How do you switch between Individual and Group Assignments, and win at both?
The Fall semester is almost midway and you are now settled in on your chosen units. You are familiar with all your unit professors and course requirements.
In fact, you are already in a class group whose members you’ve met and even got to identify their strengths and weaknesses. Most units require group participation and assignment submissions that contribute to your final grade at the end of the semester.
Everything seems to be on course. Your accommodation set-up is good, you have made your activity schedule, and are on course to participating in your favorite games’ competition finals in a few weeks.
You attend all classes and aim to post the best results through hard work and guidance from your professors and classmates. As a serious student, you had anticipated things to get intense in the last few weeks.
However, all your professors seem to be raising the bar for the class this semester. On one hand, individual assignments are coming in fast. On the other, group assignments and projects also require your undivided attention.
You are stuck in the middle. All assignments are important because you have to pass all courses. They all contribute to your overall score at the end of the semester. Therefore, what is the difference between individual and group projects?
What is the main difference between group projects and solo assignments?
To begin with, group projects are those that are assigned to groups in a specific class. Group assignments or projects are done by groups as instructed by your professor. Individual professors may assign you to specific groups. There are those who allow students to form their groups where group members come together and present their names for approval by their professors.
Group projects focus on communication between members, collaboration, and team effort. Students that commit to group projects build their coordination skills, get better at negotiation, and become better leaders in readiness for today’s demanding work ethics.
On the other hand, individual assignments are just that – individual. They require personal research, critical thinking, analysis, and presentation of the final submission. As the student, you are personally accountable for what you submit. Solo assignments build your time management skills, refine your critical thinking, and improve your confidence in problem solving.
Students have to constantly align their efforts for individual assignments and group projects. Each of these often requires a unique thought process, approach, and execution. Excelling in these projects demands a number of qualities. For example, you must not only have strong time management skills - you must appreciate the diversity of group members and positions.
In as much you are accountable for your individual assignments, you also have a responsibility to your group members to complete the necessary projects as a team. In whatever course unit you are handling, striking a balance between the two can be a game changer.
It is how you will transform your academic performance and improve your grades.
How do you balance between individual and group work
You might be the good student – keen on completing your individual and group assignments on time. Keep in mind that it is not about submitting on time. All your submissions must guarantee a passing grade. Although many students struggle to strike a balance between solo and group assignments, you don’t have to. For this, it is important to follow the guidelines below to stay on top of it all.
Here are the tested strategies that ensure you don’t fall behind in your assignments, individual or group oriented:
- Have a clear mindset from the go. Always seek to be precise and organized when working alone. Focus on your time management skills and refer to your rubric so that you don’t important guidelines for your assignment. For group projects, prioritize communication with your group members and adapt to their unique circumstances. Consult your professors in case of any challenges you face while at it. The point is to remain adaptable and score high in all your assignments.
- Set personal goals. It is always important to have personal goals and tick them on the milestones you cross along the way. For group projects, aim to track your individual deliverables and make sure to complete them on time so that the group has enough time to compile all members’ work before the final submission. Accountability is key.
- Keep records. In line with being accountable, you should have a clear record of your tasks, progress, and timelines. This goes a long way in ensuring you stay on course and submit your assignments or group projects on time. It also helps justify your individual marks.
- Seek academic support from experts. Online academic help experts have solid experience to keep you on track – guiding you through any obstacles you may face while working on your assignments. They are especially important in providing expert advice on research methods and skills, writing clearly, and team collaboration.
In the recent past, the demand for online tutors has grown exponentially – more so for those in remote settings. Expert guidance helps bridge the gap between theory and practice, which helps you stay focused on specific assignment criteria. Even so, you may still face challenges dealing with group members.
Managing Group Dynamics
One of the most common challenges in group projects is building an effective relationship where everyone aligns with the final submission or result of specific tasks. All members must come together and harmonize their productivity. As such, the group must agree on:
- Clarify roles and deadlines from the beginning. Agree on specific tools such as Google Docs for shared documents so that you can coordinate your distinct responsibilities in the group. It helps define specific roles for each member while preventing overlap.
- Agree on communication channels and strategy. Effective group work requires weekly group meetings – either video-conferencing or community chats to keep everyone posted on the progress of your project.
- Capitalize on available digital collaboration tools. Platforms like Google Meet, Slack or Microsoft Teams are perfect for smooth coordination between members.
- Address conflicts as they emerge. Although frowned upon, conflicts are part of group projects. Agree on effective dispute resolution models between members from the start. Decisions must be objective, fair, and based on specific facts in every case. Avoid emotional projections at all costs.
Excelling in Individual Assignments
Individual assignments are all on you as there is no one to blame in case you fall behind on the deadline or miss any rubric instructions. For starters, you should be direct and to the point. Have a solid thesis statement to guide you through the writing process. A strong thesis statement should be in the introduction (first and/or second paragraph of your essay). The statement outlines the structure of your paper, its depth, and compliance to the rubric.
Deadlines are strict – so make a point of starting early. We recommend that you begin working on that assignment as soon as you are assigned the work. This is to avoid the last-minute rush and provide you with ample time for research, structuring, and writing that paper. Students who start early will usually break down their work into manageable sections. As such, they are able to track their progress while complying to the required standards of academic writing.
For each assignment, focus on delivering the required metrics. For example, your professor may require you to use specific sources from a specific library. Follow all citation instructions in terms of word count and the number of references required for the paper. Your analysis must mirror your thesis which must then be justified by your references.
In cases where the professor has not specified where to find your sources, use credible academic journals and databases. EBCOHOST, Google Scholar, PubMed, JSTOR, and SSRN are some of the best scholarly databases. Avoid Wikipedia, personal blogs, and opinion pieces from the internet – they are often misleading.
Finally, you should write in a clear voice and tone. Your writing should be authoritative and formal. Be objective while making sure to be precise, articulate, and support your arguments with evidence from your research. This means you avoid the use of slang and personal opinion. Instead, use a third-person writing style with necessary academic language to establish credibility with your intended audience.
Revise your work to identify any errors, mistakes, and/or omissions. Make sure that each paragraph focuses on one idea which is supported by credible evidence. Check for grammatical mistakes or misinformation. Tools such as Grammarly are very useful in this final step of your writing
Make sure your submission has a refined tone and is clear with your authentic voice in all your arguments. Use Turnitin to ensure your work is original so that you don’t miss marks on unsupported statements in your work.
Consult expert tutors if you have challenges editing your assignment as some of these tools might be challenging for the first time. These services help save time and improve your grades leaving you more time to focus on other issues at hand.
In doing so, striking a balance is important for your ultimate success.
Excelling in your academics requires you to be versatile and proactive in handling any assignments or projects assigned by your professor. Learn to work as part of a team so that you can build the discipline to work alone when required to and thrive.
Get ahead of your peers by getting our professional support for any assignments today!
