest of the group has begun the work, there’s always that one person who asks obvious questions with obvious answers that are a few clicks away on Canvas.
“What am I supposed to be focusing on again?”
“How many references are we supposed to have?”
“So… what’s the project about?”
Messages on the group chat are also there for you to read. Please read them to allow us a scrap of sanity.
The absentee
They are basically unreachable throughout the weeks and still behind on their work until the very last minute. While I’m hard at work getting my section done, I can see their Instagram stories showing them having a blast on King St. I may be accused of being mute and compliant, but the only thing worse than having to tell someone what to do, is having to find them in the first place. If they were as absent from classes as they are from the group, they wouldn’t even pass! But with no attendance roll to mark or towering figure of authority, they push the obligations of the project aside. Perhaps they’re the absentee in this group because they’re the hard carrier in another?
The Opposition Leader
The person who, thankfully, voices an opinion or idea that perhaps someone else was hesitant to express in fear of being judged by the group. But it seems they’ve mistaken a uni assignment for a parliamentary debate, and they’re now filibustering about how the hard carrier’s ideas are terrible, and if we changed the group project direction it would solve the cost-of-living crisis. The ABC aren’t moderating this debate, guys!
AI’s best friend
A new type of group member who’s emerged in the last couple of years. They clearly did not get the memo when lecturers and tutors say that AI is a guide, not a replacement for a human brain. They got ChatGPT Pro as soon as it was introduced, and they use half a dozen AI tools that you’ve never heard of. You heard a rumour that they have shares in Nvidia, and you think that if they focused half as much on what the lecturer was saying as they did on their laptop, they would get HDs in every class. Although, credit where credit is due: the skill involved in copying and pasting words straight from readings or AI responses, should not go unrecognised.
Did you perhaps see yourself in one of these types? Or did any of them ring a bell? The next time the tutor asks the class to form groups for the upcoming group assessment, you might find your collaborative experience foreshadowed by the people you’re forced to be with for the next few weeks.
