Saule

I'm just getting out of a situation like that. I did undergrad research and my group was mean to me from the beginning. All I did was be nice but they seemed to try to look for the first reason to label me as unproductive or unhelpful when I did great work and created a device that completely transformed (in a positive way) the way one of the grad students conducted his research. I tried to be as helpful and polite as possible but nothing worked and I was never included in lunch or anything after a few months.. Anyway, this situation sounds all too familiar and my advice is to stay strong because obviously professors favor you (with the funding and all). Speakling from experience now, It's pure jealousy on their part and understanding that solves half of the problem. It's easier said than done but hype yourself everyday and go into school as positive as you can. Make your own happiness and don't let them get you down. They got nothin on you! That's the reason why their trying to mess with you. You don't need their validation because it sounds like you're pretty awesome. Keep your head up!

So sad to hear you are in such a poisonous environment. I had that in the undergrad with folks sabotaging others' work, plotting and gossiping. steer clear and stick to your work and friends. You don t want to be erroneously associated with the uncollegial group of people. At the same time, note well the names so as to avoid those people in the future. I for one have a s..t list. It s not very long, it s all in my head.

I personally would stop telling answers to those who are not nice. Why bother. your friends yes but others? let them go to office hours.

I am in no way justifying the unprofessional behavior of your cohort but part of growing up is learning how to deal with people you don't like. You probably won't want to be friends with with most of the people you encounter in your career. That's okay. You're there to do good research, learn as much as you can from your mentor, and be polite to those around you. It's a shame your peers are less ambitious and not the type to encourage you to do you best. Let their comments bounce off of you. Keep working hard and getting funding awards. It's better not to disclose funding to peers, anyway because it breeds jealousy and greed. My boss recently obtained a $12M grant and professors are coming out of the woodwork, giving me their sob stories as if I can somehow relay that to my boss and get them a sympathy grant. The real world doesn't work that way. The best way to handle your cohort is professionally. Kill em with kindness. You'll probably be their boss someday.

This is the sort of petty cliquishness that comes in most work environments. Think of it like a job, stay professional and try to make friends outside of grad school. That will really help put some perspective on the pettiness. You don't have to be friends with them; I'm certainly not friends with all of my coworkers, I don't even like most of them, but we have to work together.
 
Also, I've always been a fan of "killing them with kindness" when people are unnecessarily rude or mean. It's hard to continue that when all you're doing is being friendly and polite.

Hey guys! I'm just finishing up my 1st year of grad school. I love my program and school but my cohort...not so much. I have a fairly large cohort (15-20 people). Most of us came straight out of undergrad. However, we're a fairly diverse group (some are married, some live alone-like myself, some come from different parts of the country, etc.) And while I've made some good friends in my program, I feel a certain hostility from others that I'm not so close to and I can't understand it.
 
All of us take the same classes every semester so we're together quite often. I enjoy our classes and the work, so I try to put my best effort into everything I do (I'll be using this knowledge in my career, so why not?). However, I've experienced comments such as, "Why are you doing it that way?", "You don't need to do all that extra work.", "You're going to make the rest of us look bad.", "You're a know-it-all." Some of these are told to me directly while others I've heard whispered about me. When people in my cohort ask for help, I'm more than happy to help them with the coursework. And yet, I feel like I'm being used for answers, and then mocked about the effort I put in after I've helped them. Sometimes, they roll their eyes when I offer answers in class or giggle during a presentation I'm giving. Then, they complain all the time about the amount of work we have to do, how our classes are stupid and the professors can't teach, and the professors will never know if they share answers on assignments we turn in later. This atmosphere just seems so petty, competitive, and suffocating. Also, I recently got a large sum of funding from the department. I didn't tell anyone except my closest friends in the program because I didn't want to seem like I was bragging (funding is scarce in my department already). Somehow, people found out and no one seems to want to talk to me anymore. It's gotten to a point where I mostly just want to go to class, not raise my hand anymore to contribute towards discussions, and go home immediately after. I've tried to be friends with them (I admit, I'm a bit of an introvert) but nothing has worked. 
 
I knew grad school was competitive but I didn't know it could be this hostile. I don't brag about my grades or funding, so I don't know what their problem is with me. I thought grad school would be all about collaborating with each other and helping each other but I guess not. My family, boyfriend, friends, and the few people I'm close with in the department have been really supportive and told me that they're just jealous bullies and to not pay attention to them. I try but it's hard when I see them almost everyday, and will be seeing them almost every day for the next few years.
 
Has anyone else experienced bullies in grad school? How did you handle it? Please sure your stories and advice. Thanks!