As the end of the year approaches, professors are rushing to get in one last evaluation for students. Unfortunately, many of these evaluations are not in the form of tests, but group projects, which test both your knowledge from the class and your patience.

1. One or two people always end up doing all the work

After doing my fair share of group projects I’d say this happens about 99% of the time. Occasionally, you’ll find an amazing group where everyone does their work, but don’t count on it. Most of the time one of two of you will end up doing somebody’s part of the project the night before it’s due because you held out hope that they still might do their work.

2. The only person that wants to do a group project is the person that doesn’t plan on contributing to it

I like to refer to this person as “the ghost” and at this point in the semester they’re trying to get their grades, but they don’t want to do any of the work so they’re just going to mooch off the work done by the rest of the group. After the project is assigned, they likely stop showing up to class and will never respond to the group chat. They’ll show up to class the day the project is due just to make sure their name is on it.

3. They force you to work with people that you don’t know

Having to do this project in the first place sucks, but having to do it with people that you’ve never talked to before is worse.

4. Or they force you to work with people that you do know and don’t want to work with

At some point, everybody has been asked to be part of a group project by a friend that they simply don’t want to work with. There is nothing more awkward than that awkward pause after a friend asks to be in a group with you, where you want to say no, but you end up unconvincingly saying yes.

5. They require students that are already juggling hectic schedules to find time outside of class to work on the project

Trying to find a time that all your group member can meet is frustrating to say the lease. There is always going to be one time that works for everybody… except for one person because they want to go to an extra credit opportunity for another class and it’s more important to them than your group’s grade.

6. There is always going to be someone in your group that doesn’t show up to meetings and then makes excuses later as to why they weren’t there

This person will likely do their work, but they also don’t want to cancel plans with friends or leave the comfort of their home to work on the project, so they simply don’t show up, while your group inundates the group chat with messages wondering where they are. Popular excuses include “I had to talk to a professor,” “I forgot we were meeting today,” “I wasn’t feeling well,” and “I had to take my friend to urgent care."

*Sometimes this is the same person as the ghost, but not always!*

7. Students don’t often receive grades that are reflective of their work

People that didn’t contribute often receive good grades because of the work was done by their group, while hardworking people sometimes receive bad grades because of the poor work of their group member. It sucks and there is only so much you can do about it.

8. You never know what they’re going to do to your grade

This is terrifying, especially at the end of the semester, when you’re trying to raise your grades as much as possible. Group projects wither make or break your grade for the end at the end of the semester. They could bump you up to an A or drop you down to a B-.

9. Every teacher is assigning a group project at the end of the semester, meaning that you have to do three or four at the same time

I’m suffering from this right now and it’s just as horrible as it sounds. Trying to coordinate a time to meet for a group project is difficult in and of itself, but three is nearly impossible.

10. Group evaluations are a great place to let out your pent-up frustration from having so many group projects

If Jared didn’t do his part of the project you have the ability to mercilessly roast him and, not going to lie, this feels pretty good after you stayed up until three in the morning doing his part of the project.