Rampant Cheating
Started by Sesom
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Throw them under the bus. Being deported is their problem, not yours. And the solution is not cheating.
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You get into medical school because of your grades, not how you get them. Cheating is rampant no matter where you go. You think texting during exams is bad, but what about all the connections people have with people who already took the classes and simply shared the back exams. Those people don't even get caught most of the time.
I have seen people cheating in my physics, bio, chemistry, psychology, etc. and same can be the case for your classes. Just because you happen to notice people cheating in your math class, doesn't mean there have not been people cheating in your other classes. Basically, it is a matter of "You have been doing fine all this time without noticing that people were cheating, then why should you start worrying now?"
Getting those kids in trouble will not benefit you as there is a likelihood that a group of people on the other side of the class might be doing the same, but are better at hiding it. So it's not like you actions will stop cheating, it will just make the cheaters that were not caught, be a lot more careful at doing so.
Also you have the danger of this being public, you being singled out, and then simply labeled as an *******. Yes, some people might appreciate the fact that a cheater would get in trouble, but the overall picture is that you would be hurting someone's academic record. And an academic record is almost the equivalent to a criminal record, as that paperwork follows you for forever. So you will be hurting these people's chances at other schools.
I guess it depends on the way that the professor and the department handles these issues, but under certain circumstances, you can potentially ruin someone's academic and personal life because of your jealousy. Good luck, living with that on your conscience. Get someone in trouble for cheating and then their life gets ****ed up, how sadistic of you.
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Now I don't approve of cheating and I do see it as a bad thing, but considering the huuuuuge consequences that can result of being caught for it...I honestly wouldn't want to be solely responsible for hurting someone.
I have seen people cheating in my physics, bio, chemistry, psychology, etc. and same can be the case for your classes. Just because you happen to notice people cheating in your math class, doesn't mean there have not been people cheating in your other classes. Basically, it is a matter of "You have been doing fine all this time without noticing that people were cheating, then why should you start worrying now?"
Getting those kids in trouble will not benefit you as there is a likelihood that a group of people on the other side of the class might be doing the same, but are better at hiding it. So it's not like you actions will stop cheating, it will just make the cheaters that were not caught, be a lot more careful at doing so.
Also you have the danger of this being public, you being singled out, and then simply labeled as an *******. Yes, some people might appreciate the fact that a cheater would get in trouble, but the overall picture is that you would be hurting someone's academic record. And an academic record is almost the equivalent to a criminal record, as that paperwork follows you for forever. So you will be hurting these people's chances at other schools.
I guess it depends on the way that the professor and the department handles these issues, but under certain circumstances, you can potentially ruin someone's academic and personal life because of your jealousy. Good luck, living with that on your conscience. Get someone in trouble for cheating and then their life gets ****ed up, how sadistic of you.
...
Now I don't approve of cheating and I do see it as a bad thing, but considering the huuuuuge consequences that can result of being caught for it...I honestly wouldn't want to be solely responsible for hurting someone.
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Good point. But there are at least 11 of them in on it and there are only 29 people in this class. It can definitely effect the way grades are distributed when there are that many people getting in the A range who normally wouldn't have put in the work for it.
A lot of other people in my class have gotten really angry over this because of how blatantly obvious it is that these guys are cheating. It seems as if the professor is completely oblivious to what is happening right in front of him. It is bad enough that if you were to walk into the middle of the test you wouldn't even have to look long before spotting people copying answers from phones and papers. Even though people have informed him of it during the exams he doesn't seem to want to confront the problem.
I say report them, I don't have the greatest moral standards but cheating is one thing that REALLY annoys me. It's not fair that someone should put in the hard work to earn something where as someone else can just have connections or friends that do the hard work and gain all the benefits without doing any of the work. I. Hate. Cheaters.
This is a slippery slope, my friend. Replace "cheating" with "sexual abuse of a child" and, voila, you're Joe Paterno.
This is perfect for an ethical dilemma essay if you haven't written one yet. Hint. Hinthint. Hint.
Yet I'm thinking "I decided to sit back and watch it happen" isn't going to be the best essay topic...
If this was an ethical dilemma, I'd turn them in. If it was an ethical dilemma but the only one cheating was my best friend, I'd approach him and offer to tutor him and give him as many resources as possible to address his problem with the content.
Sesom, like I said earlier: to protect your own back, I'd anonymously send a message to the teacher saying some students are cheating on tests (no one singled out) and also to the students saying the professor has been given a message that some people are cheating in this class (again, no one singled out). The rest should work itself out on its own.
Sesom, like I said earlier: to protect your own back, I'd anonymously send a message to the teacher saying some students are cheating on tests (no one singled out) and also to the students saying the professor has been given a message that some people are cheating in this class (again, no one singled out). The rest should work itself out on its own.
This is what I'd do, except I'd probably leave names out. I'd just say it's a group of 11 students who associate together and are cheating via picture messaging. Ask the prof/TA to keep close watch during the next test. Even mention the 'question asking' used to distract him/her from the others cheating in the background.
I was thinking that myself! And it reminded me of a personal story i sometimes shared when asked something like that in an interview. So read along if you like:
Girl sitting next to me in giant OChem lecture is writing down pathways and putting them down on her chair in preperation for cheating on the quiz at the end of class. Even as obvious as pulling out large scissors and cutting up the paper and putting in under her leg on the chair. If anyone else around me was as shocked as I, they hid it well. I basically spent the rest of class thinking about what the hell i was going to do about it. I waited until the quizzes were being handed out (in hopes i was mistaken) and then leaned over and told her that if she did what i thought she was about to do, i was going to have to say something.
For a second she acted like she didnt know what i was talking about, then said "oh ok thanks" and put all her cheating materials in her backpack.
I understand you are in a much different situation given that there are 11 people involved, but i'm always one to confront the person/persons causing me distress before going to a third party.
A student does not need any evidence to report cheating. What evidence would a student be required to provide? The poster isn't a detective. I would tell the professor.
however...
Anyone else catch this? This seems to be an entirely different thread given this information. It's now "what would u do if there was a cheating ring in your class and the prof knew and did nothing to stop it"
If your future plans are F'd up because you have no honor and openly and blatantly cheat on exams, etc., well pal, you got what you deserve. They don't deserve to be in class with you. They deserve to be expelled. I wouldn't lose a second of sleep about the fate of these people. If they get sent home to Dubai and have to take a year off and reenroll elsewhere, who cares. If they get sent to the mines... Their problem. Your problem is doing the best that you can without worrying about stuff like this. All legitimate schools should adopt a rigid honor code and enforce it brutally. After a bunch of well publicized expulsions, people will shape up, and quick. There are no short cuts in life, and sometimes people have to learn lessons the hard way.
Exactly, that's what I say about these cheaters, let them fail on their own terms rather than helping them to fail. I personally know a few guys from back in my physics courses that cheated on a few of the exams, had a small piece of paper with all the formulas, and they are still going strong towards their engineering degrees. Did it effect the curve? Who gives a ****? The only time you should worry about curves, is when it is you that is performing poorly. Rarely do students that get high scores on the exams get hurt by the curves. A students are A students, regardless of curve.
Basically, as you said... "Worry about doing the best that you can"...Worrying about cheaters, is useless....They will always be there...
Just to clarify. I don't disagree with cheaters being punished, they earned it. I just disagree with students stepping in and trying to help get the cheaters get caught. Let them get caught on their own, don't help, you personally will rarely benefit from it.
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Whoa, whoa, whoa...if they didn't want their personal and academic life ruined, they shouldn't have effing cheated. If this person decides to report the cheaters, he is IN NO WAY "solely responsible for hurting someone". Who is responsible? Um, the people who cheated, dude. Don't waste your empathy on them.
The OP said the teacher doesn't care. Here is a step by step approach to get the problem fixed.
1. Create anonymous email account - [email protected]
2. Send an email to professor, with the dean and chair of the department CC'ed, stating the problem and asking them to resolve it.
3. If nothing happens in a reasonable amount of time, rinse and repeat for one last time
4. Send your emails to CNN and make it the next big story, after the Penn State scandal.
Your welcome
1. Create anonymous email account - [email protected]
2. Send an email to professor, with the dean and chair of the department CC'ed, stating the problem and asking them to resolve it.
3. If nothing happens in a reasonable amount of time, rinse and repeat for one last time
4. Send your emails to CNN and make it the next big story, after the Penn State scandal.
Your welcome
I know what your saying, but at what point do you feel angry over the situation? At one point a guy even passed a paper across my test, right in front of my face. I don't know how you'd feel about that but this really pissed me off. And when you tell the teacher it doesn't matter because he didn't witness it.
I said that there were at least 11 people in the class that the ring leader admitted he was providing answers. For all I know there could be more than one group cheating. But 11 people is 40% of the class. Imagine your chances of not having to sit near people trading calculators, picture messaging their test to each other and copying answers from stacks of paper. All of this circulating around the room in front of you. Now I can understand deciding to ignore one person off in the corner cheating, writing him off as a future failure. But try taking a test with nearly half your class blatantly cheating in front of you.
I must admit 11 does seem excessive though. The only ones I have personally seen were usually a group of two to three people, and that seems pretty easy to organize in a lecture hall or a class room. But at 11, you pretty much have to have the professor not care one bit, and I can see how that can be distracting.
I guess in my replies I was just mostly referring to those, one to three people, at which point it sounded more personal to single them out...But at such large numbers as 11...I honestly don't even know what I would do, and probably be in the uneasy position as you.
I guess in my replies I was just mostly referring to those, one to three people, at which point it sounded more personal to single them out...But at such large numbers as 11...I honestly don't even know what I would do, and probably be in the uneasy position as you.
If you told your teacher and there are still issues you have the option to go higher. I'm not sure who that person would be perhaps the department head? course coordinator?
One of my fears in this situation is that someone will see something happening around me and think that I'm involved too😱
Absofreakinglutely. Why do you want 11 (probably chronic) cheaters making their way through our educational system? I wouldn't lose one second of sleep if every one of them were expelled. Sure, not all of them get caught but that doesn't justify your apathy. Murderers get away with homicide all the time, does that mean that when you witness a murder you should keep quiet? (Hint: the answer is no). I know that was an extreme analogy but you get my point.
Considering they're here for the sole purpose of getting an education and they're not taking that seriously, yes, I actually do think it's worth it.
Getting deported isn't the end of the world. In some ways, you're really harming the parties that paid for them by allowing them to be cheated on their investment since the students they brought over are not fulfilling their side of the bargain.
Why waste your time, energy, and reputation, on something so trivial? What would you gain by intervening if the class isn't graded on a curve. I really don't see the point.
Some people... aSagacious... might compare it to other things, but would you really rat someone for drinking or smoking in a dry dorm?
Some people... aSagacious... might compare it to other things, but would you really rat someone for drinking or smoking in a dry dorm?
K
kpcrew
How many classes have you had that weren't graded on a curve? You don't see why he wouldn't rat out people who are abusing the system? Most people work hard for their grades and the point of school is to learn. These kids are abusing the system. Since when is cheating trivial? Why wouldn't you rat on someone for drinking in a dry dorm?
How much time, energy, and reputation would it cost you to compose an anonymous 3 sentence email to the prof telling him/her to keep a closer eye on the class during exams?
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None, I got to a small private school. There is no sense in curving when you have less than 17 students per class.
Because it isn't effecting me. Granted, I'd probably feel different if my classes were graded on a true curve, but right now I could careless what other people make in the class.
Frankly, as a student, it's not my job to care. I don't feel that I am responsible for enforcing the rules of the university, nor do I feel morally obligated to out cheaters. That being said, I do not condone cheating. But there is just no freaking way in hell I would go so far as getting 11 people deported for something that affects me in such a minor way. The truth is, cheating is already rampant in our educational system, and I wouldn't believe a single one of you if you told me you've absolutely never "cheated" on anything (not just exams).
Seriously man?
Why is that so hard to believe? Think back to everything you've done in your academic career, even before college. If you can't think of a single thing you've done that may be considered to be academic dishonesty, then you're either a saint, or you're bull****ting me.
The teacher's knees are probably knocking because he knows there's serious money behind the defense team which goes after him. Definitely a lot of red tape and possibly the end of his career.
I could not care less if they were Chinese, Black or Hispanic, it's straight up unfair to you and everyone else who is taking this course seriously; and it's obvious these guys are not serious about academia or else they wouldn't be cheating. Reporting anonymously is the way to go.
A lot of students have academically been dishonest in one way or another, I'll admit to it also. Yet, outright cheating during an exam is on the extreme end and well that's a line I personally will never cross.
K
kpcrew
There's a difference between stealing a pack of gum and stealing billions of dollars.
Admittedly at my university the honor code even prevents people from working on lab reports together. So technically every time I ask a friend how they deduced an answer, I am "cheating".
And in more traditionally sense of cheating, I doubt your eyes have never wandered around during a test.
Universities do not distinguish between the two.
No one likes a goody two shoes who goes PMS and starts whining to the prof whenever they see someone doing something wrong. But this is 11 people you are talking about.
If you are worried about feeling guilty for getting them deported, anonymously email them, not the professor, about the cheating.
If you are worried about feeling guilty for getting them deported, anonymously email them, not the professor, about the cheating.
If they are bluntely and obviously cheating, then attack them. Put an anoynomous note on the teachers desk or office.
Read your school's policy on academic dishonesty. I think you'll find that they would be quite interested in how many packs of gum you've stolen.
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K
kpcrew
Nice insinuation but I've never needed to cheat so I haven't. Keep trying to justify your actions though, it's cute.
Looks like my post went right over your head. I'm not insinuating anything. I'm also not sure what "actions" you're talking about, and I don't need to justify anything to strangers on the internet. Keep trying to sound like you know everything though, it's cute.
Im sure hes not claiming hes outright cheated like that. Im sure hes referring to things like: working on a lab report together, perhaps not citing a source properly, etc. Most people do similar things.
Of which I have done all of the above. Never once cheated on an exam or anything like these guys are doing.
Hell, look at what happened to the MS4 class at Upstate last year.
That being said, I would turn these guys in, in a heartbeat via anonymous e mail. I have a lot of self respect and seeing some dudes cheating while I studied for the exam would make me want to actually assault those dudes.
