No ... it's more like saying, this guy killed a mosquito during undergrad, then he later killed a mosquito during med school, and again during residency, and again when we were in private practice together. Except the "mosquito" he killed was was really data he falsified, and and our practice was sued by the family of a dead patient or we were audited by the IRS. I'm not saying cheating on a lab report progresses to murdering cute plump babies. But I am saying seemingly minor cheating is likely to happen as part of a sustained pattern, and that cheating at later stages in our education/career can have very severe consequences.
P.S. It's trust is easy to lose and almost impossible to get back. That's just the way it is.
That's the point, teh OP is potentially liable here. Usually my profs just lump people together who have similar essays/reports and fail them both. It's just easier that way.
1. Lol wat? You have to really try to cheat. The cheater didn't just wantonly gaze at the lab report for a few seconds and try to remember as much of it as possible for later reference. There was a camera involved, and verbatim copying, too, if I remember correctly. According to your logic, if someone sitting behind you during a class leans forward and puts her head on your shoulder to look at your test, it's your fault for not guarding your test better?
2. Please do not invoke 'karma.' There is no such thing. The OP should notify the TA, and it is THE TA'S DECISION whether this was a big incident. Many of you are saying that academics don't care about this kind of "minor" cheating. Well, if that's the case, the OP should just tell the TA, thereby covering her own tail, and let the chips fall where they may. The TA, if your theory is right, really won't care.
