The Student Room Group

Has anyone been bullied at uni?

Just wondered if this goes on because there have been times when I have felt intimidated by a particular individual and have not known what to do.

I don't know if telling someone would help but it feels like I should know how to deal with it.

Scroll to see replies

intimidated how?

you could just avoid them
Reply 2
Original post by anonymous121264
intimidated how?

you could just avoid them


Close living quarters. Gets aggressive when no one else is around. Already avoid as much as possible.
Reply 3
Original post by Mr Student
Close living quarters. Gets aggressive when no one else is around. Already avoid as much as possible.


What's the thing that's intimidating? His size? Strength?

Maybe just have a friendly chat and get to know them?
A right hook should do the job
Reply 5
Original post by zed963
What's the thing that's intimidating? His size? Strength?

Maybe just have a friendly chat and get to know them?


3X the size of me.
One guy I knew and was at least cordial with kind of turned round for no reason in a lecture and slapped me across the face do you mean something like that in the end the groups changed and I didn't see him uni third year where I completely ignored him.
Reply 7
Yeah I used to be back in my first year. A lot of my initial friends at uni happened to be girls and some guys were just being too immature about it.
Reply 8
Original post by jonathanemptage
One guy I knew and was at least cordial with kind of turned round for no reason in a lecture and slapped me across the face do you mean something like that in the end the groups changed and I didn't see him uni third year where I completely ignored him.


It's more verbal aggression.
(edited 9 years ago)
I haven't seen any or heard of any, I hope people wouldn't actively go out of their way to make someone's life hell.

But there are unpleasant and really bitchy people, so I know why you'd feel intimidated. Especially on some courses it's so cliquey and you wonder whether you're still stuck in high school.
It wasn't bullying as such, but there were a group of boys in halls in my first year who would call me names, shout at me from across the street, laugh at me over who knows what etc. I always felt very uncomfortable around them but I tried not to let it get to me.
There are bullies in all walks of life, of all ages. Generally there are fewer bullies at uni because people do grow up. I think the transitional years between finishing high school and going to uni allow a lot of people to grow up, and then actually getting to uni gives a fresh start. The people who are bullies at uni, I think anyway, are just not very nice people. High school bullies tend to do it to fit in as much as anything else.

If somebody is bullying you, ask them why they're doing it. Don't make a scene, get them on their own. They might not realise what they're even doing, or might think they're being funny. I certainly wouldn't stand for it at uni, though, because people should definitely have grown up by that point.
No, the furthest It's gone was someone really drunk pissing me off by pressuring me to drink and calling me out to justify myself for not drinking and she wasn't having any of it.
I was bullied in my first year of uni. Suffered in silence for most of the year before finally breaking down just before first year exams. Told my tutor, who took it uber-seriously and did his best (in his haphazard way) to try and iron out the problems :yes:
Original post by The_Lonely_Goatherd
I was bullied in my first year of uni. Suffered in silence for most of the year before finally breaking down just before first year exams. Told my tutor, who took it uber-seriously and did his best (in his haphazard way) to try and iron out the problems :yes:


Can you elaborate on the nature of it or would you prefer to keep that private?

How did they try to help you sort it out?

Did it affect your performance? I know it can play on the mind.
I think it's safe to say that if you go to a **** uni there are more bullies. There's some motivation to work hard.
Original post by Mr Student
Can you elaborate on the nature of it or would you prefer to keep that private?

How did they try to help you sort it out?

Did it affect your performance? I know it can play on the mind.


The person in question said lots of horrible racist, class-ist, anti-comprehensive stuff and just tried to make me look stupid in front of tutors, at every/any given opportunity. He also said how I didn't deserve to be at Oxford and loads of **** like that. Just made my life hell really :frown:

My tutor had a huge go at the person in question and threatened to chuck him out of the uni, etc.

I didn't think it affected my performance tbh but I didn't do well at uni and some of my tutors will tell you that low self-esteem played a part in that :dontknow:
Original post by The_Lonely_Goatherd
The person in question said lots of horrible racist, class-ist, anti-comprehensive stuff and just tried to make me look stupid in front of tutors, at every/any given opportunity. He also said how I didn't deserve to be at Oxford and loads of **** like that. Just made my life hell really :frown:

My tutor had a huge go at the person in question and threatened to chuck him out of the uni, etc.

I didn't think it affected my performance tbh but I didn't do well at uni and some of my tutors will tell you that low self-esteem played a part in that :dontknow:


Hope things turned out for the best in your career pursuits and personal life :-)

Thanks for sharing.
Original post by Mr Student
Hope things turned out for the best in your career pursuits and personal life :-)

Thanks for sharing.


No worries :h:
Reply 19
I'm English and go to uni in Northern Ireland. In Northern Ireland bullying English people and making them feel like outcasts is the norm. Some people are nice but not that many.

Quick Reply

Latest