Project work, especially those disguised in the form of essays, has always been the bane of every science students’ brief existence in the intellectual hub known as a university. Students scramble madly for potential groupmates that have at least some semblance of diligence about them, while those taking the course with friends try to steer clear of the melee. The ones who are left behind after this frantic round of ‘musical chairs’ are doomed to seek out others in similar predicaments. Thus, Kenny found himself doing the group essay with Yong. (Names have been changed to protect the privacy of anyone involved)
Everything was smooth sailing at first; they conducted their meetings, decided on the topic and split the work evenly, with each of them taking charge of half the essay. Kenny conducted his research by borrowing countless books and poring over each one to make sure that he got all the minute details correct. He often stayed up well into the night in order to complete his part on time. When the time came for them to combine their parts, Kenny got a rude shock when Yong said he didn’t manage to complete his part. It turned out that Yong was too busy struggling with his other modules and did not have enough time to do the essay. Kenny became visibly agitated after skimming through Yong’s part of the essay and finding numerous inconsistencies as well as factual errors. When confronted with it, Yong simply shrugged and admitted that he had only used one reference source and did not have the time to proofread.
That was quite simply the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. Unable to keep his anger in check, Kenny let loose a torrent of accusations. “How could you be so irresponsible? I shouldn't have done the project with you. You are such a lazy ******* ” Yong remained impassive; he felt that he had already done his best given how time-consuming his other modules were. Frustrated, Kenny stormed off to complete the rest of the essay himself. As expected, neither of them managed to get a good grade for that module. However, that incident remained in Kenny’s mind for a long time and he couldn’t help but wonder if there was any way he could have handled the situation that day more tactfully..
Hi Russell,
ReplyDeleteFirstly, I feel sorry for Kenny. His wonder efforts have not been appreciated by his team-mate who obviously took him for granted. I can understand the reason for being so upset when Yong not only failed to do his part, but simply shrugged without showing any signs of guilt. Yong should have made the situation better by taking up the responsibility to apologise.
On the other hand, Kenny should have hold his temper. He should not have insulted his team-mate as that would leave strained relationship. It would be difficult to continue on the project together if this issue is not solved. Hence, he should have remain calm and give Yong a chance for explanation.
This issue would have been settled if both parties have decided not to let their ego take priority. Yong should apologise to Kenny for not being able to complete his work and take the initiative to redo his part since the grades affect not only him, but Kenny as well. Kenny should also apologise to Yong for losing his cool. Nothing beats the three powerful words 'I am sorry'.
Finally, I like the way you used 'musical chairs' to describe how grouping for project work is done in NUS. It's relevant and interesting! =).
Thanks for sharing.
Hazel
Hi Russell,
ReplyDeleteI feel that Yong should try to tell Kenny about his difficulties in advance and not on the actual day itself. In this way, Kenny would not get a big shock and there will be sufficient time to reschedule their meetings such that Yong can get more work done.
Although Kenny was extremely angry with Yong, he should have kept his temper in check. When he started to scold Yong, his stress level was high. Hence, Kenny’s expression of his emotions might seem threatening or overwhelming to Yong. Keeping a good relationship is important as they need to continue with the project.
Last but not least, I feel that your example is very relevant. Nice job done!
Jiamin
Thank you, Russell, for this clear description. You've articulated the conflict well in the light of the motivations of the two characters involved.
ReplyDelete"...the situation that day?"
The question you ask is my only point of criticism. Wouldn't a better question have been about how these two project mates could have interacted better to achieve a better project and course result?
In any case, I appreciate your effort here and the fact that you've garnered good feedback.
Hi Russell,
ReplyDeleteI can totally empathize with Kenny because I had a similar experience too! For me, I ended up doing all the work myself so as to hand up the assignment on time. I thought it was extremely unfair as we got the same grades even though it was apparent that he spent much less effort than I did.
Kenny must have felt really frustrated and annoyed ( I would be too), since he did his part and sacrificed the time he could have spent on other modules on researching for that project. It was wrong of Yong to use that as an excuse for not doing his work properly. If he knew he was incapable of doing his part, he should have voiced it out at the beginning when the tasks were assigned. He should, at the very least, apologize or try to make up for it by working doubly hard. That could have prevented the argument.
Although Yong was at fault, Kenny could have thought of a possible solution to resolve the matter instead of flaring up. It made matters worse and strained their relationship. Kenny could explained patiently on how much effort he had put in for the project and the expectations he had for Yong. This might help Yong understand the situation and reflect, and things might turn out better than expected.
As the usual saying goes, 'two heads are better than one'. Your last paragraph further reinforced this point - the argument had indeed done them more harm than good. It is always wise to consider the bigger picture instead of letting your emotions or a minor obstacle get you down.
Regards,
Kesleen
Hello all, thanks very much for the feedback.
ReplyDeleteBrad – That is very much true! In my mind, I only looked at the situation that day as the turning point in their relationship. However, it is true that Yong should have told Kenny much earlier and not wait till the agreed day, hence the problem wouldn’t even have occurred in the first place.