Hello!

One of the great things about GSD is the variety of assessments. While many degrees are mostly assessed through traditional methods such as essays, we get a much wider variety with written work, presentations, group work, etc. Group projects are an important and valuable part of this combination.

With one of GSD’s particularities being the interdisciplinary focus and the wide range of joint-honours degrees, group work will allow you to truly make the most of your peers’ knowledge in completely different but complementary areas. Furthermore, working in a team is an excellent skill to develop, and one that will be invaluable in your career. Indeed, not only is it increasingly valued by employers, it encourages you to improve organisational skills, the ability to delegate tasks and communicate effectively.

In first year, there is a module that focuses solely on a group project. The project lasts a whole term and the work is split between several students. So, you will get the opportunity to conduct in depth research on a topic you are interested in, something that isn’t generally offered to first-year students on other courses.

My group produced a 5000-word essay on the environmental challenges associated with the extraction of cobalt and lithium used in the batteries of electric cars. While the prospect of group projects may seem daunting to some of you (we’ve all had some disastrous group project experiences at school!), there is really nothing to worry about. By the time you get to the second term, when this module takes place, you will already have completed several other group projects in your other core modules.

Personally, I found the experience to be extremely helpful, as all the members of my team were used to group work and we were able to avoid many of the common pitfalls of group work (wasting time, difficulty agreeing, etc.). Furthermore, you will be closely followed by professors, who will advise you both on general group work methods and more specifically on your chosen topic. Weekly lectures and seminars give you the opportunity to ask any questions you may have, and regular group check-ins with an assigned tutor mean that someone will always be following your progress.

I hope this post has got you excited about working with your future peers!

Charlotte Flechet

Second-year Single Honours GSD student

Friday 6 March 2020