Classroom politics

aparsonsmomof3 · Dec 21, 2007

I think that this type of behavior is everywhere when more than two women are together. I worked for a national housecleaning company for many years and all of the workers were women. They formed little groups and boy was there some gossip and backstabbing going on!! I got through it my being friendly with every single employee and not participating in the gossip talk. When they tried to include me in the gossip...I just quietly walked away and never said anything. I worked with these women 40 hours a week and I did not want my time there to be miserable. I would not participate in there gabfests, yet I didn't keep to myself either. I made it a point to personally greet each worker every day and helped them when they needed it. This type of behavior earned me Employee of The Year or runner up every single year I was there...co-workers voted for the award...not the management or owners.

I figure that if I could charm the pants off of 30 rough women. And believe me...cleaning other people's houses really toughen you up...I could do the same with thirty nursing students. So far...so good. I haven't started yet...January start date, Yahoo! But, during Orientation, I made it a point to greet every person there, introduce myself, ask them who they were, repeat their name, and say that I was glad to meet them. These actions rewarded me with goodbye's from every single student as we left Orientation. Not everyone said goodbye, but all the students said goodbye to me.

These ladies and gentlemen are going to spend an awful lot of time with me over the next 2 years. I'm going to need these people to help me through the program. First impressions are really important. I hope that the first impression my fellow students got of me was that I'm friendly and approacheable and not standoffish. If I keep to myself and not ever say anything...this may give them the impression that I may think I'm above them...not good...this would just set me up for being the next victim of the gossipmongers!

I'm sorry that my post is so long guys. I make it shorter next time, promise.

GeauxNursing · Dec 21, 2007

I've read a lot of posts on here where people have mentioned other students in their classes forming cliques, spreading gossip, passing notes in class, etc. Is this just the younger students who just got out of high school doing all this nonsense? It sounds so juvenile. I'm in my 30s and will be starting NS this fall and I cannot afford to get caught up in those kinds of distractions.
What is everyones' experience with this type of behavior? Also, do those who act like this usually become the ones who struggle and fail the course?

actually no. the ones who were talking s%^t and trying to make me feel bad for getting A's are actually in their 30's and 40;s. 'tis a shame. but as time went on this semester, lots of the drama stopped. except with the whiners, who will forever be blaming someone else for the wrongs committed against them! lol