Group assignments at uni

[myrenday]

Hey guys,

So I'm on the cusp of finishing my exams, and I've been really worrying about group presentations/assessments for next year at uni.
No, I do not have stage fright or anxiety presenting, it's just that I plain and simply hate working with the wrong people. I'm a high achiever, but the thing is that the university I'm most interested in has a relatively low atar, so I am afraid to have a few of those people that don't care.

Are there any ways that I could possibly work by myself? Or do universities really enforce group presentations? And is it random partnering or chosen partners? I've had a few times in my high school life that my partners have done nothing and basically gotten my marks.

Cheers everyone

[Aaron]

Sad to say that there are situations even in uni where group work results in 1 person doing everything and the rest just getting by.

I don't think it's a wise idea for your social or career pursuits to isolate yourself and do work on your own. In MOST disciplines/careers you are required to work as part of a team (often those you don't like or the 'freeloader' type of person). You just have to get by and hope you get a group that will actually value their education and work productively with you.

[AngelWings]

I've had a few times in my high school life that my partners have done nothing and basically gotten my marks.

I’ve had some assignments where we’ll have an anonymous rating system where we can say if Person X was a total ghost during the entire assignment or Person X freeloaded their way. In assignments where this system doesn’t exist, you can still email the staff involved directly and effectively lodge a complaint about Person X, asking them to keep you anonymous. The staff sometimes do consider it and adjust accordingly, especially if you have evidence to show that you did all the work.

[caffinatedloz]

Adding to what AngelWings said, even at school you could email your teacher and let them know that Person X did literally nothing. Some teachers give people individual marks for group assignments based on what they did. I've found that the best teachers are generally clued in to who has done what.

[K888]

Adding on to this, not all group assignments are duds I've had several where everyone contributes and works well together.
Additionally, just because someone got a high ATAR doesn't mean they're going to contribute well to a group assignment. You have know way of knowing what a person will do until you actually get them as a partner in the assignment!

Having duds is an unfortunate part of uni. But like, it teaches you important skills - not everything is always gonna work out for you and in life you will encounter plenty of people who do nothing, but most of all you have to be able to work in a team.

I wouldn't stress too much about it. You don't know how many group assignments you'll have to do in the course you end up in, and it may not be as bad as you think it will be. Regardless, you have to do them so there's not much point worrying about something you can't change