As someone who feels intimidated to approach professors, I discovered a new perspective on networking with faculty members from Christa Downey.  They are just normal people like us.  We often don’t want to appear “stupid” in front of them, but they’re here to help us and they usually love to speak with their students.

Additionally, we talked about group dynamics.  We talked about the two types of unhealthy group dynamics: a group with unmotivated people or a group with a bossy leader.  The first one often puts a strain and it can become disheartening to feel like the only member putting in the work.  Nonetheless, it’s all about communication; let the group know that you feel overwhelmed and that everyone needs to step up their game.  Don’t be passive aggressive, but be proactive about your sentiments.  Everyone is an adult here.  In the latter, it’s important to communicate to the “bossy leader” that everyone is capable of doing work.  During the conversation, someone asked whether it a good grade was worth dealing with an unhealthy group dynamic.  This question struck me, because in the end, it’s all about the grade, right?  However, through the conversation, I realized that I’d rather work and learn together as a group to get an average grade than let one person do the work to get a higher grade.  There is more to projects than just the superficial grade; the sharing of perspectives and the satisfaction of seeing the culmination of everyone’s work form into something cohesive and presentable.  Instead of worrying about the post-project grade, focus on the process of getting there, on the bonding experiences with your group mates.  Christa Downey also mentioned that in a real life setting, you are not going to have the option to choose your partners, and you may end up working with people you don’t get along with.  As a result, everyone needs to be mature and set out boundaries even before the work starts.  While passing your group project in class is only a small aspect of your student life, having the ability to create healthy group dynamics will aid you in your career and for the rest of your life.