This article provides international students with tips on how to complete group projects, what challenges to expect, and how to solve them.
For international students, group projects can be quite challenging. Group projects not only require academic efforts but also demand communication and collaboration among group members. International students may face difficulties due to language barriers or unfamiliarity with American social norms. This article will offer some tips to help international students overcome these challenges.
Challenges and Solutions for Group Projects
Challenge 1: Communication Issues
Group members might face delays due to poor communication or misunderstandings from inaccurate expression of ideas. This is especially challenging for non-native English speakers. Here are some ways to address this:
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Organize Your Thoughts in Advance: Before each meeting, organize your thoughts and list the key points you want to discuss. Bring notes to the meeting and use them to share your ideas. This saves time in organizing your language on the spot.
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Create Meeting Minutes: Assign a member to take meeting minutes and list the key points and decisions made during each meeting. This helps you review or add comments later. For those who struggle with speaking English, having written records can be very helpful.
Challenge 2: Unequal Work Distribution
In group projects, it is common for the workload to vary among members, though it is usually within an acceptable range. However, there are cases where some teammates do not contribute at all. To prevent this, you can:
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Choose Teammates Carefully: Preferably choose reliable people you know. Also, you can consider the nature of the project and balance the team with local students and those from your home country. Teammates from your home country can ease communication, while local students can help overcome language barriers, especially for oral presentations.
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Draft a Written Agreement: This is ideal but not always feasible. If possible, create a brief written agreement at the start, detailing individual responsibilities, important dates, and conflict resolution methods.
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Report Directly to the Professor: If a member is uncooperative and contributes nothing, keep evidence and report it to the professor. The professor might consider the situation when grading. It is crucial to protect your rights while studying abroad.
Challenge 3: Cultural Differences
You might notice that in American schools, workplaces, and daily life, people often praise others regardless of actual performance. To maintain good relationships with group members, consider the following tips:
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Acknowledge Others Before Expressing Disagreement: If you disagree with a member’s opinion, avoid immediate rejection. You can point out some insights or inspirations you got from them before stating your opposing view.
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Turn Disagreements into Open Questions: After expressing an opposing view, avoid concluding immediately. Instead, you can ask an open-ended question to hear others' opinions.