Cohort from Hell?

[Tinman88]

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I'm a second year student who gets along with everyone else and the other cohorts very well. Just not my own. Anyone have to deal with fellow students/share an office with people you could just not deal with? How did you deal with it?

There is typical academia competition over research, coursework, and then high school level drama about X said "....". Most recently I went to the large office we share and my ENTIRE desk was moved to a different one because a fellow student wanted to be closer to the air conditioner, never asked, just moved everything. This is not the first time my desk/personal belongings have been rearranged because someone preferred things a different way.

My solution as of late has been I only go to my office for office hours. I just work from home the rest of the time which is a pain but less stressful than being on campus.

 

[PsyDr]

Uhm, you're not using your knowledge about operant conditioning here. Why do they move your stuff? Because the reward is better than the cost. And how do you correct behavior like this in kids?

There's dozens of techniques here. You're gonna deal with conflict in practice. Better learn how to get comfortable with it now.

 

[WisNeuro]

I had my own office. But, if I was sharing and someone moved my stuff, they would have found my stuff back where it was, and their stuff wrapped up in about 40 rolls of saran wrap and duct tape.

 

[Spydra]

Are you required to share an office with your cohort or are you allowed to share with other students in your program assuming everyone involved is ok with that? If that is an option it is worth exploring. If not then as ridiculous as it sounds you may need to have an office meeting in which some policies/compromises are established and agreed upon among everyone so that no one's desk is just relocated without permission.

I share an office with my lab that doubles as the lounge and we are getting along ok, but are very different in terms of work styles, organization, lounge needs, etc. Since I don't need to have office hours it has been easier for me to set up a home office to work from and go into the lab office sparingly.

 

[smalltownpsych]

To paraphrase Francis aka "people call me psycho". "Any of you losers touch my stuff and I'll kill ya". Then again maybe death threats would be excessive. Listen to Wisneuro and stick with duct tape and plastic wrap. 🙂

 

[erg923]

I'm a second year student who gets along with everyone else and the other cohorts very well. Just not my own. Anyone have to deal with fellow students/share an office with people you could just not deal with? How did you deal with it?

There is typical academia competition over research, coursework, and then high school level drama about X said "....". Most recently I went to the large office we share and my ENTIRE desk was moved to a different one because a fellow student wanted to be closer to the air conditioner, never asked, just moved everything. This is not the first time my desk/personal belongings have been rearranged because someone preferred things a different way.

My solution as of late has been I only go to my office for office hours. I just work from home the rest of the time which is a pain but less stressful than being on campus.

I agree with others. Your "solution" has been to passively reinforce the behavior and take no steps towards problem solving--something that I would expect of, and is frankly needed, in someone whom is studying to be an expert consultant in the area of human behavior (ie., a psychologist).