 "Photo: Photo courtesy of MCT Campus")
When it comes to breaking the honor code, UNC Charlotte students have come a long way from sneaking in cheat sheets. The days of eyeing a neighbors test or passing notes have long gone. Thanks to new technology and a bit of creativity, students have become masters at cheating on exams.
So how are they getting away with it? I spoke with several students to uncover their secrets. Most of us are familiar with writing on ourselves, and talking amongst one another if a professor steps out. These undergraduates have revealed easier, more clever ways to cheat.
Several claimed they write formulas on the inside of their calculator case or brought a large bag to class and placed their notes inside so they could lean over and take a peek. One student said he uses pens to cheat. Take a razor blade and slice a small slit down the side of a plastic pen, get your notes (written on a small piece of paper) then roll them around the ink cartridge, assemble pen, and use as a scroll.
Taping notes on clothing is also very popular. Students stick notes to the bottom of shoes, under shirts, and inside the bills of hats.
Texting and snapping pictures of answers has also become very popular. Professors have caught on to this, so it is usually impossible unless you are in an extremely large class.
If you have a scanner and photo shop the next trick will be effortless. Take the label off a 20 oz. bottle of coke. Scan the label and use photo shop to erase the white lettered ingredients, type in your notes, put the label back on the coke bottle, and enjoy your beverage during an exam!
We all enjoy our I-pods, some students more than others because they use theirs to cheat! One student admits to putting formulas into the note section, under extras, in her I-pod.
Some use the old trick of faking sick. If your professor allows make ups and you don’t think he will change the test, just ask your friends what was on the exam.
Lastly, it is not unheard of that some students pay others to write their papers for them. Now days, essays can be purchased right off the internet. This is not a wise decision since professors look for this.
Sure, having a few tricks up your sleeve can be helpful, but what happens if a student is caught cheating? According to the UNC Charlotte Code of Student Academic Integrity, “All acts of academic dishonesty violate standards essential to the existence of an academic community. The penalties which may be assessed include the following: a formal warning, a reduced grade for the assignment, or a reduced grade for the entire course. Whatever the penalty, a signed form recording the settlement will be kept for 8 years in the Office of the Dean of Students. Some first offenses and all second offenses have import beyond the specific course in which the violation occurred.” These offenses, if held through the Chair of the Academic Integrity Hearing Board, could result in a record of the violation on a student’s transcript.
If you are still planning on cheating, consider this. The AIB may suspend a student for years at a time. The code also states that students may face a grade of an “F” with an “X” on their transcripts, indicating dishonesty.
In extreme cases, students have been expelled permanently or had their degrees annulled.
It is important to ask yourselves if cheating on exams is worth jeopardizing your college career. Believe it or not, many students do not agree with it. It is frowned upon and considered unfair. Many students have spent several dedicated hours in preparation for exams. Yes, it may have been easy for cheaters to be deceitful, but not at all rewarding. How are you ever going to learn anything? We are not in high school anymore. It is time to grow up and take some responsibility.
So how can we eliminate cheating? One UNC Charlotte student has a solution. “It’s a bad thing to be in such a large class. One professor can’t watch 200 people. I think more grading should come from essays written in class.” Others suggest that professors pass out their own writing utensils, and have an assistant and the professor walk around the room during exams. Some students said nothing but keys should be brought in during examinations, while others recommended that calculators could be checked for notes and cleared before tests. “Professors should give out different copies of the test and not tell anyone” said another anonymous student.
It won’t be any easy task to prevent cheating entirely, but for those that are considering it, do not do it! Many professors allow a test to be dropped, give extra credit (if you attend class), and offer practice tests. With a little effort, there is no need to cheat on exams. Not only will you get better grades, you will actually learn something from the course. After all, that is the point.
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