Department of Mechanical Engineering

Had a really pleasant experience working with the office members. They answered my questions and connected me to who I needed really quickly and were very kind as well
Oct 3rd, 2023

I haven't worked here for years, but the effects of working here still haunt me and affect my well-being. Many of the grad students here (male and female) were the most condescending and thankless, stuck-up, superiority-complexed know-it-alls I ever had the displeasure of working for. Even when I solved very niche problems for them that they were unable to solve with the help of their colleagues, they were often too prideful to ever give me thanks...when THEY were the ones who originally asked for help! (probably not expecting us to have a solution). Just radio silence. You could tell that they looked down on us. They took great pleasure in our mistakes or ignorance--in fact, reveled in it--and made sure we knew as much. It fed their ego. I obviously have an ego too (that was bruised), but no one needs to worry about egos remaining in-tact when you simply follow the traditional "please" and "thank you" transactions that humanity has developed over the centuries. (Afterwards, mock in private all you want. As long as you're out of earshot, and you've already fulfilled your societal obligation of being cordial and thanking the person who helped you solve a problem.) Not to mention going so far as sending targeted messages to people within the department you see as less-than to gleefully point out and revel in their mistakes, simply to make them feel bad about themselves (while laughably disguising the insults as "advice" in a vain attempt to maintain the moral high-ground), which is what happened to me in this department. Sadistic and evil. I felt like I was being bullied by a stereotypical Redditor. (In fact, I think many of us can be pretty evil on anonymous platforms. But this is real life, communicating with people you have to see in-person. There's a different standard of humanity that's expected to be followed...for the sake of protecting your own public reputation, if nothing else. But I guess that dopamine rush in stroking your ego by degrading and pointing out the mistakes of another member of your department can be too unbearably delicious an opportunity to pass up, and worth the risk. Yum yum, happy brain chemicals.) I assume the silent thankless ones thought it was just a fluke when we solved a problem that they were unable to, or they convinced themselves that the problem must not have been as difficult to solve as they originally thought. The professors were almost always nice and thankful, on the other hand. (Granted, they probably have a lot more to lose if they are unkind to those below them.) And, to be fair, many of the students were cordial (as they should be) as well. (Also to be fair, superiority complexes and big egos are not unique to this department--It's basically--and exhaustingly--the lifeblood of such a competitive school, and only seems to worsen in the graduate programs.)
Jun 10th, 2023