Planetarion Forums

Structural Integrity · 10 Sep 2003, 18:12

I'm currently pretty fed up of the athmosphere at school. Not because it's so tense or something but because it's so damn relaxed.
When I went back to school two weeks ago, after summer break, I was really looking forward to it (no, really! I was LOOKING FORWARD to go back to school) to do some work again (boredom struck). Now that I'm back, I'm in need of another summer break. But let me tell you why:

We are doing some project-oriented teaching (or whatever you wish to call it), and in one project we have to make a game (4 in a row).
Now, I know I can pull that project off alone in half the time that was given to the project group (8 persons, 14 weeks), so I asked my teacher(s) if I could do it alone... guess what they said... "NO, you can't do it alone".
Now, I'm stuck with 7 fellow team-mates who become affraid if I mention the word "graphics", and have never seen a software design that involved more than three components.
I really want to go the full 200% to make this a pretty thing, but because my team-mates aren't really cooperating (too relaxed and stuff) I'm affraid this whole thing will turn into a fiasco... again... like all other projects we've done. I'm really tired of this... I'm not learning anything here.

Now, I've been thinking... I believe I should do this project in my free time and complete it in half the time that is given. Therefore I've openly anounced it on my website because if I do it in silence I won't have that motivational "stick behind the door" (or whatever the right saying is).

The dilemma is, is this the right thing to do? I get along really good with these people, but anouncing that I will complete the same project in half the time can backfire on me.
But if I keep it quiet, I have less reason to actually prove I can do it.

Crap school... why won't they let me do this my way?

mbushell · 10 Sep 2003, 18:17

just relax dude, go with the flow and stick with these chillers. sabotage the other projects in the class and yours will prevail

Leshy · 10 Sep 2003, 18:20

Being able to work in a team environment is an important skill that you are going to need later on in life, as you may find yourself in a situation where you are not on the same wavelength as the other members in your group. Effectively pulling yourself out of the team isn't a good idea.

My advice - talk to the people in your group. Divide tasks, if they can't do graphics, then you can take care of that department. If you are intent on finishing the project on your own in half the time, then by all means, do. Just don't announce it to them, but do it for yourself instead.

ParraCida · 10 Sep 2003, 18:20

leshy is een meeloper.

Leshy · 10 Sep 2003, 18:24

Quote:

Originally posted by ParraCida
leshy is een meeloper.

Zwijg.

menth0l · 10 Sep 2003, 18:27

8 persons 14 weeks?

what

inf · 10 Sep 2003, 18:44

Just do the project on your own.

Structural Integrity · 10 Sep 2003, 18:45

Quote:

Originally posted by Leshy
Being able to work in a team environment is an important skill that you are going to need later on in life, as you may find yourself in a situation where you are not on the same wavelength as the other members in your group. Effectively pulling yourself out of the team isn't a good idea.

My advice - talk to the people in your group. Divide tasks, if they can't do graphics, then you can take care of that department. If you are intent on finishing the project on your own in half the time, then by all means, do. Just don't announce it to them, but do it for yourself instead.

This is not about being able to work in a team environment. We've done this project stuff for 3 years now. I know what it takes. It's just that what we do here isn't teamwork... it's collective internetting and goofing around.

We tried to divide the tasks tho... it went about like this:
Teammate: "so... lets divide tasks"
Me: "OK"
Teammate: "We're going to investigate on the internet what it takes to make a game"
Teammate: "We investigate the rules, you can investigate how we can draw pretty things on the screen"
Me: "euh"
Teammate: "we report back in two weeks, then we can start with planning and make a start with the requirements"
Me: "That's it?"
Teammate: "Yeah... and if we don't make the deadline we can always fall back on you to make a game because you are the nerd here"
(this whole thing might be a "bit" exaggerated)

See where I'm going? Exactly... nowhere!

mbushell · 10 Sep 2003, 18:48

Quote:

Originally posted by Structural Integrity
Teammate: "Yeah... and if we don't make the deadline we can always fall back on you to make a game because you are the nerd here"

well that's kinda the reason why, be cooler

Structural Integrity · 10 Sep 2003, 18:49

Quote:

Originally posted by menth0l
8 persons 14 weeks?

what

4 weeks... 4 friggin' weeks it took me to make Pong... when I started that project I had 0 knowledge about graphics or win32 programming.

What I forgot to mention that we have to make "4 in a row" this time. So copy pasting my old project isn't going to do the trick.

Leshy · 10 Sep 2003, 18:57

Quote:

Originally posted by Structural Integrity
Teammate: "Yeah... and if we don't make the deadline we can always fall back on you to make a game because you are the nerd here"

Do it on your own, make sure none of the credit goes to them.

midge5 · 10 Sep 2003, 19:03

Say something like, "If you lot want I will do this on my own, I have been meaning to do somthing like this for a while and you lot can just sit around doing whatever the hell you want but we will pass it off as a group project so we all get the credit."

Muslim · 10 Sep 2003, 19:05

youre at scool yet
hahahah
me points and laffs

anyways...dont try to be the superstar, just do a simple job, and stop showing off

inf · 10 Sep 2003, 19:35

Quote:

Originally posted by Muslim
youre at scool yet
(

Evidently you didn't attend for long enough.

cnaw · 10 Sep 2003, 21:25

Quote:

Originally posted by Structural Integrity

What I forgot to mention that we have to make "4 in a row" this time. So copy pasting my old project isn't going to do the trick.

is 4 in a row a generic connect-four?

Scoot951 · 10 Sep 2003, 23:21

Man, last spring in my C++ class we had a group project where we had to write a program that would analyze text files (do word counts, letter counts, etc). We divided up tasks, had a slow start, but as of the Thursday before it was due (on Sunday, via e-mail) we seemed to be well off if everyone finished their part. Well guess what, between that Thursday and Sunday 3 of our 5 group members COMPLETELY DISSAPPEARED on us, without even giving us what they had done up until then.

The program was a disgrace, dropped my final score from an A to a B because of them.

Moral of the story is, group partners are assholes, assume they won't do anything.

SilverSmoke · 10 Sep 2003, 23:27

thats why i prefer doing projects alone and still they looked at me like if I am a non social retard for chosing going solo (the only one in class) for our final project.

lokken · 10 Sep 2003, 23:33

Just do it your own way - present it to them - they'll leap at the chance to take it (less work for them) and ask them how they can improve it (if they can). Treat them all as idiots initially, don't let your marks suffer because they aren't capable of what you are.

That way you can do things the way you think is right on top of having team building skills. As long as you get the top mark, why should you care?

Weeks · 12 Sep 2003, 03:13

Go with the team / flow, it is (as much as i hate to say it) a valuable working and social skill.

Alternatively, do it on your own. And alter the bits you've already done and place it in your teams effort (another good skill).

Oh, and think about the parts your parenters are doing (how to code them etc.). Will come in handy when they fcuk up.

Structural Integrity · 12 Sep 2003, 08:51

TY people...

I'm going to do it alone with my set goal AND work in the project group. I let them do the design stuff and lead the project, and if they feel like they need to have something programmed ,and ask me, then I'll do that.

Nodrog · 12 Sep 2003, 09:20

Group stuff really really sucks. Learn from the experience and try to get a job where you dont have to work as part of a team.