Overwhelmed with group assignments, are new students studying the wrong way?

Coffee shops can be an interesting place for teamwork, where people can share work and relax while talking together - Illustration: KS

Nearly a month into school, Nguyen Hoang An – a new student majoring in literature at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Ho Chi Minh City National University) – admitted that he has not yet integrated into the new environment, especially in group activities and assignments.

People who have good teamwork skills will often have good presentation skills, listening skills, patience and the ability to persuade others.

Dr. Nguyen Hong Phan

All kinds of confusion

Having to do two group projects at the same time, Hoang An said he felt quite pressured every time he was assigned to a group. There were many things to do, and the deadline made him feel like his mental health was being eroded day by day. Even when he slept, An was haunted by the thought of missing the deadline and being blamed by his friends.

Having been used to having someone guide him in high school, An felt awkward when he had to complete all the tasks by himself when doing group presentations. He also had a part-time job so he was always overloaded.

"I'm in a state of not being able to balance studying and working part-time, so I can't avoid making mistakes when working in groups," An said.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Minh Quan, a new student of the Faculty of Journalism and Communications, said that although he participated in some activities at school, he felt less confused, but he was overwhelmed by the amount of knowledge in the subjects. Teachers often divided students into groups, and Quan's difficulties began when he randomly entered a group of new people.

Working in groups is not strange, but the university environment is new, friends are not familiar, so Quan is still afraid of opinions, sometimes the group work is not effective. Not to mention, randomly dividing into groups will encounter situations where many people have the same strengths, which also makes it difficult to divide tasks. Quan often writes, but now when joining a group, he is given editing and design tasks, so it is a bit wrong!

"But I am not discouraged, I will try to learn and turn my weaknesses into strengths" - Quan confidently said.

Nguyen Kieu My, a student majoring in information management systems at the University of Economics (University of Danang), said she felt pressured by her peers when she saw that everyone in the group was talented and energetic. My said that everyone had previous experience working in groups so the work went smoothly, but they often argued because "everyone's ego was high and they always thought they were right. Luckily, we sat down together and didn't let things go too far."

Must unite first

From a professional perspective, Dr. Nguyen Hong Phan - Deputy Head of the Faculty of Education, University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Ho Chi Minh City National University) - believes that the most important thing when working in a group is solidarity. When joining a new group without knowing each person's capacity, the thing that can be done is that each person recognizes their own role, then must work together with colleagues to complete the common goal.

“Each member needs to respect and accept each other’s differences in order to maximize their abilities when completing tasks together. The group must have common principles and regulations and then everyone can do it,” said Mr. Phan.

Dr. Hong Phan suggests that students should actively participate in clubs, teams, and groups to help each person have more opportunities to work in a collective environment. Because teamwork skills are not only important in studying but also very necessary when you go to work later. "Working professionally while still studying helps you adapt and complete tasks easily when entering the labor market" - Mr. Phan shared.

Don't study at university!

“How can students not feel insecure in a new environment and not struggle to find effective ways to study?” is a question that many students were interested in at the recent sharing session “Don’t study at university” at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Ho Chi Minh City National University).

Guests said that new students often lose their direction due to lack of effective learning methods and soft skills development. Presentation is an essential skill because it helps you present fluently, express your point of view clearly, and show that you are able to control yourself both in thought and speech.

Another important thing is to overcome fear, which for many students is sometimes just a “nameless fear”. Multimedia student Nguyen Tran Bao Anh confided that she is very afraid of finding teammates to join the group. The advice is to face the fear and find a way to solve the problem, not live with it, when necessary, seek a consultant to be more confident.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ngop-bai-tap-nhom-tan-sinh-vien-co-hoc-sai-cach-20241024220123053.htm