Few words strike fear into college students’ hearts faster than the phrase “group project.” Professors love to assign group projects because they think they’re “collaborative” or “fun” or “preparing students for the real world.” Unfortunately, in the “real world,” we’re motivated by salary– and we can fire employees that don’t live up to their end of the bargain.

All real world comparisons aside, there are some things you can do to survive your upcoming group project.

The Group Project Survival Guide

1. Divide up as much as you can. Creating a clear division of the workload means your professor can clearly see who did what (and grade accordingly). If you’re doing a slide presentation, have everyone complete their own slides and send them to the group leader to put them together. If you’re doing a comprehensive presentation, let one person cover one topic, another person create a class activity, and have another person make a visual aid.
2. Don’t do everything yourself. No one likes a control freak– including your professors. If your professor asks your group point-blank who did everything, your team mates will tell her. At the same time, don’t do as little as possible to get out of your project.
3. Communicate, communicate, communicate. Make sure everyone’s on the same page about your overall concept. Email occasional reminders– but do not over-communicate. Your team members don’t need a neurotic email every three days. Just touch base a week before your project is due and again 36 hours before the due date.