Cheating in School

Cheating has been around forever which means it’s in everything that we do. Whether its cheating on a test in school in order to get a good grade or cheating on a scholarship application in order to receive it to attend college. I have always heard cheating being described as a sin. In today’s society, cheating is becoming more common, and some people not just students in school, do it on a daily basis. Most people, both old and young say that cheating is immoral, but they still have done it at some point throughout their lifetime or will do it in their lifetime, so cheating has happened in the past and it continues to happen today.

What Is Cheating?

So, what is cheating, exactly?? “According to Merriam-Webster cheating is to deprive of something valuable using deceit or fraud. Cheat (2019)”. Some people say that cheating is doing something against the rules to gain something that you want, not something that you need.

We have all been told that cheating is bad but somehow everyone will cheat in their life in order to get something they want. An example of this would be if your parents told you if you made all A’s on your spelling test they would give you twenty dollars, so you would cheat on the test just to make the grade go up to increase your chances of getting the money.

Forms of Cheating

• Academic Cheating

The main type of cheating that everyone is aware of is Academic cheating. “According to Berkley City College academic dishonesty/cheating is any attempt to give or obtain assistance in a formal academic exercise like an examination without due acknowledgment. (What is academic dishonesty).” This is using immoral, unethical and unfair means to get higher scores on test which leads to an overall grade in the class.

This sort of cheating is highly found in grade/high schools and colleges/universities. Cases of academic cheating have also been reported even in higher studies, like graduate school. The main goal of most if not all educational institutions or higher education facilities is to develop self-sufficient and independent individuals. However, cheating makes an impact on people’s life even if they don’t think it does.

• Plagiarism

Another form of cheating that is very common is Plagiarism. The definition of plagiarism is “the adoption or reproduction if ideas or words or statements of another person without due acknowledgment according to the University of Berkley. (what is academic dishonesty). This is also commonly found in schools, but it’s more likely to be found in colleges and institutions because in college students are writing more lengthy and hard papers. Plagiarism can also be found in the workplace. An example of this would be taking someone else’s idea for a proposal and passing it off as your own.

I have had friends in the past who have went on the internet and found something that the need for school and used it as their own. A friend of mine once asked one of teachers in elementary school, can other people’s words really be stolen and she replied “yes, because the idea originally came from them and they are protected by copyright laws of writing”. I found this very interesting because it seemed a little extreme to me that someone’s ideas or words would be protected by copyright laws, but as I have taken more English and criminal justice courses throughout my life, I have come to realize she was right.