A few short weeks until the end of the semester!

I can’t wait to have a much deserved 2 weeks off (of school) after this semester is over and done with. Don’t get me wrong, I’m loving school and I’m loving the fact that I’m physically able to even BE in school. I was just foolish and naive to think that college would be different than high school I thought the level of maturity and committment in college would be greater.

I found myself at work yesterday, sitting at my desk, half there and half gone. My stomach hurt. I knew it wasn’t something I ate. My mom had made lasagne two days earlier. She portioned and froze them, and that is what I had for lunch. I knew it wasn’t food. I’ve been pretty good about not letting stress bother me…but this time, I wasn’t just stressed out…I was angry.

The reason almost every hard worker out there hates group work/group assignments is because they fear the thought of having to pick up someone else’s slack. Conversely, the reason those slackers out there don’t mind group work is because they often get away with doing nothing (or very little).

This time, just like last time, I’m in a group of 5. I made it very clear this time around that I wanted everyone’s work to be received by Thursday, 4pm. I was pleasantly surprised when most people sent me their stuff by Wednesday. That feeling of pleasant surprised was quickly replaced by frustration when I noticed that the questions were answered all wrong.

Myself and one of my group members were rather frustrated when we logged into google docs and saw the answers (and yes, for all of you out there who have to do group work, I highly recommend google docs). We sent the information back to those group members, asking them to do the question over again.

Even though I had sent the questions back to them to do over, I knew that this wasn’t going to be pretty. I knew that I’d end up stuck doing a lot of work that I wasn’t supposed to do. My goal and aim for a good mark force me to.

Both members sent the answers back to me after revising them. Still incorrect. Sources weren’t even cited either. Who did they think was going to do it?

I got really annoyed with one group member when they informed me that they’d send me their answer on Saturday night. They must think that I have all day to read, edit, etc their work for an assignment due on Tuesday? Uh, HELLO, just like them, I have OTHER CLASSES TOO! I informed the group member that the correct answer must be in my email box by 8pm Friday night. I also said that if it wasn’t done and in my email box by 8pm…do NOT send it at all. Don’t want it. I even referenced page numbers in the textbook that this group member could focus on in order to get the proper answer.

I went out with my friends Friday evening, knowing full well that I was on the brink and just needed a break. When I got home around 10pm, I checked my email. Nothing. I waited until about 11:30pm. Nothing. I emailed the group member and informed them that it was now 11:30pm and I still did not have the completed question (a question that that group member had chosen themselves…I chose LAST so everyone else could have/do what they wanted). I told them to NOT bother sending me anything as I didn’t want it. I informed them that I had completed the question myself.

About an hour after that, just as I was past the winding down stage, I received an email apologizing for not having sent it on time. Shortly thereafter, I received another email with the group member’s answer.

Would you be shocked if I told you that the answer was STILL wrong, this time it was just long winded and WRONG.

I simply emailed back and said “The question is already done”. I shut my laptop off, tossed and turned in bed until about 2am, fell asleep, then woke up at 6:40am to get ready for work.

At first work was ok, but at the day wound down, I began to feel worse and worse. It got to the point where I had to phone my sister and ask her to come and pick me up.

When I got home, I checked my email. This group member had emailed me: “Since you took it upon yourself to do question 4, am I still a member of this group?”

Audacity.

Well, I didn’t kick anyone out of the group, but I DO know exactly what I’ll write on the individual group assignment evaluation when it comes time to do that.

So myself and one other group member managed to get this stupid thing done. I really credit my one group member for sticking by and really helping out when she knew I wasn’t feeling well. If I were in a group with those other two members only…I’d have been screwed in the marks department.

I’m not sure that this paper will be a 98% paper like the last one, but if it isn’t, I’ll be right pissed if any of the delinquent members complain about it.