How to deal with Overbearing Obnoxious Classmate?

[GQGomer]

Here's the situation: one of the women in my class is trying to take over the class at everyone else's expense. She has already taken courses that most of the class hasn't taken yet, so she already knows the info we're covering. As a result, she yells out answers and intimidates the rest of the class to the point many are afraid to ask questions. On the few occasions other classmates dare to speak up, she jumps in and overrides the instructors' answers. The instructors have let her get away with it so far, so I doubt talking to the instructors would help. In skills lab, if there is anything that requires one person to demonstrate, she pushes her way in so no one else gets a chance to do anything. Making the situation worse is, a few weeks into the semester, our class voted for classmates to act as liaisons between the class and the instructors. She mainly was voted in d/t her personal friends plus, at the time, the other students who didn't know her too well voted for her because they *assumed* she was "smart." Most students, at the time of the vote didn't realize that she wasn't "smart" & that her knowledge was just a result of already have taken the classes. At the time of the vote, we also hadn't been in class long enough for most students to come to the realization that this classmate was pushy and overbearing.

However, now, a lot of students have realized why this woman knew answers (d/t previously taking similar coursework) and also are realizing this woman is selfishly hogging all of the opportunities in the class to the point no one else gets opportunities to participate in certain things. The upshot is that a lot of people are regretting voting for this woman now that they are realizing what she is, but we're pretty well stuck with her as a liaison. The situation has been escalating especially since she got voted in and also with the instructors not reigning her in. The bottom line is she is trying to show off and she also has the attitude that the classes are all about HER. She's also a real butt licker with the instructors, so that exacerbates the situation making her even pushier and more out of control.

So, we have a classmate who thinks the classes are her personal playground and everything revolves around her and to heck with the other 30 students.

The question is: how to best manage this woman so the rest of us can benefit from the class? Or are people like this just lost causes?!

[KristeyK]

Has anyone tried to approach her in a non-confrontational manner yet? There is a GOOD chance she doesn't realize what it is she is doing. I'd say to give her the benefit of the doubt and figure out a way to approach her. HTH!