Does bullying exist for postgrad students?

I don't look back fondly on my undergrad degree. I graduated in 2017. People say undergrad is one of the best experiences of your life. But I was bullied and had no friends (for the most part). Tbh it made me depressed and dread lectures. I skipped A LOT of lectures because I was depressed and I isolated myself. I did badly in my first two years but aced third year and came out with a 2.1 :smile:

. In my third year I made a friend, and was kind of friends with her friend. My third year was my fondest.

I've applied for a master's degree to start in September 2023. I'm a different person now and I grew a thick skin. But I still have social anxiety issues and I'm worried about this, as dumb as it sounds. Is it a possibility that bullying can happen for master's students? How common is that? My only hope is that I'll be surrounded by more mature students so I don't think I will but I'm still worried.

Posting anonymously because I'm embarrassed.

Reply 1

londonmyst

19

Yes, sometimes.
Bullying can happen anywhere and to anyone.
Any age, any profession and any venue- offline or online.

It is important to always trust your gut instinct and put your health first.
Steer clear of all vicious, dishonest, criminal and noisy people.
Whether they be students, lecturers, restaurant staff, guest speakers, uni donors or anyone else.

Reply 2

Little pecker

20

Exists in every context of life, inc. work etc.

May not just be outright physical

Reply 3

University of Bath Postgraduate

Official Rep

8

Original post by Anonymous

I don't look back fondly on my undergrad degree. I graduated in 2017. People say undergrad is one of the best experiences of your life. But I was bullied and had no friends (for the most part). Tbh it made me depressed and dread lectures. I skipped A LOT of lectures because I was depressed and I isolated myself. I did badly in my first two years but aced third year and came out with a 2.1 :smile:

. In my third year I made a friend, and was kind of friends with her friend. My third year was my fondest.

I've applied for a master's degree to start in September 2023. I'm a different person now and I grew a thick skin. But I still have social anxiety issues and I'm worried about this, as dumb as it sounds. Is it a possibility that bullying can happen for master's students? How common is that? My only hope is that I'll be surrounded by more mature students so I don't think I will but I'm still worried.

Posting anonymously because I'm embarrassed.

Sorry to hear you had such a difficult experience at undergrad.

Although of course nothing is guaranteed, I am just about to finish my MA and I think the atmosphere whilst doing a postgrad has been really different to the atmosphere at undergrad. People have grown up a bit more, even those who came straight from their undergrad degree. There are also mature students sometimes, which I think changes the environment.

In my experience, doing a postgrad degree has been much more study-oriented than doing my undergrad, when a lot of people were just there for the university experience. That's not a bad thing, of course, but I felt that doing my postgrad definitely suited me better in that the actual degree was everyone's priority.

I hope your postgrad goes well for you, and that you have a different experience!

Maya

Reply 4

University of Bradford

Official Rep

18

Original post by Anonymous

I don't look back fondly on my undergrad degree. I graduated in 2017. People say undergrad is one of the best experiences of your life. But I was bullied and had no friends (for the most part). Tbh it made me depressed and dread lectures. I skipped A LOT of lectures because I was depressed and I isolated myself. I did badly in my first two years but aced third year and came out with a 2.1 :smile:

. In my third year I made a friend, and was kind of friends with her friend. My third year was my fondest.

I've applied for a master's degree to start in September 2023. I'm a different person now and I grew a thick skin. But I still have social anxiety issues and I'm worried about this, as dumb as it sounds. Is it a possibility that bullying can happen for master's students? How common is that? My only hope is that I'll be surrounded by more mature students so I don't think I will but I'm still worried.

Posting anonymously because I'm embarrassed.

Hey! How are you?

I just wanted to check in and see how you were feeling now about starting your master's in sep? Don't be embarrassed about how you feel, it's completely normal to feel that way especially having a bad experience during your undergrad.

The dynamics and social atmosphere can vary significantly between undergrad and postgrad study, like you say you'll probably be surrounded by more mature students. Master's programmes often have a smaller class size, which helps create more of a sense of community and invite closer relationships to form between students. They can also attract students from various backgrounds and experiences, leading to a more inclusive and accepting environment :smile:

I know it can be hard to put your past experience behind you, but I'd just say try your best to approach your master's degree with an open mind and fresh perspective. Embrace this new chapter of your life with the confidence and thick skin you now have, and I hope you are able to surround yourself with supportive people once you start in sep :smile:

Good luck!

Becky

Original post by Anonymous

I don't look back fondly on my undergrad degree. I graduated in 2017. People say undergrad is one of the best experiences of your life. But I was bullied and had no friends (for the most part). Tbh it made me depressed and dread lectures. I skipped A LOT of lectures because I was depressed and I isolated myself. I did badly in my first two years but aced third year and came out with a 2.1 :smile:

. In my third year I made a friend, and was kind of friends with her friend. My third year was my fondest.

I've applied for a master's degree to start in September 2023. I'm a different person now and I grew a thick skin. But I still have social anxiety issues and I'm worried about this, as dumb as it sounds. Is it a possibility that bullying can happen for master's students? How common is that? My only hope is that I'll be surrounded by more mature students so I don't think I will but I'm still worried.

Posting anonymously because I'm embarrassed.

Hi there,

I’m sorry to hear about your difficult experiences as an undergrad.
I’ve been at Cranfield (a postgrad-only uni) for nearly 3 years now, and I can say with confidence that the atmosphere is quite different, so hopefully sharing my perspective will be helpful.

First, as others have said, bullying is never non-existent. This goes for universities, social situations, and even workplaces, so unfortunately you will never be 100% removed from that atmosphere. What does change is people grow up a bit, and with that comes more respect and less childish behaviours (like bullying).
What is also different is that there tends to be a greater variance in ages, as it is quite common to take a break from education between your under- and postgraduate courses to work, travel, and really figure out your career goals. Having a more diverse range of ages can make ‘cliquey’ behaviours less common, as it is a traditionally ‘teenage’ mindset.
What’s important to remember is that although you won’t ever be guaranteed that bullying won’t occur in any space, you should have good supports against that happening in an educational setting. In Cranfield we have a service called ‘Student Academic Support’ (SAS) who help with a range of admin, but can also help with peer-to-peer issues. If you do need help with bullying, or difficulties with classmates or other students, you have plenty of options of people to talk to; SAS, your course director, lecturers, and even other students.
On top of that, we have counselling services that can help you find ways to minimise your social anxiety and develop new friendships while here, and then you will have a support system just as you described in your third year of undergrad.

A great time of year at Cranfield is September/October, when almost everyone on campus is new. Since we are postgrad-only, very few people know anyone before arriving, meaning everyone is looking to make new connections, friendships, both within their course and with others. This is doubly true from those who (like me) come from a different country, or have travelled a long distance to study here (which ends up being most of the student body!). Recognising that NOBODY has existing friend groups makes it a lot easier to start a conversation with a stranger. There are plenty of events in this time to facilitate meeting others, organised by individual societies (sports clubs, social and special interest clubs, and even cultural clubs) as well as the Cranfield Students Association (CSA). I would really encourage you to attend as many as you feel comfortable with, even though it can feel quite hectic with many things to do relating to your course!
Having said that, there are plenty of opportunities to meet people throughout the year, with regular parties (themed ones too!) at the CSA (which has an on-campus bar), events hosted for international events such as Holi, Chinese New Year, and Eid. Even if you are not a part of that culture, it is a great time to learn about these celebrations and meet others (and usually enjoy some great food, which is my favourite part of any event!) 😊

Best of luck with your postgraduate studies, and wishing you the best social and academic experiences!
Ciara
3rd year Agrifood PhD student
Cranfield Student Ambassador

Does bullying exist for postgrad students?

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you