Cheating!!!!!!

[DrBowtie]

I give up - how do you cheat with a water bottle?

You really couldn't take a guess at how?

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[Sparda29]

I give up - how do you cheat with a water bottle?

Well, you take the original outside tape off, get some tape, write on the sticky side of it, and place it onto the bottle. You could read off of it.

 

[HanginInThere]

Supposedly they had been doing it for a few semesters, so they had the whole course down packed.

Huh? What's down packed?

My comforter is down packed. It's light and fluffy and very warm.

I wonder if Kurtz meant that they had the course down pat.

 

[academician2008]

You have to practice your cheating skills a lot during undergrad because you'll have to perform it perfectly on MCAT and USMLEs.

 

[HanginInThere]

Well, you take the original outside tape off, get some tape, write on the sticky side of it, and place it onto the bottle. You could read off of it.

Oh, so it's just another place to hide a cheat sheet? That's not nearly as inventive or exotic as I was hoping.

 

[sarah_bellum]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpQZDJ2fGnI

 

[amph119]

I think it's almost comical to ask if you have ever seen instances of cheating in college classes. I'm sitting in geography right now, which is a gen ed course. That basically means 39285749 people take it to fulfill some random university requirement that no one takes seriously.

You should have seen the first midterm exam. The class is held in a giant auditorium because the enrollment is so large, thus the professor is way down at the bottom away from most of the class. I could look around while taking the exam and see (not exaggerating here) 40 or 50 people discussing questions or using notes.

As I walked out after turning in the incredibly easy exam (I think that's the kicker in this story and tells a lot about my class), I couldn't even believe my eyes as I walked up the aisle.

It's going to happen everywhere. The trick is either sticking to your morals or do it and not get caught.

(joking of course about that last part)

 

[BigRedder]

Isn't that how white people get ahead in life?

"Hooow do I reach dees keeeeds?"

 

[crazy4clana]

I believe in karma, those cheaters will get what's coming to them.

 

[NoUse4aName1286]

Do you guys think studying from past exams in a given class is considered cheating?

No, the teacher knows s/he has given exams, people have them, and they are likely to circulate. Period.

We study from old MCAT's don't we?

 

[EpiPEN]

I don't think cheating is all that bad, especially most of the methods you guys have described. Bringing in a cheat sheet? entering equations in calculators? looking up information on google? Collaborate on papers? In real life you get cheat sheets and you get internet resources. Besides, if you go the distance of making a cheat sheet and hiding it in your pencil and reading it during a test, chances are you already memorized a good portion of what you wrote down during the processing of making the cheat sheet!

Okay, but if you just pay someone to take your test or straight copy someone else's paper, that's just bad. I once saw this ad on criagslist for some girl who was looking for a science major to take her chem test because she didn't have the time to study. She was offering pretty good pay too!

Once I was caught "cheating" on a mathmatical modeling/programming class becuase me and my friend had the same logic for solving a problem in one of the projects. (We discussed the problem together and worked on it in a study group, ofcourse our logic will be similar!) And even though I got A+ in all the tests including the final exam, I got a B+ in the class. I think that is dumb. Isn't our grade supposed to measure our level of understanding for the material and not the amount of time we spent on the homework?

But to the people who cheat on a regular basis, I mean, it's fair game! if they want to cheat and this is their survival strategy in life, then by all means, go ahead. I believe natural selection will weed out the weaker survival strategy in the end. And if honesty is that, then so be it.

 

[pakbabydoll]

What undergraduate Chemistry class allows you to bring programmable calculators to the exams?

Mine does, and its not good because we are tested on lab stuff too so people store their whole lab on the calculator. They store radicals ( I mean cmon everyone knows the basic ones), formulas, everything. On our first test along with some other stuff we also had to complete some equations and than balance them. You know like combustion, single replacement and that type of thing and people had the rules stored in the calculators

 

[45408]

But to the people who cheat on a regular basis, I mean, it's fair game! if they want to cheat and this is their survival strategy in life, then by all means, go ahead. I believe natural selection will weed out the weaker survival strategy in the end. And if honesty is that, then so be it.

You might feel differently when you get in a car accident and the paramedics that come for you were the ones that cheated in class and don't actually know the fact that is necessary to save your life. Or when you get to the ER, the nurses and residents all cheated to where they are and aren't sure what a patient in shock actually is.

 

[EpiPEN]

You might feel differently when you get in a car accident and the paramedics that come for you were the ones that cheated in class and don't actually know the fact that is necessary to save your life. Or when you get to the ER, the nurses and residents all cheated to where they are and aren't sure what a patient in shock actually is.

Just because they cheated doesn't mean they know how to save my life. I doubt that being to once able to remember every chemical in krebs will help the ER doc who is patching up my bleeding femoral artery. And if my family practitioner is trying to diagnose my condition, I wouldn't mind (in matter of fact, I might perfer it) for him to bust out some reference books to ensure that he's not basing it all on memory.

And of course I'm assuming the really really bad cheaters don't make it to that position to make decisions with my life. Becuase let's face it, even if you cheat, you don't become a doctor without some base knowledge of what you are doing (like being able to identify shock).

 

[Arc]

It's not cheating if you are using resources allowed by the teacher. I, however, had to take my OChem 1 final a couple of days late (business meeting out of town), and another guy who was taking it late told me he got the test questions from another student and offered them to me.

I didn't know what to do (obviously I didn't take them), but I saved his e-mail. I asked the professor if he would consider it cheating for me to use that information, and he said yes. When the other student scored considerably higher on the final than on his other tests, the teacher approached me and asked for a copy of the e-mail, which I gave him.

I hate being a snitch, but I still feel like it was the right thing to do.

for being a rat.

 

[zanaida10]

I not only see cheating DURING an exam, the kids at my school get test banks through their family (who might have a teaching license)...and get it shipped from f***ing JAPAN. It drives me insane, since these classes are hard enough and so unfair when your roommate parties the night before and gets away with an A in a physics exam the next day thanks to the fing test bank...we don't speak anymore.
Oh and god damn clickers...ughhh...i have a 60% because I missed some classes due to illness...she has three or four clickers in her room (her, her bf's, her friends ect...) and they all take turns...i hate this.

and i wouldn't cheat, had the opportunity when a professor left me with a make up exam and my bag pack and actually told me he was leave the building to go teach a class...but i didn't cheat even though i'd have loved a 100%...i made a 90% but thanks ok. so. i wouldn't cheat but i also hate others cheating and getting away with it all the time. its not fair for the ones who take the grade we deserve.

 

[DoctorDreamer]

for being a rat.

I only asked the teacher if it would be cheating, the teacher figured out who it was, and on them for cheating. I don't have to apologize for someone else lacking morals.

On that note, on those who support cheating... and I would have been in violation of the honor code if I did nothing... I refuse to sacrifice my morals to protect another's lack.

 

[EpiPEN]

It's not cheating if you are using resources allowed by the teacher. I, however, had to take my OChem 1 final a couple of days late (business meeting out of town), and another guy who was taking it late told me he got the test questions from another student and offered them to me.

I didn't know what to do (obviously I didn't take them), but I saved his e-mail. I asked the professor if he would consider it cheating for me to use that information, and he said yes. When the other student scored considerably higher on the final than on his other tests, the teacher approached me and asked for a copy of the e-mail, which I gave him.

I hate being a snitch, but I still feel like it was the right thing to do.

That's kind of messed up.... that guy was just trying to offer you some help too. If you don't need it, no need to rat him out too.

see no evil
hear no evil
do no evil

 

[EpiPEN]

I only asked the teacher if it would be cheating, the teacher figured out who it was, and on them for cheating. I don't have to apologize for someone else lacking morals.

On that note, on those who support cheating... and I would have been in violation of the honor code if I did nothing... I refuse to sacrifice my morals to protect another's lack.

so... your "morals" are somehow superior than the other person's beliefs and if he believes differently, he must be punished. I mean, not to offend you or anything, but that statement you made sounds pretty high and mighty, "I refuse to sacrifice my morals to protect another's lack" especially since your way of protecting your morals is to make him suffer his consequences.

 

[DrBowtie]

Isn't that how white people get ahead in life?

"Hooow do I reach dees keeeeds?"

LOL

 

[EpiPEN]

okay first of all, I don't cheat. BUT...Pretty sure I'm going to get flamed for saying this, but...

If you can't do well in a class, don't blame it on the people who cheat. Work harder, smarter, and more efficiently to do well in your own way. You can't just go through life saying it's unfair something happened to you becuase of other people. Suck it up. The world we live in is not a perfect world and people do what they can to survive it. Some cheat, big deal. It's darwinism and it's all around us. No one says you ahve to abandon your morals, but to keep your morals, you have to pay your dues. That's what makes morals to valuable. If you think by you keeping your morals you are being wronged by those who don't, no one is telling you to keep your beliefs. I just think unless you can find balance in yourself for the rewards and dues of having morals, then you haven't earned the rights to have them in the first place.

okay, "earn" is a harsh word, but I couldn't find a better word.... well you get the general gist of it.

*EDIT*
Okay have to say that it's kind of a gray line for me what is cheating and what is not (like I would say there are some form of cheating, such as paying money to get a grade, that is definately not acceptable and I would have a social duty to prevent it), so I'll say it now that I will agree there are exceptions to what I just said.

 

[thoffen]

I don't know what's more sad...the fact that so many of you are cheaters, don't see a thing wrong with it, validate your cheating peers, and put down those who play clean...or the fact that 5 years ago I would have been right there with you.

 

[DoctorDreamer]

so... your "morals" are somehow superior than the other person's beliefs and if he believes differently, he must be punished. I mean, not to offend you or anything, but that statement you made sounds pretty high and mighty, "I refuse to sacrifice my morals to protect another's lack" especially since your way of protecting your morals is to make him suffer his consequences.

Cheating, when it is explicitly against the rules, and you say you will go by those rules, is wrong. If you think cheating should be allowed, don't take a class where cheating is prohibited. That said, I didn't run to the professor and say, "Guess what, Dr. ____, so and so cheated!" I asked him a hypothetical question and he drew his own conclusions in the end and came to me.

Also, just because the student was offerring to help me cheat doesn't excuse him. Does a prostitute offering sex to the cop mean the cop should excuse her?

I also did not punish the student. The teacher had rules, the student broke them, the teacher punished the student.

I'm not saying my morals are superior. I am saying that it is against my morals to break something I said I would abide by (honor code), and I'm not going to break my morals to protect someone who made a "bad/wrong/whatever" decision.

Someone asked at the beginning of this thread what you would do if you knew someone was cheating... I answered. Just because it's not what anyone else would do does not make it wrong.

Also, doesn't demeaning me for being a "rat" show an attitude that your belief in "not being a rat" is superior to my belief of doing what I say I will? We're not going to agree, and I resent being attacked for following an honor code.

This is the same mentality that leads to gang violence going unsolved... It is not wrong to report injustice. I answered a question, please stop berrating me.

 

[EpiPEN]

Cheating, when it is explicitly against the rules, and you say you will go by those rules, is wrong. If you think cheating should be allowed, don't take a class where cheating is prohibited.That said, I didn't run to the professor and say, "Guess what, Dr. ____, so and so cheated!" I asked him a hypothetical question and he drew his own conclusions in the end and came to me.Also, just because the student was offerring to help me cheat doesn't excuse him. Does a prostitute offering sex to the cop mean the cop should excuse her?I also did not punish the student. The teacher had rules, the student broke them, the teacher punished the student.I'm not saying my morals are superior. I am saying that it is against my morals to break something I said I would abide by (honor code), and I'm not going to break my morals to protect someone who made a "bad/wrong/whatever" decision.Someone asked at the beginning of this thread what you would do if you knew someone was cheating... I answered. Just because it's not what anyone else would do does not make it wrong.Also, doesn't demeaning me for being a "rat" show an attitude that your belief in "not being a rat" is superior to my belief of doing what I say I will? We're not going to agree, and I resent being attacked for following an honor code.This is the same mentality that leads to gang violence going unsolved... It is not wrong to report injustice. I answered a question, please stop berrating me.

I didn't mean to offenend you as I simply stated my opinion with a disclaimer for you to not take offense, which I meant. You should be able to relate. It's kind of like what you said that you didn't rat out the person by telling the professor directly, you simply presented a hypothetical question. Well I simply pointed out thypothetical criticisms in your argument without meaning for you to get all flared up over. If you are truly so offended at my aducacy to question your morals, then I'm sorry.

As for morals, you can't blame me for feeling what you said sounds, and I quote myself, "high and mighty." I never said my "superior not being a rat" ideal is superior to yours. I never said you were wrong I simply pointed out what I saw as weakness in your logic. In my reply to your post I never once said you were "wrong" as you accuse me of doing. So please, don't accuse me of berating you as I wasn't even angry or trying to scold you.

 

[DoctorDreamer]

I didn't mean to offenend you as I simply stated my opinion with a disclaimer for you to not take offense, which I meant. You should be able to relate. It's kind of like what you said that you didn't rat out the person by telling the professor directly, you simply presented a hypothetical question. Well I simply pointed out thypothetical criticisms in your argument without meaning for you to get all flared up over. If you are truly so offended at my aducacy to question your morals, then I'm sorry.

As for morals, you can't blame me for feeling what you said sounds, and I quote myself, "high and mighty." I never said my "superior not being a rat" ideal is superior to yours. I never said you were wrong I simply pointed out what I saw as weakness in your logic. In my reply to your post I never once said you were "wrong" as you accuse me of doing. So please, don't accuse me of berating you as I wasn't even angry or trying to scold you.

It is difficult to ascertain one's intention through writing only, and if I misinterpreted you, I'm sorry. I can understand how in some contexts, my comment may have appeared "high and mighty," but I was simply saying that it would have been against my morals to protect the cheater, and I'm not going to break my moral code to protect someone else who blatantly broke an obvious rule. I hope you all can understand that.

Also, part of my hostility was in response to the "rat" comment which was not yours.

 

[wizenedone]

Isn't that how white people get ahead in life?

"Hooow do I reach dees keeeeds?"

Well played. Very well played, indeed.

 

[EpiPEN]

...
Also, just because the student was offerring to help me cheat doesn't excuse him. Does a prostitute offering sex to the cop mean the cop should excuse her?

That person who offered you the help saw that maybe you were in the same dilimma he was in, so he thought he would help (I don't know for sure, but that would be a logical assumption I think). Well let me ask you this, if you see someone suffering what you believe to be an indescribable amount of pain and you happen to have some perscription pain medication to for your broken finger, would you consider asking if that person wants to take some? I by your strict morals the person who was offered the pain medications should turn you over to your doctor for offering perscription medication to someone else and have your doctor take away your perscription.

I also did not punish the student. The teacher had rules, the student broke them, the teacher punished the student.

But who are you to judge whether or not that student deserves to be punished? Oh you can say you didn't tell the teacher to punish him, but you can't honestly believe me to believe that when you told the teacher of the e-mail you didn't for one second think the teacher might ask you who the e-mail was from and punish that person? I'm just saying...

I'm not saying my morals are superior. I am saying that it is against my morals to break something I said I would abide by (honor code), and I'm not going to break my morals to protect someone who made a "bad/wrong/whatever" decision.

Okay if your school's honor code involved turning in any student who is suspected of cheating, then yeah it's not your morals, it's your school's morals.

Someone asked at the beginning of this thread what you would do if you knew someone was cheating... I answered. Just because it's not what anyone else would do does not make it wrong.

Never said you were wrong, just gave my opinion.

This is the same mentality that leads to gang violence going unsolved... It is not wrong to report injustice. I answered a question, please stop berrating me.

how did gang violence get involved

 

[thoffen]

I didn't mean to offenend you as I simply stated my opinion with a disclaimer for you to not take offense, which I meant. You should be able to relate. It's kind of like what you said that you didn't rat out the person by telling the professor directly, you simply presented a hypothetical question. Well I simply pointed out thypothetical criticisms in your argument without meaning for you to get all flared up over. If you are truly so offended at my aducacy to question your morals, then I'm sorry.

This is my opinion. Do not take offense. I mean it.

You are a worthless human being and an embarrassment to pre-meds.



Now, just because I stated that it was an opinion and that you should not take offense (and I meant it!), does that make what I said any less offensive?

FYI, Dr. Dreamer is right in his application of morality. If you don't agree, then your morals on this issue are inferior. I don't give a rat's behind if that makes me seem high and mighty. Dr. Dreamer didn't make the rules. Dr. Dreamer didn't enforce the rules. All Dr. Dreamer did was follow the rules.

You will understand when you're finally comfortable enough to separate your beliefs from the scrutiny of your peers.

 

[45408]

Just because they cheated doesn't mean they know how to save my life. I doubt that being to once able to remember every chemical in krebs will help the ER doc who is patching up my bleeding femoral artery. And if my family practitioner is trying to diagnose my condition, I wouldn't mind (in matter of fact, I might perfer it) for him to bust out some reference books to ensure that he's not basing it all on memory.

And of course I'm assuming the really really bad cheaters don't make it to that position to make decisions with my life. Becuase let's face it, even if you cheat, you don't become a doctor without some base knowledge of what you are doing (like being able to identify shock).

It was a hyperbole, but apparently that was too much of a literary device for you to grasp.

 

[EpiPEN]

This is my opinion. Do not take offense. I mean it.

You are a worthless human being and an embarrassment to pre-meds.



Now, just because I stated that it was an opinion and that you should not take offense (and I meant it!), does that make what I said any less offensive?

If you really can't tell the difference between what we said, then truly, I really wish you will have a successful life as a doctor. It's always so refreshing to hear a story of someone who is truly ******ed make it in life. No offense or anything. I'm just proud that you made into a med school!!

And if I was more cynical, I might even say that it's a good thing becuase you will make the rest of the doctors look a lot better. But I'm not cynical at all.

 

[45408]

But who are you to judge whether or not that student deserves to be punished? Oh you can say you didn't tell the teacher to punish him, but you can't honestly believe me to believe that when you told the teacher of the e-mail you didn't for one second think the teacher might ask you who the e-mail was from and punish that person? I'm just saying...

It's pretty clear that it was the professor who determined that the student should be punished.

 

[EpiPEN]

It was a hyperbole, but apparently that was too much of a literary device for you to grasp.

Only when it's so far from reality that it distorts the truth of the matter

 

[DoctorDreamer]

That person who offered you the help saw that maybe you were in the same dilimma he was in, so he thought he would help (I don't know for sure, but that would be a logical assumption I think). Well let me ask you this, if you see someone suffering what you believe to be an indescribable amount of pain and you happen to have some perscription pain medication to for your broken finger, would you consider asking if that person wants to take some? I by your strict morals the person who was offered the pain medications should turn you over to your doctor for offering perscription medication to someone else and have your doctor take away your perscription.

There was no dilemma... It was a final. The people who took it a couple of days earlier didn't have access to the questions... Why should we?

And, no, I wouldn't give my prescription to someone else. I would try to find a way to help someone in pain that isn't breaking the rules.

But who are you to judge whether or not that student deserves to be punished? Oh you can say you didn't tell the teacher to punish him, but you can't honestly believe me to believe that when you told the teacher of the e-mail you didn't for one second think the teacher might ask you who the e-mail was from and punish that person? I'm just saying...

I don't even know if the teacher did punish the student. And I didn't just tell the teacher anything. I was torn up about it, asked the teacher a hypothetical question, and he followed up on it. Also, the student decided he was willing to be punished, not me, when he decided to break rules clearly outlined by the school and teacher.

Okay if your school's honor code involved turning in any student who is suspected of cheating, then yeah it's not your morals, it's your school's morals.

And, yes, my school does have an honor code, and I think I even signed a document saying I would follow it.

how did gang violence get involved

Just an example.

 

[EpiPEN]

It's pretty clear that it was the professor who determined that the student should be punished.

okay I give on techincal grounds

 

[45408]

Only when it's so far from reality that it distorts the truth of the matter

It's not my fault you missed the forest for the trees. The point was crystal. I don't want anyone taking care of me or my loved ones to be someone who needed to cheat to get to where they are in the medical field. That's as much "natural selection" as genetic engineering is natural selection.

 

[Depakote]

let's keep the discussion in this thread civil, m'kay?

 

[EpiPEN]

...
And, no, I wouldn't give my prescription to someone else. I would try to find a way to help someone in pain that isn't breaking the rules.
...
I don't even know if the teacher did punish the student. And I didn't just tell the teacher anything. I was torn up about it, asked the teacher a hypothetical question, and he followed up on it. Also, the student decided he was willing to be punished, not me, when he decided to break rules clearly outlined by the school and teacher.

Okay if you can say honestly that you didn't think at all the teacher would ask you to provide who asked you this and punish that person, sure I'll bite. But I still reserve my doubts for people based on experiences of dealing with people.


However, on this note, I think you could have just as easily sent an annonymous e-mail asking the professor this or ways that would satisify your question without exposing identities. That is, if you didn't have the honor code that you signed already.

 

[EpiPEN]

It's not my fault you missed the forest for the trees. The point was crystal. I don't want anyone taking care of me or my loved ones to be someone who needed to cheat to get to where they are in the medical field. That's as much "natural selection" as genetic engineering is natural selection.

yeah and my point was that I couldn't care less if my doctor cheated once on his microbiology assignment by looking up google for the answers.

 

[Zakaqel]

Question to all of those medical students...do people cheat in med school? I know that if you cheat you will be screwed for the licensing exam but is it even possible to cheat?

 

[45408]

Question to all of those medical students...do people cheat in med school? I know that if you cheat you will be screwed for the licensing exam but is it even possible to cheat?

I know it's been TRIED, because I know about someone who was expelled for cheating on a shelf during third year, but I really don't know how feasible it would be, since I've never even considered how it would be done.

Some schools are very lax about proctoring exams, so it would be easy to cheat, but my school is pretty rigorous about watching us during exams.

 

[Depakote]

I know it's been TRIED, because I know about someone who was expelled for cheating on a shelf during third year, but I really don't know how feasible it would be, since I've never even considered how it would be done.

Some schools are very lax about proctoring exams, so it would be easy to cheat, but my school is pretty rigorous about watching us during exams.

Mine too, and they actually video tape you for the USMLE.

 

[thoffen]

I think there is a very large difference in your counterexample that nullifies it.

It is generally accepted that alleiviating pain is "good". The dilemma is a question of when it is OK to break the rules to achieve a "good" outcome.

The case of cheating is completely different unless you are asserting that cheating is "good".

 

[EpiPEN]

I think there is a very large difference in your counterexample that nullifies it.

It is generally accepted that alleiviating pain is "good". The dilemma is a question of when it is OK to break the rules to achieve a "good" outcome.

The case of cheating is completely different unless you are asserting that cheating is "good".

Well, I never said cheating is good, the assumption that I made was that getting good results on a test is "good." To say cheating is good is more like to say the act of giving pills out is "good" not so much the results of alleivating pain.

 

[DoctorDreamer]

Well, I never said cheating is good, the assumption that I made was that getting good results on a test is "good." To say cheating is good is more like to say the act of giving pills out is "good" not so much the results of alleivating pain.

BTW, I aced the test without cheating, thus cheating was obviously not necessary to achieve the good end result. Even if ends do justify means (if giving pills out is okay if it alleviates pain), if the ends can be reached without negative means, they should be. I would try to find a proper way to alleviate the persons pain (~ studying), rather than handing him my prescription (~cheating).

 

[erica31]

I have a story of cheating. Possibly could compete for a "Dumb Cheater's Hall of Fame" spot.

I TA'd a 100-level science class. The class had 4 sections-- comprising about 100 students in total. The exam was given to all at the same time, in a lecture style hall that sloped (similar to movie theater seating).

The professor could not be present for the test, so I and another TA were the only proctors.

I noticed a student about half way back in the auditorium, that kept looking in front of him, to the left. (where another student's scantron sat on his little table-chair).

I left the front of the room, and stood along the sides, glaring at this guy with all my might -- who was too consumed in looking at the other guy's scantron to even notice!

Even with an "keep eyes on own paper" I spoke to the entire class, he did not change what he was doing.

Another 30 minutes pass, and the guy in front came up, and handed in his test booklet and scantron. No more than 2 minutes later the "cheater" came up and handed in his work as well.

After the test ended, and the class emptied, the TA and I went through the two scantrons. Identifical tests..... 50 bubbles... identical bubble for bubble. The guy in front received a 96... and the "cheater" received a 0 on the test, an F in the course, and a trip to the university's disciplinary committee.

Why?

Well... it would have been hard to prove, even with the identical scantrons, since the prof was absent.... except for one mistake the cheater made....

HOW could anyone.... get a 96 on an exam.... without ever breaking the taped, university seal on the test questions booklet, and opening it?!

That's right. He.never.even.opened.the.test.question.booklet.

I'm not out to say I was this hard-a$$ TA or whatnot, but I don't condone cheating,especially as blatant as he was, in my exams... and this dude was ridiculous

 

[PainKiller69]

chirp

 

[Arc]

I only asked the teacher if it would be cheating, the teacher figured out who it was, and on them for cheating. I don't have to apologize for someone else lacking morals.

On that note, on those who support cheating... and I would have been in violation of the honor code if I did nothing... I refuse to sacrifice my morals to protect another's lack.

I don't support cheating, but at the same time, I don't like being a rat. Telling stuff to the teacher is not worth the amount of distrust gained from everyone else, and I almost didn't graduate high school because some kid mis-interpreted
an action of mine. Lastly I refuse to get involved in reporting something like that if the consequences for the offending party are going to be so drastic in the first place.

 

[amph119]

I would never cheat because the odds are 99.839 percent in favor of the kid next to me being less intelligent than me.

hahahahahahah I like you.

 

[katarina90]

I don't think cheating is all that bad, especially most of the methods you guys have described. Bringing in a cheat sheet? entering equations in calculators? looking up information on google? Collaborate on papers? In real life you get cheat sheets and you get internet resources. Besides, if you go the distance of making a cheat sheet and hiding it in your pencil and reading it during a test, chances are you already memorized a good portion of what you wrote down during the processing of making the cheat sheet!

Okay, but if you just pay someone to take your test or straight copy someone else's paper, that's just bad. I once saw this ad on criagslist for some girl who was looking for a science major to take her chem test because she didn't have the time to study. She was offering pretty good pay too!

Once I was caught "cheating" on a mathmatical modeling/programming class becuase me and my friend had the same logic for solving a problem in one of the projects. (We discussed the problem together and worked on it in a study group, ofcourse our logic will be similar!) And even though I got A+ in all the tests including the final exam, I got a B+ in the class. I think that is dumb. Isn't our grade supposed to measure our level of understanding for the material and not the amount of time we spent on the homework?

But to the people who cheat on a regular basis, I mean, it's fair game! if they want to cheat and this is their survival strategy in life, then by all means, go ahead. I believe natural selection will weed out the weaker survival strategy in the end. And if honesty is that, then so be it.

I agree. Obviously things like looking off of someone else's test, paying someone else to take a test/write a paper, or anything of that nature is definitely cheating, and wrong.

But...

old exams? At my school, there's an exam bank maintained by a school-sanctioned pre-med org., basically students submit their old exams and can gain access to other students' old exams. Of course most people get them from friends who have previously taken the class. I don't think there's anything wrong with that, although some people may disagree. I actually asked my Bio professor about old exams, and he explicitly told me where I could get them, and our lab TA actually brought up how useful it is to study from past exams (one exam was nearly identical; even essay q's were same). Its a question of people using their resources. If its available to everyone, then its not giving an unfair advantage but providing a useful tool for those proactive enough to take a short walk to the science building and make photocopies.

and calculator programming: If a professor says not to, then don't. If it says in the syllabus, then don't. That's a good rule of thumb. But if they're allowing programmable calculators, then I would say at your own risk...my AP chem teacher was fully aware of the powers of the TI-83, and we were allowed to use them nonetheless. So yes, I programmed mine. pv=NRT, mole conversion equations, gas laws, and the like. (of course many of our AP class went on to CS majors, heh)... And you know what I realized, come exam day?

That I didn't even need them. But they were there, and were useful for checking my answers after I figured them out the "legit" way. In fact, my programming binge was probably the best review for the final, because it forced me to look over all my notes and review the concepts behind the equations.

But as for plagarizing, paying a ghostwriter, writing answers on some inanimate object or part of the body (flashback of middle school geography final: a kid wore boardshorts, and literally--not kidding--had an entire world map drawn on his upper thighs. got away with that, but failed for talking during exam. poetic justice.) or something like that, I'd never even think about it. Get a work ethic.

 

[Ella Shepherd]

I'm only a college freshman and i've seen alot of my fellow pre-meds do alot of cheating. So my question is...Is cheating that common in your schools? and Is it really worth it? because my whole opinion on it is that eventually all the cheating will catch up 2 the person especially those who dont study or come to class and cheat and get really high grades. Oh a couple more questins.... Would you cheat your way into med school? and what are your thoughts/feelings/anything on the subject of cheating.

I don't think cheating in exams is common is our school. We're watched closely during exams. But I know there are many students who do cheat with long homework and take-home exams (yeah, we have take-home exams). And I really mean cheat, not "please help me learn this" which is okay with some of the teachers (and okay with me, too).

No, I wouldn't cheat my way into med school but I would definitely be asking for help and stuff. I'm learning, too. But "real" cheating would just cause me to fool myself and stress myself out with the guilty feeling that I did cheat - plus possible excuses I have to make and stuff. Cheating is downright dirty and no matter how long it takes for some, you'll never get away with it.