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Students express reasons for cheating
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Written by Natalie Rice, Editor-in-Chief
It was her freshman science class, and senior Allie Gordon, a student who asked the Wingspan staff to change her name, realized she hadn’t studied for her test that day. She frantically wrote what answers she could fit on her hand before class. After completing the test, she went to the front of the class to hand it in, and the teacher noticed the writing on her hand.
“I got a zero for the test, so my grade suffered and I got a C, which is the worst grade on my transcript. I won’t cheat because I’m petrified of that happening again, and I know most teachers do give zeros for cheating. I don’t need another bad grade.”
Statistics show that the amount of cheating going on in high schools is on the rise, and teachers are struggling to find ways to stop it. According to nocheating.org, about 20 percent of college students from the 1940s admitted that they cheated in high school, but today between 75 and 98 percent of college students surveyed each year report having cheated.
Cheating includes a variety of behaviors, including using notes or classmates’ answers on a test, copying homework, plagiarizing a paper or tampering with previously taken tests or grades.
“I’ve written information on a flashcard for tests and put it in my lap and copied the answers, I’ve looked at other kids’ papers, I’ve written stuff on my hand before, and sometimes I write stuff on my desk before the test. I’ve taken pictures with my iPod before and looked at it during a test,” junior Samantha Andrews, another student who asked that her name be changed, said.
There are multiple reasons students cheat. These reasons include parental pressure to make good grades, peer pressure, an overly rigorous course load and fears about college admissions.
To high school students, colleges admissions committees and scholarship committees, grade point average and class rank have become increasingly important. The goal for many high achieving students is to make the top 15 or honor block, for their class, so they pack their schedules with advanced placement and honors courses.
“I cheat because I don’t know the answer, and I need to get a good grade. Good grades will get me into college and also get me money for college. It’s not all about class rank for me. I don’t want to be number 230, but I don’t care about being number one exactly,” senior John Seymore, who asked for his real identity to be withheld, said.
But not all high school students cheat to achieve high grade point averages. There are also those who cheat to get by in in classes with minimal effort.
“I cheat because I don’t have time to do homework at home, and I have brain farts on tests and can’t remember the answers,” Andrews said. “So sometimes it’s because I don’t have time, but sometimes I’m just too lazy to do it. I feel guilty when I cheat, but I feel like I have to in order to pass my classes. I know it’s the wrong thing to do and it’s a sin.”
Students sometimes report that there are parents who advise students to cheat because they are facing the high costs of college. Parents can stress good grades, even though they either consciously or subconciously know cheating may be involved.
Some students find it unfair that while they are doing the work, others are cheating off of them and receiving the same grade for less effort. Some, on the other hand do not care.
“I don’t care if people cheat off my paper. If they just forgot to do their work, then I can understand. Or if they just don’t ever do it like some people, I don’t care. It’s not hurting me at all,” Seymore said.
The risks of being caught may deter some from cheating, but in other situations students look for more creative ways to cheat. “I can get away with cheating, so I don’t really worry about the consequences,” Andrews said. “It is easier for me to cheat than it would be to study. I’ve never been caught, but if I were caught, I would just cheat smarter next time. I would take what I learned, realize what I did wrong and do it better.”
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