Group projects can suck, especially when paired with people who just don’t care. That’s why this guy’s small act of revenge against an absent group who tried to claim credit for his work is so satisfying.
Group Poetry Project
In his senior year of high school, the OP (original poster) found himself in an English class focused on a poetry book. For a class project, they were asked to create a new character that the book’s point of view character would encounter and interact with. They then had to act out the scene they created.
OP had invested a significant amount of time preparing for the project. He had done all the prep work, including scripting, drawing up a character, making his personality, and storyboarding. He was excited about the project and put a lot of effort into making it a success.
His Partners Didn’t Pull Their Weight
However, his partners were not as committed to the project as he was. They seemed to goof off and not care about the project’s outcome. They would often be absent, and this made it impossible to shoot certain scenes. Eventually, they were able to get all the scenes, but a few that required props were left out.
OP was understandably worried when the person responsible for editing the project informed him that he would complete it the night before the due date. This was a red flag for OP, who had had bad experiences with group projects in the past. But he had no choice but to trust his partners and hope that they would deliver on their promises. OP had gone above and beyond to ensure that the project was completed, but they’d let him down.
He Had a Backup Plan
However, instead of giving up, OP took matters into their own hands. He spent several hours creating an animation of the entire film using the stick figure program on their phone, which was finicky and difficult to use. Despite the challenge, exhausted but determined, OP submitted the finished animation through the virtual turn-in.
On the day of the presentation, the person responsible for editing the project informed the group that he hadn’t been able to complete it. However, he claimed that it wouldn’t matter since they wouldn’t have to present it that day. But he was wrong.
They Had to Present Their Work
The group was called up to present their project, and OP’s animation played. He received a small amount of applause from his peers, which was a testament to the quality of his work. After the presentation, the teacher asked where the actual film was. OP’s group attempted to pass off his animation as the actual film, but he stepped in and explained how much he had contributed to the project.
The teacher was impressed by OP’s dedication to the project, but he couldn’t grade the animation since it wasn’t the goal of the project. However, the teacher graded OP on his prep work, which was all of it. The rest of the group had to rely on the actual film, which was not even halfway ready, and a few things they contributed to the script.
He Got Full Credit
OP ended up getting full credit for the project, and his only punishment was having to watch the rest of the group’s half-hearted attempt to finish it for a grade. The group failed the assignment, and OP felt a little bad, but it was their decision not to care about the project.
While OP felt guilty for his group’s failure, he knew that he had done everything he could to ensure the project’s success. His group’s lack of commitment was not his fault, and he wasn’t going to let their failure affect him.
A Lesson Learned
This experience taught OP a valuable lesson about the importance of taking ownership of a project and ensuring that everyone in the group is committed to its success. It also taught him that sometimes, you have to go above and beyond to achieve your goals, even if it means working harder than everyone else in the group.
In the end, OP learned that hard work pays off, and it’s always worth investing your time and effort into a project that matters to you. Even if your partners are not as committed, you can still make a difference and achieve your goals. It’s all about taking ownership and going above and beyond to ensure success.
What Redditors Said
Reddit users admired this guy’s story, as a lot of them had been in similar positions and hated group work.
One user said, “Retired Eng teacher here. The only group work I ever assigned was in class where I could observe what kids actually did and seldom graded them. It is almost impossible to know who did what in group settings but the teacher almost always knows who did the work. Still, I just preferred to avoid the situation where all the kids got an A but one person did the work.”
What do you think of this story? Have you had any bad experiences with group work?
The post He Struggled to Get His Group to Complete Their Share of the Work, so He Covered Himself and Revealed Their Shortcomings in Front of the Class first appeared on Wealthy Living.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Cast Of Thousands. The people shown in the images are for illustrative purposes only, not the actual people featured in the story.
Source: Reddit