Just Cruising Through The Project

(We have been assigned our first group project that is worth a high percentage of our final grade.)

Partner: “Let’s go to the library after class to get started on some research!”

(Inwardly, I breathe a sigh of relief that my partner seems to care about this project. I let my partner know that my father, who drives me home, is waiting outside. My partner proceeds to spend the next three hours in the library taking selfies and telling me about her recent cruise and the handsome boy she met on it.)

Me: “Can we please focus on this research? Why don’t we choose one of these case studies?”

Partner: “But do you think he and I are gonna get married? I mean, he gave me his number!”

Me: “Okay, it’s getting late and my father’s been waiting for a long time. Let’s just agree on this case study. Then I can do the first half of the assignment and you can do the second half.”

(My partner agrees. We have two weeks to do the project. She ignores my attempts at contacting her. Finally, with fear for my grade, I secretly do her half of the assignment. On the day of the presentation, I ask if she read the case study and did her half of the project.)

Partner: “I’m sorry, but I couldn’t do my part of the project. I was just so overwhelmed from my cruise!”

(Needless to say, I let my professor know she didn’t do any of the work. I got an A for the class and my partner barely passed.)