u/haerin_green_crocs

I don't care what content you're in, Europe, Asia, Africa , wherever, Australia this is a universal college experience and I refuse to be gaslit about it.

We had a group deliverable. Roles were assigned in the FIRST meeting. This person agreed to their part, out loud, in the group chat, with a read receipt as evidence. Then. Silence. Two weeks of silence. Not sick, not "family emergency," just… gone. Ghosted a GROUP PROJECT like this was one of his situationships. But mind you, he’s been very active in social media, always out and about in his stories.

Then, six hours before the deadline: "hey guys so what am I doing again lol." LOL. He said LOL, like it’s funny. I would also say that when I smack his face.

Here are some things I started doing when I got fed up:

1. Screenshot the role assignments the second they're made. You will need receipts.

2. Set your internal deadline at LEAST a day before the real one. Someone WILL vanish, plan like it's guaranteed.

3. The moment someone goes dark for more than 48 hours, loop in the rest of the group AND flag it to the professor with dates, not vibes.

4. Do not, I repeat, do NOT quietly do their part for them "to avoid drama." That's how you end up doing 80% of a "group" project solo while someone else gets the same grade you do.

Group projects aren't about finding the perfect team. They're about knowing exactly what to do when your team isn't perfect.

For context, I am terrible at motivating myself with cranky rewards. “Study hard and your future self will thank you” does absolutely nothing for me if I'm being frank. My future self is basically a stranger. But I kept seeing records I wanted and thinking, damn, I really want that. So I started making a deal with myself: if I put in the work, I can buy the record.

Having something physical to look forward is already a huge success. I earned this! Now, I’d put the new record on even if I'm not studying and just listen to it. Enjoy everything you worked hard for.

When I look at it tho, it reminds me of the week I didn't get a decent sleep but still managed to get things done. It sounds insanely sentimental for a pile of records, but I like it a lot. Erm, I did put in the work.

I guess my advice is: find a reward that actually means something to you. Do NOT make studying feel like punishment 24/7. For me, apparently, that something was spending money related to my passion.

As a music enthusiast, this is a huge win for my personal and academic journey.

I don’t care about your follower count.I’m the kind of person who will approach a beginner creator if I genuinely like their content.

I’ve reached out to creators who had just 25 followers.

If I’m paying you to create UGC, I want to see whether you can make content that feels authentic and gets people interested in the product.

These are the things I notice first:

1. Your portfolio

Show me your best work. A few strong examples are better than 20 random videos.

2. Your hook

Can you grab attention in the first few seconds? That matters a lot.

3. Your communication

Clear replies, quick updates and asking questions when something isn’t clear makes working together much easier.

4. Your creativity

I don’t want the same video every creator is making. Give me an idea that fits the brand but still feels like you.

5. Your ability to follow a brief

Creative freedom is great, but you still need to understand the deliverables and requirements.

6. Your editing

Clean cuts, readable text, good pacing and clear audio can make a huge difference.

7. Your reliability

Deadlines matter. If you commit to a delivery date, stick to it.

8. Your attitude

Be open to feedback, stay professional and make the collaboration easy.

You don’t need expensive equipment or a massive audience to get chosen, Make good content, communicate well and be someone a brand wants to work with again.

Always works!