As much as we hate them, teachers and professors will never stop assigning them, so might as well become well acquainted with the type of people you will most likely encounter, or have already encountered, in a group project.

1. The Leader

This person is completely put together. They have kept up with all of the work the class demands, already thought about the project since finding out about it from the syllabus and have good relations with the professor and TA(s). While excelling academically, they are also the type of person who comes off super friendly, sociable and helpful, being the glue that brings the entire group together. But when it comes to taking the project seriously and actually getting the work done, they will keep everyone accountable. This person is essentially nonexistent, so be grateful if you ever find them.

2. The Control Freak

While they may take over the role of the “Leader” in the group, they do not embody the characteristics of the Leader mentioned above. Oh no, this person is only considered as leader because they will practically take over the entire project. There is no such thing as “divide and conquer” as this person integrates themselves into all components of the project. They will tell everyone what to do it, how to do it and basically do the work you did over again because you did not do it to their standards. Since, at least according to this person, they had to do all the work alone, if the project receives a good grade, they will gladly take all of the credit. However, if the project ends up being a failure and earns a bad grade, the Control Freak will complain about how they had to do all of the work for the entire project and will blame the grade on the lack of commitment and work ethic from the rest of the group.

3. The Slacker

This person never shows up, does not do any work and could care less.

4. The Quiet One

You wonder if this person has even been in your class the entire time. They usually sit in the back of the classroom and do not contribute to the class discussions or ask any questions during class. While you may not have noticed them throughout the semester, they will do their portion of the work for the project. During group meetings and discussions for the project, you can tell that they are present, but they do not offer any suggestions or ideas, simply taking the task they are handed and completing it on time.

5. The One Who Fails to Deliver

Different from the Slacker, this person will come to group meetings and discussions with ideas and plans to help make the group as successful as it can be. They will appear to be super invested and interested in the project, taking on any responsibilities that are essential to the core of the project. However, the group will soon realize that these were all empty promises. When it comes to actually putting in the work to getting the project done, they will completely back out, unable to complete the large portion of the project they previously claimed.

6. The Procrastinator

Regardless of how much everyone in the group emphasizes promptness and keeping up with deadlines, there will always be one person who manages to fall through the cracks. This person, while capable of contributing to the group, always puts off their portion of the work until the very end. Perhaps it is because they are unorganized and forgot about the due date or maybe they believe that they produce the best work when under pressure. While they string the rest of the group along, promising to have their work done as soon as they can, the rest of the group is an anxious mess, trying to come up with plans to do some damage control in case time runs out. But in the end, they always pull through and even if the work is not to the highest caliber, everyone is just glad that the project is finally complete.