Alina Alam
Contributing Writer
Even ivory towers aren’t immune to smudges.
At Harvard University, in a class of more than 200 students, about 125 of them have been suspected of cheating on a single exam, according to the Harvard Crimson newspaper. Eric Kester, a graduate from the university stated in a not-so-jaw-dropping comment that this event reflects what one Harvard graduate described as “a culture of cheating.”
High-achieving students often feel a distinct pressure, where it seems like everything, miniscule or monumental, will determine the doors that will close or open in their future. Their grades are especially significant because of the role they play in influencing an individual’s GPA.
Most students have all felt it at one point or another, stress, pressure and a fear of failure. Imagine you attend a prestigious Ivy League university, where alumni rank among celebrities, U.S. presidents and exemplary scientists, and suddenly that pressure increases ten-fold.
Weighed down with such expectations, it is not too surprising that some succumb to the unethical act of cheating.
While VCU has never had such a notable cheating scandal, it’s important that we stay vigilant with our academic work. VCU’s Center for Teaching Excellence finds that “between 40 and 70 percent of all college student [report] cheating sometime during their academic career.” As vague and imprecise as that may sound, it’s still alarming. For a school of around 31,600 students, that’s anywhere from 13,980 to 18,960 students.
Some students may complain about how strict the honor code can be, with simple incidents like a student’s phone going off during an exam as reason for a failing grade, but it’s important for us to be clear, consistent and cognizant of what is acceptable.
Most of us have faced opportunities where we can get that “extra help” on an exam, project or assignment. While some people seize that opportunity in a short-sighted decision, they forget that the consequence of committing such a deed grandly outweighs the boost it may give their grade.
Every choice we make determines the kind of person we become, including the values and morals we try to maintain. For some people, seizing that good grade through a wrongful method is something they may not even think twice about. Sadly, despite knowing some of the more obvious differences between right and wrong, people still neglect to choose the right path.
Knowing and doing are two different things and at the knowledge between right and wrong is insignificant when it doesn’t lead to the correct action. Make sure your actions don’t conflict with your ultimate intents as a scholar. To say “don’t cheat” simplifies the problem; be responsible and accountable for yourself and you won’t fail.
At the end of the day, it depends on whether a person is willing to risk throwing their school career and integrity away for the brief elation of an undeserved grade.