(Untitled)

[nclean]

I discussed with my supervisor, who happens to be the undergraduate studies coordinator (and so, at 32, is doing a stellar job of his academic career) about my problems with the amount of group work, and the problems therein.  He was largely sympathetic, took some points on board, but reminded me that the world sucks this way.

More significantly, he

Comments

[traeemery]

ROFL
Some time I'll share with you my enggy team assignment horror stories.
On another note though, your lecturer is quite right. It's an important skill in the workplace (and academia) to be able to write the "thank you for your response, you dickhead" emails. I can recomend some books that will help you with this skill if you feel so inclined.

[melbournian]

I don't think I've ever mastered those emails either, and can never figure out why it's an important skill to have. I'd also be interested in books on the topic.

[traeemery]

Okay, I'm going to start you off with "Advice to Rocket Scientists: A Career Survival Guide for Scientists and Engineers" by Longuski. That will help explain why it's an important skill to have

[melbournian]

Thanks. It irks me how often people make comments about how "it's not rocket science" and to me whatever they are talking about is comparitavely more challenging. It's nice to see there's a book that directly addresses the disparity between technical and social issues and the variance in relative expertise.

[tigerdenbodu]

Commiserations on the groupwork. It is really trying for those who are conscientious and achievement-oriented. I hated it. One group member doing something stupid like the above and it can wreck your academic career without it being your fault.

[originaluddite]

You could always try to cultivate the speech patterns of a Victorian era gentleman, for whom phrases like "good day, sir, I said, good day!" are incredibly offensive. (-8}

Or just be more long-suffering. Put simply - some of us are just smarter (or of more cultivated scholarly practice) than others and we have to live with that. In the quote above the first line would probably suffice.

[dzurlady]

I shall not tolerate such rubbish!