Because, they just are.
The minute there is a grade slapped on a project something happens. Something shifts.
1. There is an immediate division.
– There are the people who are actually going to do the project
– There are those who ride on the coattails of the people actually doing work.
I am usually the one who ends up doing most of the work, giving away good grades for everyone else in my group.
I understand that being able to efficiently and effectively work in a group is important. That, unlike a lot of things you learn in school, is actually a good skill to have under your belt, and one you will actually use in the “real world”.
Which really sucks for people like me.
If you haven’t guessed I am currently sitting here working on (well about to start working on) my group project.
I’m going to do it really.
I have two group members.
I drive to school so it’s not like I have easy access to my group members. We all live in different places, and have different work and school schedules to work around.
So, having to present this project on Thursday (we only meet for class on Tuesday and Thursday)
*Sidenote: My project is that I, I mean my group, has to teach a chapter from our textbook to our class. We have to have handouts and a lecture and some sort of activity to test the class. The presentation must be 45 minutes long at least and for every minute you go under the 45 minutes you lose 3 points. And here is the real kicker, we are not allowed to use any notes. which means, you know, you actually have to know what it is that you’re talking about.
And my group agreed to meet. Only one person of the two showed up. The one that did show up said that he did not have a computer and that he did not like to talk in front of people.
WHO ACTUALLY LIKES IT????
So he then wanted me to meet him back at school (a twenty minute drive) to help him so his share of the work…..basically he wants me to do it for him.
So frustrating.
So here I am on a Saturday, getting ready (really, I am) to do an entire project.
By myself.
justbeingemily 
What does the instructor expect you to learn? You are going to spend so much “mastering” your designated chapter that you won’t learn any of the other chapters.
This sounds like lazy teaching.
We have to write a review of her teaching style at the end of the semester and she said we can’t judge her until we’ve done it ourselves!
That’s crap too. You can absolutely make statements regarding the effectiveness of her style of relaying information without ever teaching.
What’s the class, by the way? Are you trying to become a teacher?
English 101 and no!