Most times in school, group projects are absolutely dreaded. Because of course, you are going to be paired with the kid who doesn't work, or that kid who's work is poor, or just a group chalked full of free-loaders and you are stuck doing everything. This is not how I see things, however; I thrive in a group atmosphere, being part of a unit, knowing your role, and executing it. Much like one of the Seven Dwarves, once I know my role, I'm at home. I like to think out loud, bounce ideas off of someone else, elaborate on the building blocks of my group members perceptions. I am not afraid to speak my opinion, but I make sure to ask everyone else if they agree-- because if they don't, then I can practice making my case stronger, on them. Continuing the Seven Dwarves analogy, I would be Doc, the leader, not because he chose to be, but because of his extensive use of logic, and willingness to voice his opinions, he just naturally manifested into the role, much like I hope to do.
I don't see collaborating with a group to be the harrowing part of the journey, but rather insuring that everyone is on the same page, so we all walk away with the information, and can then also feel confident going into a presentation. Sometimes the dragon guarding our castle to the good grade is the questions posed at the conclusion of the presentation, because if one group member is not as well read on that particular facet of the topic, or only skims the surface of the issue, then our entire group suffers because we were not explicit in our thoughts earlier. Clarity and communication should be always the primary focus; then the grade.
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