Education, Academics and School Issues / Question
Published: January 28, 2010
Dear TeenHealthFX,
Hi, I am a 16 year old guy in a top private high school. We have an English quiz every single day. I am a very busy guy, I run track and have no free time between Mondays through Fridays. Our teacher tells us to switch our paper when we are done with the quiz. I know this sounds wrong but I cheat. My homie and I give each other wicked good grade. I got to make a choice in my life either cheat like the 35% of the people in my school or get A BAD GRADE!. If I don't cheat I would pass out even if I get a 70. What should I do? I already study my brains out!
Signed: Cheat or Get a Bad Grade
Dear Cheat or Get a Bad Grade,
Being over worked is a frequent complaint among high school students. For the most part it is a valid complaint that needs to be addressed. Often it is not the school work that causes the problem but all the extracurricular activities that go along with it. Good grades alone are no longer a guarantee that you will get into a good college. High school students now have to put together an impressive resume that can include sports, school activities, volunteering, work and other endeavors. Add into the mix any social activities and you leave yourself with quite a time challenge.
TeenHealthFX can understand why it is so tempting for you and your friend to take advantage of your teacher’s grading method but you have to ask yourself, is it worth it. You mentioned that you go to a top private school. The majority of these schools have strict honor codes when it comes to cheating. In most cases if you are caught breaking the honor code it would be an automatic termination from the school. Can you imagine the turmoil this would cause in your life?
Talk to your guidance counselor about your schedule and how demanding it is. Chances are that he/she has helped many other students with the same dilemma. Try and find ways that you can be more efficient in your study habits or what kinds of resources are available for students who carry a heavy work load. Sometimes there are study skill groups, peer groups that work together or teachers available for consultation. You could look at your schedule and see if you could work a free period into your day so that it would give you a little breathing room. You could also talk with your fellow classmates or teammates to see if they have any helpful suggestions to managing your work load, after all they are in the same position you are.
In the end it doesn’t matter what the other 35% do. You have to make a decision that is right for you. Morally cheating is considered wrong and not fair to the other 65% of the students who don’t do it. You can also look at it from the risk reward perspective and it just doesn’t seem like it is worth it especially since you would pass the quiz anyway without your buddy’s generous grading.
Signed: TeenHealthFX
Freshmen bring an average of $1,585.00 in credit card debt to college.
