I came to an university for my master’s studies, along with five batchmates from my country. Since most groups are formed in threes, two of them teamed up with me and instructed me not to help the other two. While I am strictly against plagiarism, I see nothing wrong with collaborating and sharing information.
I soon noticed that these two group mates only care about people they deem useful and completely ignore those they consider beneath them. They also lie to mislead others and ensure they don’t complete assignments properly. For example, one of them lied about finishing an assignment, saying he hadn’t completed it when he had. He could have said, “I’ve completed it but can’t share it. However, I can help you understand the topic.” This behavior annoyed me, and I began distancing myself from them.
Realizing this, they flattered the other two batchmates and included them in their team, trying to isolate me further. Unfortunately, I later realized that the other two shared their mindset of ignoring those they don’t need. Now, I am without teammates and handling everything alone, which is putting a lot of pressure on me.
There was an internship position for five people, which they secured by approaching the professor before I could, despite my better grades. I was preoccupied with completing my courses alone. There was one more position available, but they didn’t inform me.
When I finished my exams and sought a position, only a lesser opportunity was left, offering one-third of their total payment. Later, I found out I would be working in the same lab as them. On the first day, their pale faces showed they didn’t want me there. They had not told me about the opportunity they secured a month earlier, yet they questioned why I hadn’t informed them I was joining the lab.
These childish, competitive antics are making me feel sick. Sometimes, I wonder if I did something wrong. I grew up in a different culture, where I compete with myself rather than engage in such competition with others. Unfortunately, now I have to work in the same team. I’m worried they will plot against me to force me out.
Please advise on how to address this situation.
Clarification based on few answers:
- I have no complaints about not being informed initially. I focused on my exams and approached for the internship two days before the deadline, getting a smaller package. When I didn’t inform them about my role, they reacted negatively, though they hadn’t informed me either. I later found out the professor was looking for one more person and the slot remained empty. This made me feel they might not want me on their team. Should I be comfortable with that going forward to work on same lab?
- Initially, I chose to work with them due to ease of language. However, I noticed they isolated one of our four apartment mates, ignoring his general questions and confusion about course topics. When I asked why, they said he was from a lower-ranked faculty and wouldn’t be useful to them in the future. This behavior disgusted me and seemed likely to spread unnecessary toxicity. By helping I mean answering general questions or helping to resolve confusion regarding a topic, not specifically tutoring him. Why would someone have to lie because he is from a lower demand faculty?
- After the incident mentioned in point 1, I worked with other people, including those from different countries. Many of them were warm, collaborative, and helpful with questions. Unfortunately, I applied for the internship at the last moment and ended up with the same group. That’s why I’ve mentioned only these five people. I ignored only two of them; the others might be unaware of what is happening.