Do the work together, and learn from each other. Sometimes students look at collaborative work as just a matter of divvying up tasks (for instance, one person does the research, another does the writing, and another does the designing and production). Managing a project in this way can result in a piece of work that looks somewhat like Frankenstein’s monster—lots of pieces stitched together into a messy whole. Stronger, more coherent work is the result of people truly collaborating and working together on every aspect of a project. The process of doing so allows group members to learn from one another’s strengths, and, in turn, everyone in the group becomes a stronger, more capable composer.

Organize yourselves, and stay on task. Functioning well as a group means checking in often and planning together. Three ways to keep your group focused and make progress are to set up specific meeting times, to have someone take notes when you meet as a group, and to make sure everyone knows who’s doing what for the project.

Know your own strengths, and be ready to admit your weaknesses. One way to start, especially if you’re working with classmates you don’t know, is to think about how you typically like to function in a team or a group. What do you do well? Individual members can assess their strengths by using a questionnaire. The responses on the questionnaire can help you get to know each other and start a conversation about how to move forward.