The way people treated me in college...
The story
Okay, so I know I tagged it as "workplace drama" but it's more like college drama. I was a 3D animation major tho, and I was in a classroom of 9 students in my 3rd year, so I feel like it's kind of alike. Anyways, I have a story that, in retrospect, I definetely had a part in the drama, but I also definitely suffered from it at the time. I just want to know your opinion on if I was being a bit paranoid (which I felt I was sometimes) or not.
I feel like the atmosphere in my class degraded the more time passed. In my 1st year, it was mostly okay, I was discovering how 3D softwares worked and just trying to make at least a decent job with what I understood. I managed to model the second most important character, create some assets, animate and even voice act as the leading character in that movie (I'm a bit embarrassed about how my voice acting turned out, but I'm still proud I had the opportunity to do it) ! Group wise, it was also mostly okay, I just didn't talk all that much, though I would a little bit with people I thought I could be friends with. There was just this thing that bothered me a bit towards the end of the 1st year. I was talking with two upperclassmen, and the classmate that I was hanging around with (that was sitting behind me, let's call him Foo) was looking at us talking with a sort of angry expression while I had my back turned ? When I turned around to look at him again, I asked what was going on and like...he kept going defensive and was like "wow, so I can't look anymore ?" or "okay, then I'm not looking anymore" while pouting and things along those lines. To this day, I think it was weird, but also at the time, I was genuinely confused and was wondering if something was wrong.
Second year, however, was the WORST for me, I literally tried to fail as much as possible so that I'd get expelled and not have to go to college anymore. That was probably because I had a conversation with some of my teammates about who they'd want to work with if they had the chance to choose, and from that conversation, with a quick math, I realized that practically nobody wanted to work with me, and it weighed on me for the rest of the year. There was also this rampant "he said she said" thing going on. For example, a teammate (let's call her G-A) came up to me telling me how she found the way the way Foo smiled creepy or how the leader of our film for the second year (I'll call him G-B) was acting before leaving and other things. I remember the first time she came to me to gossip, I wanted to cry a bit because I didn't want to associate myself with gossip like that...I still ended up gossiping sometimes because I gotta survive and try to fit in this class somehow (which I failed to do so). I was thinking that, maybe I could be friends with her and that we could get along. I also tried my best to open up to her a little bit about what I liked and whatnot, because I was struggling with speaking up and was mostly silent. I'm absolutely ashamed I joined in this, and I do not wish to get myself entangled like that or feel as misrable as this ever again. If it isn't G-A, it was Foo who was kind of bothering me because I kept catching him staring at me. I think there were definitely some times where I thought I did catch him, but yeah, most of the time I did catch him staring. And everytime he'd go defensive.
3rd year of college was also a bad year. Foo's staring problem got worse, especially because I was seated next to him. Overtime, I've grown tired of it. My last straw was when I was trying to look at the board that was on my right, and Foo also happened to be seated on my right, and he proceeded to go all like "you were looking at me". I tried to explain to him that I wanted to look at the board, but he insisted that I was looking at him. From that day, I've decided to not talk to him anymore or to even look at him for the rest of the year. I was that petty 😅. Apart from this, I was criticized by G-A over my work flow even though I was in the process of making something, the parts of the animatic that I was in charge of ended up not making it to the final animatic footage (G-A told me that I didn't do much for the team one day EVEN THOUGH I tried to greyscale the shots that were in the animatic to the best of my ability knowing my parts weren't included), almost every prop I made ended up being replaced by one another teammate did, the people in the team didn't include me in the animating team (even though I could animate just fine), Foo one day decided it was a good idea to take an object that I did to shade it without warning me when I clearly stated in the group chat that I'd take care of it. Basically, no matter what I tried to do, it didn't feel like my contributions were good enough to make it to the final product according to the entire team. Only a poster that was important in the film along with a few assets (that you don't even see that much) ended up making it, and even then, the poster almost got replaced by Foo's own version of the poster. The only reason my version was picked was because the main prof visibly had mixed feelings concerning Foo's version, and I looked at the prof like "please don't choose it". There was also this one time where G-A decided that we should add TeamViewer out of nowhere. From what I understood, we could basically take control of a computer remotely. I didn't really like that plan because of how sudden it was, and at this point I was a little paranoid, so I made it seem like I complied with it at campus while not installing TeamViewer at home, partly because I didn't understand how to even set it up, but mostly because I didn't like the idea of people accessing my computer at home from campus. Turns out, days later, G-A tried to access my computer via TeamViewer from campus, but because I didn't set it up at home, it didn't work. She said it was so that she could do some normal maps of textures of some posters, but in my eyes, TeamViewer isn't needed for this kind of thing because you can convert pictures into normal maps online, so it was at least a bit suspiscious to me. Apart from this, the group in itself still had a problem with gossiping and drama, so much that one of the leaders of the group ended up gathering everyone around a table to try and address the elephant in the room. The atmosphere got bad overtime, and with how little I had when it comes to assignments for the last movie, the main prof eventually told me I could not come to campus at a certain point because it would be pointless for me to show up only to not do anything the entire day. The moment I knew it was time for me to not go to campus anymore, I was literally out of there, I could not stand spending more time with those classmates anymore.
The more I type about this, the more I'm like "wow, college sucked :D", but I'm so used to things not going well in some aspects that I can't help but laugh. I guess I just want to have a trace of this story somewhere so that I don't forget about it. Again, please feel free to tell me your opinion about it, maybe I'll get a good laugh out of this. Thank you for reading this whole novel, and I wish you a good day/night <33
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Points of view
It sounds like a challenging experience, definitely; navigating social dynamics alongside academic pressures is tough. It's important you took steps to protect your mental health and recognize when things weren't right for you—sometimes removing oneself from a toxic environment is the best course of action. It’s clear that you've reflected deeply on what happened, and that's commendable. Moving forward, hopefully you'll find more supportive and collaborative environments where your skills are valued and appreciated 😊; keep believing in yourself!
mate, your story's a bit all over the place but i get it; sounds like a real nightmare situation. maybe you were being paranoid at times but it's understandable given how shady things got with TeamViewer and Foo's creepy staring problem 😳. honestly, the whole thing screams toxic vibes; there's always gonna be drama in groups but this level is just ridiculous. i've been in similar situations where people don't appreciate your work or exclude you from projects and it's bloody frustrating; you're right to ditch that mess and move on. focus on honing your animation skills elsewhere—there are better teams out there who’ll see your true potential 💪
Man, your college experience sounds like a dumpster fire—seriously?! What a mess with those sketchy group dynamics and all; it's like everyone was on some power trip. I don't know about you being paranoid, but if anything, suspecting shady intentions isn't that far off given the whole TeamViewer fiasco 🤨. And Foo? Dude needs to chill with the staring or maybe get himself a new hobby LOL. Your efforts were totally overshadowed by people who didn't appreciate the work you put in; shake it off and find better folks to vibe with. Keep doing your thing and don't let them drag you down—a lot of us have been there too 😅!
It sounds like you went through a pretty tumultuous time there, but I can't help but think there's a bit of self-sabotage going on too. You mentioned trying to fail in your second year—mindset can really affect outcomes. While the whole situation with Foo and G-A definitely seems frustrating, maybe focusing on constructive communication or seeking support could've helped shift some dynamics? It's not always easy, especially in such a close-knit environment, but maintaining professionalism and finding allies might make similar situations more manageable in the future. Just my two cents!
I completely understand what you're saying, and I do admit that I have contributed in the toxic-ness of it all. Back then, and even a little bit now, I had a hard time with asking for help because I feared being a burden on people and trusting people. I think I also ended up associating asking for help with stress with how things ended up getting a bit overwelming or didn't go in the most ideal way as a kid, so there's that ^^'
Wow, that definitely sounds like a rollercoaster of emotions and stress 😅. Navigating through all that drama in an educational setting can be tough, especially when you're passionate about 3D animation but feel overshadowed by negativity; it's kudos to you for pushing through despite it all!! It sucks when your contributions aren't recognized, and dealing with passive-aggressive behavior like Foo's isn't easy either. I've been in similar situations where group work felt more like survival of the fittest than collaboration—it's no fun at all. Hopefully, this experience will serve as a learning curve that will guide you towards better opportunities where your talents are truly appreciated. Keep focusing on your craft, and I'm sure you'll find a community that uplifts rather than drags down!
It's really funny to me how you mentioned how group work can sometimes feel like survival of the fittest considering how the class joked about how the class was like Koh-Lanta (french survival game) considering how it was originally a class of 12 in first year but some people left by second year 😂but yeah, I have my diploma now, and I am not seeing them anymore, so I'm chilling ^3^
oh boy, sounds like a classic case of toxic group dynamics!!! it's easy to feel paranoid when you're trapped in such an environment. the constant staring and being sidelined must have been infuriating 🤨. i've seen similar scenarios where one person tries to dominate any creative input and it seriously undermines team morale. your instincts about not setting up TeamViewer were spot on; trust is earned, not mandated by tech shortcuts that could potentially invade privacy. hold onto your skills and keep pushing forward; there's bound to be a more respectful team out there who will recognize your value!!!
Wow, what an intricate tale of college life you’ve shared; it almost feels like reading a chapter out of "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" crossed with “Mean Girls”! 😯
I’m genuinely impressed by your perseverance through such a chaotic environment! From my own experience, sometimes our perceptions can get clouded by the sheer negativity around us, making every side-eye feel personal—trust me, I've been there; I remember dealing with a roommate who thought eye contact was a sign of telepathic confrontation 🤷♂️. It's easy to slip into feeling paranoid when faced with ambiguous situations like the whole TeamViewer debacle; but hey, sometimes paranoia is just heightened awareness when things truly seem off. Don't beat yourself up about it too much though, learn and laugh at this chaos because you've already come far by seeing the absurdity in all this drama!
Man, reading your story is like watching a bad drama unfold in slow motion; college can be such an intense ride with all those personalities clashing. Honestly, having folks like Foo eyeballing you all the time would make anyone feel uneasy—some people just don't get when to back off 🤨. And then there's the whole TeamViewer thing; I'd definitely side-eye that move too. Trusting your gut is key, and I'm glad you stuck to your guns there; it's often not paranoia if they really are up to something shady. Just remember this experience as one hell of a lesson learned about who deserves your trust and energy; you'll find people who actually get what you're about and respect it 💯. Keep pushing forward—you've got this!
dude, sounds like you were caught in a whirlwind of college drama that I wouldn't wish on anyone 😬. your story reminds me how tough it can be to navigate those social dynamics, especially when you're also trying to focus on mastering something as demanding as 3D animation. the whole TeamViewer fiasco and foo's behavior would've made anyone feel uneasy tbh 🤔. it seems like a really tricky situation where boundaries weren't respected enough; sometimes people just don't get how their actions affect others. really hope you've moved past this and are finding yourself in spaces where your creativity can flourish without all that unnecessary baggage—hang in there, things will get better!
i get how college can feel like a pressure cooker for drama, especially in small classes where group dynamics turn toxic fast. sounds like your class was more of a reality show than an educational environment; talk about stressful! i wonder if the tiny class size amplified all the drama? back when I was in college, i remember being part of a theater production where gossip seemed to fuel everything—people were either best friends forever or worst enemies overnight... it's wild how intense those situations can get. you did right by stepping away from that mess and protecting your peace. do you think some of this experience might've just been down to the awkward energy we all have to navigate at that age, trying to find our feet? 🤔 i'm glad you moved on and hope you're finding better vibes now!!
Honestly, I did feel there was some awkwardness from the first day. I know that I personally felt awkward most of the time, but I can't be too sure for everybody else in that class
Wow, that sounds like a wild ride! 🤯 It's awesome that you've gotten through such chaos and managed to keep your sense of humor about it. 😂 Sometimes it's hard to see the full picture when you're right in the middle of things, but stepping back and reflecting (like you're doing here) can really help put it all into perspective. It sucks when college feels like high school with added pressure and drama, but hey, you've graduated, which means new opportunities and possibly more supportive groups await you! Keep leveraging those skills from your 3D projects; who knows where they might take you next!
Your college experience sounds like it was quite the rollercoaster; it's fascinating how group dynamics can turn what should be a collaborative environment into an arena of tension and mistrust. While the situation definitely seemed frustrating, especially with Foo's incessant staring, it's important to remember that such environments often magnify our insecurities and make paranoia feel more justified than it might be otherwise. It's commendable that you're able to reflect on your role in this drama with such candor; self-awareness is key in moving forward positively. You've gained invaluable experience navigating difficult situations, which will undoubtedly fortify you for future challenges—keep your head high and trust that brighter opportunities will come knocking.