Information Related to "Choosing to Cheat"
| Audio/Video |
You've done well in your college classes and established a solid grade point average. You've started working a few extra hours to help cover your rising bills, joined a few extracurricular programs that will look good on your résumé and are feeling overextended and overworked.
Your degree is in engineering, so your literature class doesn't seem that
relevant. And studying hard for the final will cut into your study time
for your more difficult engineering classes. You find out that an advance
copy of the lit final is available for sale from a friend of a friend.
No one is hurt by that, so surely it won't hurt anything if you buy a copy
and save a little time. You don't have anything to lose. Or do you?
In 2005 a student cheated on a "non-core" class at the University of California Berkeley and found out he had a lot to lose. In his own words: "I thought I needed a bit of an advantage in order to get through the final exam and leave the course with a good grade, and I believed that I could get away with it...
"Instead, my plans backfired. After being caught and confronted (which was the instructor's responsibility), I was placed on academic probation and required to write this essay. In ways, I feel very fortunate, since my probation will end provided I maintain a clean record and honest academic performance in the future.
"However, I also feel ashamed because I behaved dishonestly and have given my instructors and the administration the impression that I am unethical. Also, I have damaged my own academic record and must work hard in order to redeem myself and prove my honesty as a student" ("The Causes and Consequences of Cheating," The Daily Californian, May 6, 2005).
The student went on to explain that universities often take a strict stance on cheating, with punishments ranging from an F in the course to expulsion from school, possibly delaying or ruining one's academic career or eventual professional career.
Related Information on UCG Sites:
Table of Contents that includes "Choosing to Cheat"
Other Articles by Ken Treybig
Values: