How do I not get worked up about cheaters?

[deleted915763]

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So I am a really laid back guy and I don't get worked up over most things but for some reason, finding out people cheated, and then get a better grade than me pisses me off and I get stressed out. I then question whether I should have cheated myself. (I have never cheated on anything)

example: in upper div chem class, I heard that people found some old test that had the same answers, but I chose not to look at it because getting an academic dishonesty is a death sentence. I busted my ass off in the class and did reasonably well, but a bunch of other people got 99's (percent) and spent a few hours before the test just memorizing the answers.

In a case like this, would or should you cheat, to stay with the curve? It not so much even the grade, but the fact that I spent a lot of time that I could have saved and done other things with. I normally don't care what other people do but this one specific thing really irks me. I also don't really want to tattle and be "that guy,".

 

[efle]

Personally I'd send the prof an anonymous tip that they are circulating. Even better if they're in pdf or picture format or something. Then you can send it attached and if he continues using the same old questions that are out circulating, clearly he doesn't consider it a violation of the integrity of his exams for people to see them ahead of time. Can't feel bad about looking at the old test when he knows people are doing so and doesn't care.

 

[boscalidoc]

Report it to the dean

 

[dr_kateb]

Where the tests obtained dishonestly? Does the professor collect all the exams?

You could tell the professor, or you could just look at the exams yourself. Do you feel better studying a ton and feeling pissed that others did better or have the feeling of being a snake? You could also take your easy A and be ahead of the curve, not behind it. Life is hard and unfair, take any free change that rolls your way.

 

[DubbiDoctor]

Where the tests obtained dishonestly? Does the professor collect all the exams?

You could tell the professor, or you could just look at the exams yourself. Do you feel better studying a ton and feeling pissed that others did better or have the feeling of being a snake? You could also take your easy A and be ahead of the curve, not behind it. Life is hard and unfair, take any free change that rolls your way.

Ethical issues aside, if you play with fire, you may get burned. When I was taking physics as an undergraduate, people would find the answer to the lab questions online, and copy them, getting perfect scores on the lab. Somehow the instructor found out, and for the next lab, anyone who answered identically to the online answers received zeros on the lab. I don't know if they got academic violations, which can be fatal to med school applications. It's possible that OP's professor has found out about the cheating from a student. If so he may develop some method of identifying which students, on the next exam, blindly write down the answers provided on the old exams. He would most likely punish them, perhaps ensuring that they receive IAs in addition to Fs. Maybe not. But does the OP really want to risk his medical career on that bet?

Also, demonstrating integrity when it's easy to be dishonest for your own gain is characteristic of a great doctor.

 

[Pagan FutureDoc]

If your class doesn’t grade on a curve there is no reason to get upset at cheaters. Ultimately they are cheating themselves out of far more than they are cheating you out of.
If your class is on a curve I can see getting upset, and I agree with dropping the professor an anonymous message in either case.

However personally I have a hard time seeing looking at old exams as cheating. But that may be because at my UG my major kept like 20 years of old tests in the student lounge. Of course doing that a professor would be a fool not to change the exams each semester.

 

[dr_kateb]

Ethical issues aside, if you play with fire, you may get burned. When I was taking physics as an undergraduate, people would find the answer to the lab questions online, and copy them, getting perfect scores on the lab. Somehow the instructor found out, and for the next lab, anyone who answered identically to the online answers received zeros on the lab. I don't know if they got academic violations, which can be fatal to med school applications. It's possible that OP's professor has found out about the cheating from a student. If so he may develop some method of identifying which students, on the next exam, blindly write down the answers provided on the old exams. He would most likely punish them, perhaps ensuring that they receive IAs in addition to Fs. Maybe not. But does the OP really want to risk his medical career on that bet?

Demonstrating integrity when it's easy to be dishonest for your own gain is characteristic of a great doctor.

Closed book exams and lab reports are completely different things. And honestly anyone with half a brain would know the paraphrase anything that’s a string of words. But in this case it’s an exam, and studying old exams is a preparation technique. You study for what you think is on the exam and no one can be 100% sure of what’s going to be on the next exam without tesspassing. This technique is just riskier with a possibly higher reward. And if said person is dumb enough to just regurgitate memorized answers without even reading the question, he/she had it coming anyway.

 

[Blackdogue]

So I am a really laid back guy and I don't get worked up over most things but for some reason, finding out people cheated, and then get a better grade than me pisses me off and I get stressed out. I then question whether I should have cheated myself. (I have never cheated on anything)

example: in upper div chem class, I heard that people found some old test that had the same answers, but I chose not to look at it because getting an academic dishonesty is a death sentence. I busted my ass off in the class and did reasonably well, but a bunch of other people got 99's (percent) and spent a few hours before the test just memorizing the answers.

In a case like this, would or should you cheat, to stay with the curve? It not so much even the grade, but the fact that I spent a lot of time that I could have saved and done other things with. I normally don't care what other people do but this one specific thing really irks me. I also don't really want to tattle and be "that guy,".

Honestly, having an old test is barely considered cheating in my book. Students should be able to study any resource available and if the test wasn't acquired illegally and people just memorized his questions and wrote them down afterwards, than why the hell wouldn't you read it? Study hard and read the test as well. Studying past papers when preparing for an exam is a normal thing to do. Not your fault that it's exactly the same test. It's the professors responsibility to evaluate the students. If he is too lazy to come up with a new test once a year, he can't blame it on the students. It's like telling your puppy not to eat the treat you left right in front of him after you left for work.

 

[stickgirl390]

Honestly, having an old test is barely considered cheating in my book. Students should be able to study any resource available and if the test wasn't acquired illegally and people just memorized his questions and wrote them down afterwards, than why the hell wouldn't you read it? Study hard and read the test as well. Studying past papers when preparing for an exam is a normal thing to do. Not your fault that it's exactly the same test. It's the professors responsibility to evaluate the students. If he is too lazy to come up with a new test once a year, he can't blame it on the students. It's like telling your puppy not to eat the treat you left right in front of him after you left for work.

This^

 

[DPTinthemaking15]

I have to side with @Blackdogue on this one, because of my cell bio professor. A lot of students were using an old test, and destroyed the average on the first exam. Mesnwhile, I think I scored like a low B. Anyways, I went to his office, and he told me “Oh, you should find one of my old test from one of the students in class. It will really help you out.”

Some professors have hit a time in their life where they don’t care anymore (sadly). Oh! If you decide to confront this issue, talk to your Professor first. Nothing makes them angrier than going behind their back.

Lastly, @Pagan FutureDoc said it best, they are cheating themselves. I started using the old test and I can’t remember a dang thing from cell bio. This sucks because it would have been useful for the MCAT