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!

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.

“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.

For all of those students who go into the midterm season prepared, say “I!”

All those who got back their midterm, and were less than pleased with their grade, say “I!” again…

Now, for all of those who subconsciously figured that “if I don’t do well on the midterm, I will just make up for it in the final,” say “I!”

…that’s what I thought.

As students, it is in our nature (or maybe just mine) to go in guns blazing, ready to study for that upcoming test, only to spend the entire week pushing it back…and back…and back. Then when you finally do sit down to study it is either a) a social event at the library b) a session of mindlessly material sifting, retaining nothing, or c) spending the entire time on Facebook.  Wouldn’t it be great if there were something that would constantly send us reminders to “study for that test!” or “read that important chapter that you know your teacher is going to test you on.” Something that would mark down all of your tasks deadlines without the worry of remembering to bring it around with you like a planner?  Whats that?…there is?

Getting those top grades, that come with staying on our study track, is what GroupTable finally enables us wayward students to do! I know from my personal planner, that in the beginning of the course, I was filled with good intention and high hopes. Notes such as, read that, review here, study there, peppered the weeks and days leading up to my midterm. Unfortunately, my planner was only useful if I opened it…and even then, I would just pretend like I didn’t see the big “STUDY!” in red, underlined three times.  Next thing I know, my teacher is handing back my midterm with a grade that girls (and lets be honest, guys) usually only look for in their bra size.

Finally, I took a stance and made some huge improvement in my study habits, with GroupTable metaphorically holding my hand the entire way.

1. Scheduled “Study Days”: by allocating the work load over an extended period of time, it makes the work much less daunting. Think of it as exercising—going for a 15 minute walk is better than sitting on your couch b/c you don’t feel like spending an hour at the gym.  Use GroupTable Calendar to set up these “study events.” From there you can make notes on the event wall, and add a notification that will send a reminder directly to your email!
2. Type/Upload Your Notes: for those of us who don’t feel like lugging a computer around campus, take time at the end of your day to type up your hand written notes. This will act as a review, as well as get you more organized. Once you have a saved document you can create a folder in your GroupTable Binder dedicated to the topic, or the class, and upload your notes! Once and for all you won’t have to waste money on a million spiral notebooks and binders.
3. Create a Task List: I don’t know about you, but I am a perpetual “list maker.” Something about striking out a task gives me a great satisfaction and a false sense of productivity. I will write even the mundane down on my list, just so I can “check” something off—like “shower.”  Using GroupTable’s Task List finally made me own up to the important tasks at hand. I was able to create separate Task Lists for each class, as well as set a notification to remind me when something needed to be done.
4. Study Group: As someone who is working all day—and going to class at night—finding the time to get together for a study group is near impossible, aside from completely undesirable. No one wants to spend their Saturday driving/walking all over campus to meet with a group to discuss the Time Value of Money. Finally, someone suggested using GroupTable’s Live Chat feature. So instead of wasting time and gas money, we were able to use our group’s Chat to ask and answer each other’s questions regarding the study guide. Saturday Studying Sabotage avoided.  Thank you GroupTable.

Even though we may think to ourselves “I’ll be more prepared next time” it never really happens unless we have someone, or something, holding us accountable. GroupTable was my accountability check. It reminded me when I needed to spend a few minutes reviewing; I was able to keep all of my notes organized in one place; and I never had to miss out on Sunday Funday because I had to drive to campus for a study group. I had no excuses NOT to study…and now I don’t show up to my midterm thinking “well, if I bomb this…there’s always the final.”

Communication is key:

The hardest part when working with a group—especially if you’re unfamiliar with the members—is maintaining a proper stream of communication. Not only do you run into availability issues regarding everyone’s schedules, when working with people you may be slightly unfamiliar with, it can become difficult to express your feelings and ideas. Rarely does everyone agree 100% when planning a project or event. Try to be open minded and communicate respectfully when making alternate suggestions.

Assign Tasks and Set Deadlines:

Everyone has something different to bring to the table. Use these differences to your advantage when tasking out pieces to the project or event. This will allow everyone to play up what they are good at, and keep them motivated. Once tasks have been delegated, its crucial to hold everyone accountable and on track by setting deadlines and milestones throughout the process—not just the due date.The worst thing that can happened to a project is procrastination.

Make Everyone a Leader:

Too many chiefs and not enough Indians? If not predetermined, the presence of a leader will begin to emerge among the group. In many cases, you find that more than one person thinks that they can do something better. To help thwart a pending problem, be sure to allow everyone the opportunity to feel as if they are leading the discussion—usually regarding their respective task. This will provide a self-efficacy among the individuals in the group; rather than a hostile take-over.

Keep Organized:

Staying organized seems to be the most overlooked detail when approaching a project. People assume that their individual organizational skills will be enough to keep things in order—wrong. Many times groups neglect to create a predetermined protocol for sharing documents, maintaining communication, etc. By addressing this issue from the very beginning, you and your team mates will all be on the same page when sharing a new revision, or updating the time for your next meeting.

Go Virtual:

In today’s society, working remotely is essentially the way of doing business. Between the variety of hectic schedules and deadlines among the individuals in a group, most turn to the internet to conduct meetings. With the vast options the web has to offer, its essential that your group designate a primary mode of working virtually while in between team meetings.The meetings themselves can even be virtual. Be efficient with your time and use the available technology to your advantage.

Every day it seems as if more elements of our lives transfer from physical to digital…Schools are integrating iPads into their curriculum, fully loaded with the course materials; a meeting between an entrepreneur in the United States and a venture capitalist in China can be held via Skype on their personal laptop; phones are no longer just for talking, but as a fully-functional personal assistant. With so many ways of communicating, conducting business, and planning personal events, it can become overwhelming to try and keep track of it all.

In an age where we are provided with so many outlets for communicating, shouldn’t there be just one to aggregate it all? Well, now there is. GroupTable was designed to fully manage your business, academic and social lives, all from the same location. With the ability to upload, manage, task, and schedule events, GroupTable has now added a little more control to society spinning “technically” out of control.

Most times, programs similar to GroupTable are built strictly for the sole purpose of managing one’s academics, or exclusively for business—not GroupTable. As a program set up by you, and not by your business or university, YOU are the one in control of what you want to manage.

To give you a better idea of the endless possibilities that GroupTable is capable of, we have provided some of the ways our current users have already taken advantage of this unique program:

The life of a student is fast paced—especially when it comes to finding a time to meet for a class assignment. Now, a group can create an account and invite each of its members to joinWith the easy to use drop feature, GroupTable provides a Binder that each member can upload their portion of a paper or project. . From here, they can upload articles, revise papers, as well as set milestones and due dates in the calendar.

Greek Life: Homecoming, Philanthropies, and Socials-OH MY! Being in a sorority while in school, I can empathize with how hectic it can make life. Greek Life is like a full-time job in itself. Attempting to keep track of the endless events going on can become nearly impossible. Now an organization can set up an account to keep its members up to date. Not only can they take advantage of the calendar, but now there’s a single location to upload T-shirt drafts, applications for councils, as well as various announcements. Finally, there can be some organization to these organizations.

Travel Group: Hashing out details of a trip among a group can get tiresome…How many emails do you really need to send to remind someone about the deposit? GroupTable will allow for a group to upload travel documents, create a packing list, and even set a reminder for that deposit deadline.Now the only thing you need to worry about, what drink you’re going to order to cheers to a successful trip!

Business Proposal: Businesses are generally made up of various departments. As many of us know, communication between these departments, and even the department itself, can get lost in translation. GroupTable allows for say the PR team or the Business Development team aggregate their information to decrease confusion. Now when a RFP hits your desk, you can upload it and delegate each task to its respective employee, along with deadlines and important details listed in the calendar. Each member can edit each section, providing advice if necessary. Never again will you be scrambling to get your proposal in on time because two people accidentally provided the bio section.

Team Sports: Who’s in charge of team snack today? Wonder no more, parents, because your GroupTable account will allow you to create a team calendar—fully loaded with the practice schedule, game time, and yes, which parent is in charge of the team snack that day!

Study Group: Endless amount of work to be done before the big test or project, and no one to work with. Using GroupTable’s invite feature, you are able to send out invitations to join your study group strait to their email. This makes reaching out and coordinating everyone’s schedules easy and effortlessly, as you can mark on the calendar when someone may not be in town to join the study group. The calendar also proves useful for marking milestones your study group wishes to complete prior to the big project or test day.

Volunteer Group: Organizing fundraisers and events all while trying to maintain momentum is tough. By taking advantage of the features that GroupTable has to offer, you can send out the email invitation, reminders of upcoming gala’s, charts of money raised so far, and so much more! GroupTable can make any volunteer group run like a fortified business!

From Soccer Mom to student, or businessman to buccaneer–whatever your goals may be, GroupTable can finally make sense of every corner of your life. Begin by introducing it to your co-workers, classmates, church group, and watch how quickly your social, business and academic life harmoniously co-exist.