Blog

College is great. You’re free from the grip of your parents, and finally get to prove that you can take care of yourself. Unfortunately, that freedom is continuously tested by professors—eager to see if we can manage our time properly. Even better, they put us in groups to see if we can manage ourselves and others.

Group Projects have become synonymous with college curriculum these days. Though we all start out the gate eager and motivated to stay to be responsible and get the project done early. As time dwindles and summer light at the end of the tunnel gets brighter, we begin to tell ourselves “our work on it this weekend.” Next thing you know its finals week, and your group only has a fraction of the project completed.

 Don’t let your group project priorities fall by the wayside. Here are some helpful tips that will not only get that project done, but prove your parents wrong, and show them that you are a responsible “adult.”

1. Make sure everyone has a clear understanding of their roles. It’s been weeks since your group allocated parts. Double check with everyone to make sure nothing has been forgotten, and no one is creating duplicates of sections.
2. Test the waters, and then jump right in. Create a mini-milestone, such as “create an outline of your section,” or “present a wireframe for the presentation.” This will get the ball rolling without people feeling overwhelmed—resulting in procrastination. Once this is accomplished people are more likely to move forward and complete the rest of their section.
3. Timing is everything. Make sure to set a schedule that leaves cushion at the end to review. Nothing is worse than getting marks off for grammar, citations, and formatting. By giving your selves a few days to review, it will reduce the chances of getting nicked for little mistakes.
4. It’s all in your head—get motivated.  When you’re stuck inside working on this project, don’t let the temptation of bathing by the pool or a game of volleyball get in your way. Just remember “only a couple more weeks, and you’ll be DONE.” 

Recently our support staff has received several inquiries regarding the auto-renew of subscriptions that were purchased six months ago. My name is David Brim and I am one of the co-founders of GroupTable and I wanted to take the time to personally respond and apologize for any confusion or inconvenience that may have been caused by this.

I did want to take time to clarify why certain users were re-charged. All of GroupTable’s premium plans are subscriptions…either monthly, semi-annually or annually. This is indicated in our terms of use and is agreed upon by each user when signing up for our service. Please see the snippet from GroupTable’s Terms of Use below:

Payments will be charged monthly, semi-annually or annually depending on the option that you chose when signing up for your paid account. You can cancel your paid account and re-occurring payments at any time by visiting your license page located on the interior of GroupTable. Once a paid account has been canceled it will turn into a free account and no further payments will be charged. If you decide to cancel your paid account, you can always decide to upgrade to a paid account again in the future. GroupTable has a no refund policy and all sales are final.

We feel the confusion occurred primarily because GroupTable was being used by students for a certain class and they purchased a premium GroupTable account with the idea of using it for that specific class. Once the class was over, though some students continued using GroupTable for other classes or purposes, some students thought that since the class was over, they would no longer use it, but did not cancel their subscription. Many of these students purchased a six month license, and this being the case, were charged again six months later. The analogy that I could give is…If you purchase a wall street journal subscription required for use in a class, though that subscription will be used for class, after the class is over the subscription will remain, unless you cancel it with the merchant directly.

We have many users who have told us how much they appreciate GroupTable and are using it for a variety of purposes and can only assume that if a user’s subscription isn’t canceled, they found enough value to continue using our software.

Due to the confusion, we will be refunding the most recent transactions of users that reach out to us who were un-aware of this.  We encourage all users who were affected to reach out to our support staff at:  support[at]grouptable.com.

If you choose that you no longer want to continue your GroupTable subscription, you must log into your GroupTable account, go to the License page and press to Cancel Subscription so that you are not charged in the future. If you fail to do this, you will be charged again. Further instructions can be found here: https://www.grouptable.com/support/index.php/My_Account#Cancel_Your_Subscription

We have also decided that we will be implementing a subscription renewal reminder email that will be sent out for six month and year subscription plans, one week prior to the renewal date. This should help remind users, if they choose to cancel their subscription, to do so before they are re-charged.

I want to again apologize for those of you who were caught off guard. Our company, and the individuals in it, pride ourselves on having integrity and a solid moral foundation. We hold customer service and satisfaction to be very important and strive to create a positive experience for all of users.

GroupTable is continuing to evolve and grow, just like our users, and we value all feedback we receive from our users, whether positive or negative. This was an experience that we definitely learned from and appreciate the feedback of our users over the last two weeks.

Best Regards,

David Brim & The GroupTable Staff

Love or Loathe? How does your group relationship stack up? 

Communicating with your group is like:

a) Smooth sailing: everyone listens and contributes efficiently…making collaborating ideas easy breezy.

b) Talking to a brick wall: does no one have an opinion, or even a single thought?

c) Spontaneous combustion: everyone thinks their idea is the best, resulting in never ending arguments that make my head want to explode

Our group gets along like:

a) Peanut Butter & Jelly: everyone complements one another to form a well composed project

b) Fruitcake: Odd combination, with a few elements that probably shouldn’t be in the mix.

c) Oil & Vinegar: pretty much everyone can’t stand each other.

Where is your group most likely to meet:

a) Someplace quiet and secluded, allowing for privacy and optimum group time.

b) Someone’s house, where you can tell the group, but “forget” to mention it to that one person who seems pretty much useless.

c) You don’t meet outside of class if you can help it—usually communicating and sharing through email.

If you could compare your group to one piece of chocolate, it would be:

a) Salted Caramel: that perfect combination, running smooth throughout.

b) Cherry: a sweet combination, but with that out of place fruit in the middle, making it a bit inconsistent.

c) 100% Dark Cocao: dark, and basically impossible to swallow.

Mostly A’s: Your group has a loving relationship—working together well, and resulting in a masterpiece. 

Mostly B’s: You have a love/hate relationship with your group. Some people work well together, while there’s always those few who make it difficult to just complete the project smoothly. You may want to try and make this individual feel needed, rather than an outcast. By ostracizing this person, you are only doing the group a disservice, by eliminating another source to allocate workload, and gain ideas.

Mostly C’s: Let’s face it; your group can’t stand one another. Rather than a sweet group experience, this group is leaving a sour taste in your mouth. You may want to consider what is causing this angst among the group, and if it’s possible to rectify the relationship before it affects your grade

Don’t let your group resemble a bad relationship this Valentines. Figure out how to find that sweet spot, and find a way to work together…at least long enough to get that “A.” 

It’s a new year, and you know what that means—a list of self-progressing resolutions with the promise of a better you in the near future. Better grades, less procrastination, being more prepared—these are ideal characteristics we’d like to embody for the entirety of our semester. However, I know that for most of us, after about the first month, going out with the gang rather than staying in to finish that paper tends look more appealing.  

Although, sacrificing your Friday in order to finish a paper isn’t necessarily the only scenario. Try not to categorize your life into school v social—it’s not that black and white.  This semester, attempt to find that happy medium.

During your first week of classes, get the syllabus for each, and immediately put mark the due dates into a calendar. From there, try to set your own mini-milestones. It can be daunting to have to sit down, research, write and then proofread a 20 page paper. By breaking it down into a task list, you can complete the paper step by step. One day you can just gather information; another day, pull out key facts; a week later begin an outline…and so on. Who knows maybe you’ll even be so inspired one day to just finish the paper earlier than the usual night before.  Some other suggestions for breaking down those projects into manageable mini-milestones:

• Review project requirements
• Research
• Pull out key facts
• Create outline
• Add the content
• Review!

You can adapt the task list based on each project, or even combine tasks for multiple projects. If you have more than one assignment to research, then spend an hour researching one, and then switch to research the other. It will allow you to keep your momentum going, while using your time efficiently. Just think this semester you could have a stress free life and great grades! By tackling smaller tasks over an extended period of time, you will only have to spend an hour on a task, rather than an entire week. Plus, by getting a head start, it will provide you the opportunity to determine problem areas that you may need to consult your teacher with.

It’s a new year, which means it’s an opportunity for a new beginning.  

With the last group project presented, and final assignment turned in for the night—not a student was near, or even in sight. ‘Twas the end of the semester, and time for a break. Woo Hoo!—no more of those projects we dearly hate!

Now that the semester is over, it’s time to decompress from the hectic schedule that is synonymous with finals. Looking back, do you think your grades are worth enough to get you on the “Nice” list, or does it look like coal on the “Naughty” list? Would you have approached your coursework differently—maybe chosen a different group, tried to be more prepared, less procrastination? Yeah yeah, we all know that you’ll plan better next semester—but we all know how this ends. You will enjoy your holiday season, and before you know it, it’s the New Year and new semester. Still suffering from your holiday hangover, you’ll scurry around to make sure you’ve signed up for the correct classes, maybe get the books and then just play it by ear.

However, we are here to help you get onto that “Nice” list and get those A’s you were hoping for. Answer our questions below to determine the areas you could improve.

1.       Do you have your next semester’s schedule set? No / Yes

Tip: Well, you guessed it—if you selected “No” then you are still on the “naughty” list. Get your schedule set in stone NOW. The worst thing you can do is go into your first week “hoping” to get into that class. If it’s already full, email your advisor—they will be able to put you on a list and slip you on the roster at the first sight of a dropped seat.

2.       Have you placed your next semester’s schedule in your calendar? No / Yes

Tip#2: For those on the “nice” list, you’ve already figured your schedule out; but remember, your calendar is your friend. You don’t want to go through all of that trouble to sign up for classes, and then get dropped because you forgot. Getting back into the scheduled semester groove can take some time after the holidays; so place your weekly courses in your calendar, so that it will have an additional reminder.

3.       Are you books ordered? No / Yes

Tip#3: After the holiday season of purchasing gifts, I assume it’s safe to say that your bank account is looking a little glim. For those who do have money from grandma, the last thing you want is to spend it on books. Take the time to research your curriculum prior to the semester scramble for books. This will provide you plenty of time to look online for a cheaper version, and have it sent before the first day of class. I don’t know about you, but most people don’t like paying that extra overnight fee to expedite, or pay the school bookstore full price for your book in order to complete that paper assigned the first week of school.

4.       Now that you are prepared for the beginning of the semester, do you plan on immediately placing deadlines into your personal calendar? No / Yes

Tip#4: No use in making the same mistake twice. If you found yourself on the “naughty” list, it was probably because you didn’t take time to stay on top of that syllabus. Along with those deadlines, set reminders that those deadlines are coming up a few days earlier. Procrastination happens, but at least this will help you get a head start, rather than showing up to class empty handed.

5.       Have you looked to see what courses you have left to graduate? No / Yes

Tip#5: The biggest incentive in school is graduation. However, you don’t want to get stuck on the “naughty” list because you forgot about that elusive elective that you forgot to take. No one wants to get stuck in summer school for one class, while the rest of their friends are walking the stage, and having their name read on the “nice” list.

 Hopefully, you found yourself with more “Yes’” than “No’s,”–but its not too late to turn your naughty into a nice looking semester ahead of you. 

Happy Holidays!

GroupTable (https://www.grouptable.com) was founded by several UCF students with the goal to create the most effective tool for students to manage their group projects and other groups. In order to help us achieve this goal we want to hear from you!

We’re always looking for ways to improve and enhance your experience with GroupTable. We value and welcome your feedback.

We’re giving away a free iPad 2 with case to a randomly selected user who responds to our survey by November 30th, 2011! In order to be eligible to win an iPad 2, you must have an active GroupTable License. So go ahead and fill out the survey. What will you bring to the table?

Fill out our survey here.

Check out the sweet iPad2 you can win in this video with our co-founder and CEO, David Brim.

With Thanksgiving around the corner, we can’t help but allow ourselves to reflect on the people that make us feel grateful for their presence in our lives—family, friends, job, the cop who let you off with a warning. What about the members of your group project?

See how thankful you are (or aren’t) for your fellow group members with the quiz below.

Who’s the Wicked Witch of your group? Is a Vampire sucking the life out of your group?

Take this quiz below to find out if there’s a monster in your group, or if everyone is an Angel.

Take this quiz above to find out if there’s a monster in your group, or if everyone is an Angel.

Here are the possible outcomes…

Vampire

Vampires suck the life out of the group! The only thing positive about this vampires are the “B”lood that they’re drinking. Vampires are a constant dark shadow looming over the group, constantly complaining . They do nothing for the group, other than draining everyone else’s energy. On top of that, Vampires consider their schedule is impossible to work with. Vampires sleep all day, and only work in the middle of the night, making it difficult to coordinate group meetings.

Encourage Vampires to feel more confident and positive about the project and working with the group by making sure they feel included. Encourage them to share their suggestions and opinions and listen thoughtfully. Utilize GroupTable’s Live Chat to work within their schedule, if they are unable to make it to the actual location of a meeting.

Angel

Angels do all the work and stay on task. If it weren’t for Angels, the project  probably wouldn’t get done—or get done in peace. Angels are team players, and always looking out for the group.

Encourage Angels to use the GroupTable task list to allocate more of the work to other group members—rather than taking on all of the responsibility themselves.

Witch

Witches think they know best and try to tell the other group members what to do. Witches spend most of their time trying to cast their spell over their minions—I mean, members—to complete the project the way they see fit. They become so overpowering, that no one else’s opinion is heard.

Encourage Witches to trust their fellow group members and be more collaborative and cooperative. If all else fails, use the GroupTable Discussion and Live Chat to discuss ideas and plans, instead of meeting in person, so the Witch can’t “talk over” everyone else and everyone can be “heard”.

Frankenstein’s Monster

Frankenstein’s Monsters don’t pay attention to anything and are usually lost. They complete the wrong task, miss meetings because they misplaced the address, and usually have nothing of relevance to contribute to discussion.

Encourage Frankenstein Monsters to be more organized by double checking the GroupTable Group Calendar; as well as, pay attention to their GroupTable Notifications, which will alert them when a task assigned to them is approaching it’s deadline.

Ghost

Are Ghosts  even in our group? Ghosts are notoriously elusive. Their name appears on the group roster, but you have never ever seen them in person.  They never attend meetings and provide zero help towards the goals of the group.

Encourage Ghosts to participate and contact them through GroupTable’s Mail, their email, phone, text and sky writing (just kidding) to get their attention. If all else fails, hold them accountable for their actions by inviting your teacher as a “guest” to your group, so they can view who is participating and who’s not.

Here at GroupTable, we’re always working on new ways to improve and enhance your user experience.

Here are some recent changes:

Choose Whether to Display Your User Name or Real Name

A lot of users have been asking for this feature and we’ve listened! Now you can display your real name rather than your user name through the site. This is helpful if you’re using GroupTable for class and your instructor and classmates know you as your real name. If you’d prefer to keep your real name private, you can display your user name instead. For instructions on displaying your user name or real name, click here.

Change Your Email Address

You can now change the email address associated with your account. This is helpful if you received a group invite to a different email address and need to accept it through your existing account. Click here for instructions on changing your email address.

Discount Codes

Are you an instructor or represent a college or university? Are you looking to have your entire class, department or school sign up for GroupTable? If so, you may be eligible for a discount code! Request a discount code for your school today.

Billing

We have heard from some users that after submitting their credit card information, they were not charged or their account was not updated yet. If you’re experiencing this, your credit card may have been declined or the billing address you provided was inaccurate. If this is not the case, please reach out to our support team and we’ll assist you.

Facebook Page

We’ve recently revamped our Facebook page with lots of fun stuff. Like us on Facebook and gain access to discounts, helpful tips, resources for your groups & other neat stuff.

Support Wiki

After gathering your feedback on our recent upgrades to GroupTable, we’ve created a support wiki that includes the answers to any questions you may have about GroupTable. Some common questions we’ve encountered are:

• Why didn’t I receive my group invite?
• How do I edit a task?

Send Us Your Testimonials and Feedback

Share your GroupTable experience with us! We’re always looking for feedback to further improve your experience on GroupTable.

To stay up-to-date with the latest upgrades, upcoming events, and contests like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.”–Charles Darwin

Evolution is a funny thing.

When I was younger (and I’m not that old), I used to think that I was part of the self-proclaimed innovation generation—the first to grow up with the new technology in the classroom. In elementary school, we were among the first to use computers (resembling an intergalactic cube, that sounded as if it were about to propel itself into outer space) to forage the trail across Oregon—in hopes that our oxen wouldn’t drown in the river. The thing that really gets me is that when we completed our day’s virtual trek across Oregon, we hit save and whipped out our handy dandy floppy disk that had our name hand written across it.

It all seemed so cutting edge—part of the tech-volution. Now, I look back (in what I would like think as a short amount of time) and realize that the floppy disk alone was just the tip of the sword. If I were to even mention a floppy disk to someone in college, I would just get a quizzical “boy, you’re an old fart” look in return. The floppy disk, as a file storage mechanism, has evolved from a colored piece of tech enhanced plastic sandwich square, to a zip disk, and then followed by a myriad of external hard drives. Every year it seems as if there’s a new, smaller, more mobile version of what we had before. You would think that with so much of evolution’s focus on enabling us to be on the go, there would be a better alternative for accessing and sharing various documents without the possibility of losing it.

Now, I know you are probably ready to rebuttal with some sort of snarky wiz-kid comment, but let me counteract by stating, “Yes. There are options out there.” However, these options are not nearly as evolved as the rest of the app-dapted, tech-volved gadgets out there. For instance, you can easily share and store files within your email. However, this seemingly efficient alternative can get messy real quick. For instance, you are working on a group project or planning an event with multiple people, and those emails and documents can add up—especially when a member in the group decides to only “reply” rather than “reply all,” with their revision, immediately creating a whole new thread of conversation (you all know what I am talking about). The only thing email offers to sharing files, is if you are sharing them with yourself.There are also other online document sharing programs, yet these are usually only attainable if you have an email associated with the program. They also may restrict the amount of collaboration—making you resort back to email to discuss any type of strategy.

The ability to store our files needs to adapt to the lifestyle the evolution of technology has created for us. Thumb drives are great, but if a file has the chance to be left on your desk, or the inability to be changed as a team’s strategy evolves, then they will not survive much longer.

Programs, such as GroupTable, are on the path to reinventing the way we store our files.  No longer do we need to worry about leaving our presentation at home, or turning in the wrong revision because we got lost in a hectic web of emails. Today, GroupTable has helped students all over communicate, collaborate and complete documents all in one virtual spot–allowing them to revise, save and share from any computer, anywhere.

Finally, there’s a generation of file storage that would make the floppy disk proud of the path that it’s progeny is forging–definitely an improvement since Oregon.