Hi,

I'm doing a masters at the moment and I have this classmate who's got very aggressive attitude. Every project, every phd I thought of applying he did too. I had a meeting with one of the final year project supervisors and when he walked into the class he ran and spoke to him before he was through the door and ended up coming to my meeting... Which turned into his meeting.. I told him to cut it out 3 times; I actually had a fight with him but he doesn't get it.. Or he pretends he doesn't.. And the thing I don't get is.. Why he's picking on me? He's gotten better grades than me in the first semester cause I had major personal problems, he has a bit more experience in our area than I do but he won't leave me alone.. I have to do things secretly all the time because of him and I really sucks, apart front the fact that it's utterly exhausting cause we are in a small class.

On top of that.. He asks questions all the time and he expects you answer of course but if I ask something he puts me down saying stuff like "how can you not know that?.... It's in the notes" and not just to me.. To other people in the class.

This is the third time he did that and I feel it's time I told someone? I was thinking of sending an email to the supervisor I was supposed to be having the meeting with or our course tutor?

How do you deal with this?

Unfortunately, there will always be those people who put you down and try to make you feel stupid for asking questions. But it seems to me like your classmate is very insecure. If I were in your position, I would probably have to send a few emails out - his behaviour is affecting you, so it's not a case of something you can just ignore. Emailing your supervisor or course tutor is a good place to start.

Silver

I had a chat with one of my lecturers that I trust andtold him about it but he said not to worry about the project, cause it's not up to him and thanked me for letting him know what's going on.

As for my tutor he's hopeless.. First I have to find him and even if I tell him, it won't make a difference. I'm considering other projects with supervisors that want to work with me and I won't have to deal with psychos like this guy...

I always thought science is about collaboration and communication.. How can you have one without the other?

On top of that, another classmate told me today that she's been avoiding him because she picked up that he's like that.. Do I need more proof?

It's an old story. As my pre-poster said, there will always be somebody like that. The lecturer that you spoke to is actually right: don't worry to much about this person. Supervisors aren't stupid, they have to deal with different students all the time, an arrogant and grudgy type isn't seldom. (It actually has nothing to do with science...) Instead of wasting your energy on this a******, concentrate on your strengths and your own path. Such people try to bring somebody else down just to compensate for their own insecurities.