If you can't say something nice....

O man, did I have a run-in with a guy today.

So there's this guy that lives down the opposite wing of my floor that came to me about a week and a half ago and asked if I could help him with his algebra. At the time I had just finished a terrible Biochem exam and I hadn't planned on doing any more of my own homework, so I told him I would if I could. Two hours later it's about midnight and he's still in my room, but finally I tell him I really need to get to bed and he leaves. Even though the process was a lot longer than I anticipated, I felt good to have helped him out, and he told me later that he did well on his exam, which made me feel even better.

He was very persistent about rewarding me somehow, which I was grateful for, but his only payment method was an offer to take me to the bar. Alone. With this random 6-foot guy I hardly even know. To be honest, I wasn't expecting any kind of payment anyway, it was a one time thing and I had the spare time to help him, so it wasn't a big deal. Anyway, I dodged his offers to go to the bar by telling him I was extremely busy with my own school work (which is a great excuse because it's always true), but I was always really nice about it.

SO, then this week is midterms of course, and I've got another gut-wrenching Biochem exam on Monday that I'm already studying my buns off for, and he comes to me again, wanting help with the same material. Only more of it, because this test is, afterall, a mid-term. I tell him that I'm very busy studying for some of my own exams but that if by any chance I do get caught up and have extra time, I'd let him know so I could help him. Well, I didn't get extra time, but that didn't stop him from trying his hardest to get me to help him anyway. Last night it got a little tense when he stopped by and asked what I was doing tonight. I said I had a study group in the evening but I wasn't sure how long it would take, but if I got done early enough perhaps I could help him. I told him that main campus does offer free tutoring however, because I was fully aware that I'm not the greatest resource--my own school work takes up the majority of my time. He told me that was bad advice. Bad advice he says! Like, the words came out of his mouth. "They're not available when I am" he says. So what about your professors? "Their office hours aren't convenient." Well, what about a separate appointment outside of office hours? "They can never help me long enough."

So, in a nutshell, apparently I'm his last hope. Which is bullshit by the way.

Today he walks by my room around dinner time, I'm watching TV and studying Biochem, and he says he'll be right back, as if he has something to tell me. Ok whatever. Well, he comes back with his books and calculator, and when he sees I'm busy working on my own stuff, he starts saying crap like, "Didn't we speak about this last night? I thought you agreed to help me." When I explain to him AGAIN that I have a study group and my own studying to do, it escalades to the point that he begins accusing me of lying to him and each time I try to talk he just talks over me, so then I have to shout--and I don't like shouting. In fact, I don't like confrontations at all. I get sick to my stomach, I shake, I feel scared, and worst of all, my intellect leaves. Even when people say something completely ridiculous I can rarely think of something to say back.

I finally asked him to leave, at which point he walks out my door and then continues to yell at me from the hall. He told me it "wasn't all about me." Which is painfully true of course. His midterm has nothing to do with me, and if he's not prepared then I certainly shouldn't be held responsible. I wanted to explain this to him, but I didn't want to shout anymore and I was really uncomfortable and just wanted him to leave. So I shut my door in his face. I didn't know what else to do.

I wish I had never helped him at all. What a jerk. :(