ALL FOR ONE AND ONE FOR ALL: SURVIVING THE GROUP PROJECT

The Grad School Guide | Emma Puddicombe

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Let’s play a game. I’m going to name a Grad School situation and you’re going to say the first word that comes to your mind. GO!

Situation: Group Projects. 

Now, if you’re immediate response was “NO” or something similar, I don’t blame you. Many of us have had negative experiences with group projects in the past and are not keen to be a part of them again. Unfortunately, group projects are a Grad School reality. Don’t fret, though. I am here to present you with tips to maneuver these situations with ease and grace! Keep reading for your guide to surviving the Group Project.

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1) Take Charge

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I get it. Taking charge of a situation and acting as “the boss” can be intimidating and you don’t want to step on anybody’s toes. Get over it. Don’t wait for someone else to take charge because nine times out of ten, that’s what every other group member is waiting for. I don’t mean play the dictator of the group, but being a firm hand to guide the group to productivity will be easier than you think!

2) Communicate

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Always communicate with the people in your group about questions you have, the confusion you are experiencing, or new ideas. Having one place where you can contact all your group members will give you a chance to make sure everyone is on the same page. Don’t just assume everyone knows what is going on during the project, because when you assume...well, you know the saying.
Email is one great way to communicate with your group, but some people have trouble keeping track of countless emails from multiple people. Here are some other messaging platforms your group can use:
       1. Facebook Messenger.
       2. WhatsApp.
       3. Slack.

3) Schedule Meetings

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Communicating over messenger is most effective when it’s used in smaller doses and should not be the only method of communication. Scheduling a meeting will provide you with a better way to talk with your group and give you all a chance to be together and focus only on the project for a period of time. Finding this period of time, however, is a challenge in itself. Doodle is a great tool which can give everyone a chance to share their availability in one place and say when they would prefer to meet.

4) Book a Room

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Finding a time to meet is only half the battle, the other half is finding a place to meet. You could find a corner in the Inforum the day of the meeting, but that could eat up valuable time you could be using to work on the project. Instead, book a meeting room and have a designated quiet place to meet with group members. You can book meeting rooms by emailing this address --> help.ischool@utoronto.ca

5) Make a Schedule

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Sit down with your group members and create an agreed upon schedule for the project. Think about when you want all the research to be finished, when everyone’s individual work should be completed, when you want the final project to be 100% done, etc. Make sure the dates are clear and have them written somewhere so that everyone can refer to these agreed upon deadlines.

6) Know Your Strengths and Weaknesses

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There are multiple people in one group, and not everyone likes working on the same thing (Eg. You might be a good researcher, but terrible at writing up that research in a professional way.) Talk together as a group and flesh out who is good at what before assigning roles in the project. This will help to ensure that everyone contributes their best work to the project.

Note: Just because you don’t like it, doesn’t mean you don’t do it. Everyone should still contribute equally to a project. Step up and do what you can, even if it’s not what you’re best at.

7) Be Honest

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If something will prevent you from giving your all in a group project, you need to tell your group members. Now, I don’t mean give them you’re whole life story or divulge any personal information you aren’t comfortable sharing. However, if you are dealing with a personal issue which will prevent you from making a deadline, your group deserves to know. Your groupmates will be more willing to help you if they know in advance what your limitations might be.

Note: Telling your group members about personal issues is not showing weakness and no one will think any less of you for doing this. You need to take on what you can handle, and taking on too much will only bring down the whole group.

8) Have a Shared Document

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Have one, easily accessible place where everyone can share their work with the group. What you share doesn’t need to be perfect, but it will help your group mates understand where the project is as a whole. Google Docs is a great platform for this. You don’t need a Gmail account to be added to a document and it can be accessed on any computer anywhere.

9) Play Nice, Be Kind, and Trust

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People work differently. What works for one person might not work for someone else, and you have to accept that everyone’s process is different. Snapping at your group mates and being passive-aggressive will only make the group dynamic worse. Be patient with one another, and most importantly, be kind. Remember, the only actions you can control are your own. Trust your group members and get your work done before you worry about what they are doing.

10) Talk to Your Prof

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I have been very positive so far in regard to the Group Project, however, sometimes it could turn out exactly as you feared it would: Terrible. It happens. If you are in a situation where people really aren’t pulling their weight or doing their part, it’s okay to talk to the prof to get advice on how to move forward. It may feel like you’re tattling, but the professors are there to help you succeed. They will help guide you towards a better group dynamic.

HOW TO BREAK THE SUMMER SYNDROME SPELL

The Grad School Guide | Emma Puddicombe

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If you’re anything like me, you’ve likely reached the point in the summer where your brain is just short of completely scrambled. Deadlines are a foreign concept to you, ‘To Do’ lists are a lost cause, and procrastination is at an all-time high. That’s okay, though. For these four months of the year, when there are no classes or standard routines, it’s perfectly normal for some of us to slip up when it comes to responsibility. Unfortunately, the summer must come to an end at some point, and those of us suffering from Summer Syndrome must find a way to snap back into reality. With this in mind, I present to you my three tricks for breaking the Summer Syndrome spell.

Upcoming September Calendar. Photo courtesy of Emma Puddicombe.

1. The Sunday Night Check-In.

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Step 1: Go to your phone, computer, alarm clock or whatever it is you use as a reminder system.
Step 2: Set an alarm or reminder for a 30 minute sit down with yourself on the Sunday night of each week.
Step 3: Listen to the alarm when it goes off on the Sunday night of each week.
Step 4: During this half hour, you will sit down with yourself and list all the tasks you want to complete this week.

This list could include simple tasks like picking up prescriptions, meal prepping or sending that one email to your professor regarding an upcoming assignment. Pick one or two tasks per day that need to be done and list them in a weekly schedule that you will keep with you at all times. The key here, though, is not to overload yourself. This mini ‘To Do’ list will help you remember what needs to be done and will give you something to do every day. By keeping the list on your person at all times, you won’t forget the opportunity to feel like you’ve accomplished something every day!

*Note: This could also be called the Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday/Friday/Saturday Night Check-In depending on what day you prefer. Make it your own!

2. The Fifteen Minute Timer

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Step 1: Gather up everything you need to complete one task (Eg. Your computer, a vacuum, pen and paper, etc.)
Step 2: Set a timer for 15 minutes.
Step 3: Work on something you need to do for that full 15 minutes.

This could be an assignment you need to work on, an article you need to write, or a room you need to clean. While 15 minutes may not seem like a lot of time, it’s actually shocking how much you can get done in that time. The best part? It’s only 15 minutes. When that timer runs out you can do one of two things: 1) You can pat yourself on the back, call it a day, and do the same thing the next day. 2) You can keep going. It’s amazing how quickly the floodgates of productivity can be opened if you only dedicate 15 minutes of time to a task. It’s even more amazing when that task takes less than 15 minutes to complete!

3. The Coffee Shop

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Step 1: Do as the gif says.
Step 2: Put on clothes and leave your house.
Step 3: Go to a coffee shop.
Step 4: Start working on what you need to get done.

It’s amazing what a change in scenery can do for your productivity. Your mind feels refreshed, your senses are sharper, and suddenly that assignment you have been procrastinating on for the last week doesn’t seem as dreadful. Something about being out in public makes it harder to watch “Just one more episode” on Netflix, or scroll through Instagram for “Just another five minutes.”

*Note: Step 3 is negotiable. Go wherever you feel most comfortable just as long as it’s out there with other people. Other locations include a library, restaurant, building lobby, etc. I just like coffee shops because they have muffins.
**Another Note: If you’re at a loss of where to go for inspiration, check out 8 Best Cafes Near The University of Toronto.

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And there you have it! Three tricks for getting that summer sloth off your back and jumping into a new a productive school year. While it is only halfway through the summer, the old saying goes, “Time flies when you’re having fun.” So be sure to try out these tricks with minor tasks before the rush of September sneaks up on you. Good luck and happy productivity!

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THE 6 STAGES OF MOVING TO TORONTO

The Grad School Guide | Emma Puddicombe

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While I'm sure all of you will take the time to read this post, I would like to call out a few people in particular who I will be talking to for the next five hundred words or so:

1. Those of you who have never been to Toronto.
2. Those of you who have only been to the Airport in Toronto.
3. Those of you who have never lived in a city the size of Toronto before.

Hi. How you doing? Have no idea what to expect when you move to Toronto? Great. Let's discuss this by identifying the five stages you will go through upon moving to this city.

Toronto Sign (Source)

Stage 1: Excitement.

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“This is going to be amazing!” Yes, we have all thought this, and it’s a fair thought. Toronto is an amazing city full of cool new things to do and experience. One could even say it’s the Canadian equivalent of moving to NYC. You spend your time fantasizing about what your days will be like and how amazing your life is going to get. And why not? You’re young and you have a bright future ahead of you. This is the time when you start to research the city and make lists of everything you want to do and everywhere you want to go. The sky is the limit!

Stage 2: Denial.

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So you’ve moved to Toronto, and it’s...different. You think back to your fantasies and realize it’s not anything like you pictured. You don’t let yourself think too much, though, and focus on only positive energy and thoughts. Sure, you don’t know how to get around the city because you’ve never taken the subway or buses before. Sure, you don’t know where the closest grocery store is and haven’t bought groceries in a week. None of that matters! You are in Toronto and everything is going to be amazing!

Stage 3: Fear.

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Positivity is dead. You are in full survival mode now. The idea of traveling anywhere other than Bissell Building and the route home sounds like a deathwish. Any time you watch a crime show you end up sleeping with the lights on for a week. The city is just so big and you don’t know how to take everything in. Logically, you know nothing is really going to hurt you, but the other day you took a wrong turn trying to find a Staples and your heart rate still hasn't come down.

Stage 4: Bargaining.

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It starts with small things, like telling yourself that if you run outside every day, then you don’t need to go to the gym that you still aren’t used to. Next, you tell yourself that it’s okay to use all the groceries money on takeout because it’s still buying food. Soon enough you’re making all kind of promises to yourself that deep down you know aren’t true. If you see your friends every day in class then you don’t need to make plans to see them off campus. Once you finish the new season of Brooklyn Nine-Nine then you’ll go check out those museums you wanted to see. The stage 3 fear begins to set in more, and you withdraw to what makes you most comfortable. But that’s okay because all those things which would help you expand your comfort zone? You’ll do those next week...when you have more time...ya.

Stage 5: Depression.

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You will get overwhelmed. You will cry. You will be better for it. This is when The Big Cry™ happens. All of a sudden, all those emotions you have been pushing down since you arrived come rushing forward and you can’t hold it in anymore. You don’t know where anything is. You don’t do the things that bring you joy anymore. You can’t sleep at night because the city around you is so bright and loud. Nothing feels like home and you don’t think anything ever will again. You feel like everyone has adjusted to the city except for you. You feel lost, alone, and begin to wonder if you really made the right choice coming to the city. So you cry.

Stage 6: Acceptance.

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The best part about The Big Cry™ is how it manages to reset your whole outlook. Suddenly, you are spending more time on campus with your friends after class. You begin to travel one more block further than you have before, and a flood of excitement rushes through you when you finally discover a new coffee shop you love. You begin checking things off the list of yours from stage 1, and even add a few more while you’re at it. You buy groceries. Toronto, for the first time, begins to feel a little more normal, and you can honestly say you are happy to be here.

It’s okay to be scared. It’s okay to bargain. It’s okay to cry. Toronto is a big change and is not something you can adjust to overnight. Just know there are always people who will be happy to help you if you need it, and everything will be alright soon enough!