Post 1: A Blog Ostensibly About Programming

Welcome to No-Break Programming, a course-mandated blog about the journey through my capstone project! While I don’t expect to provide any profound insights into coding or group work, I hope that my thought process and perspectives are useful or entertaining for someone out in the great digital ether.

The Beginning: a Group Project

I tend to think of myself as someone who does well in groups. I like interacting and communicating with others, and I feel like I get my best work done when I am working alongside teammates. That being said, I am not immune to the feelings of apprehension and frustration that can come from being assigned to a group project in a class setting. While I have had some experiences that I wouldn’t want to repeat, I haven’t had any true disasters yet, and I hope to continue that streak with my capstone project, whatever it ends up being.

My rules to create a successful group project experience are pretty simple, and are widely applicable to most social and professional settings where I get to interact with others.

1. Set up rules: I think that I have a tendency to assume that rules are only necessary once something has gone wrong, but I have learned the hard way that setting up ground rules for group projects can prevent things from going wrong in the first place. Rules can feel pointed, but when done correctly they should create a scaffold for a harmonious work environment, and prevent misunderstandings from ruining the group.
2. Communication is key: One of the rules set at the beginning of a project should outline expectations about communication. What platforms are we using, how often should we check in, and what kinds of notice are required when life inevitably gets in the way of communication or project deadlines? Having known expectations for communication is key to a group functioning well.
3. Emphasize collaboration: Too often group projects end up devolving into individual projects that get jammed together at the very end. My most successful groups have always involved team members in all stages of all parts of the project, so that ideas can be shared, improvements suggested, and knowledge gained.

For me, it’s really that simple. Other things are important, of course, and there are no shortage of guides and philosophies about working in a group that outline more complete systems of cooperation, but I have always found that these three points get the most consistent value in my efforts. I am looking forward to working in a group again, and I hope that my teammates and I get along well and succeed at our goals!