Stop Cheating Yourself | Teen Ink

Stop Cheating Yourself MAG

By Anonymous

     A student does not know any of the answers on a test. As he stares at the blank answer page, all the problems look blurry, and when the results come back, the student realizes that he failed. This is the situation for those who copy homework from others. They are not only cheating, they are not learning anything and will not be prepared for tests or quizzes. By using the work of others, they can ruin their grade as well as their future. It is not right to cheat when we all have the capability to do our own work. People should not receive rewards for the effort of others.

Most people have cheated at least once in their lives, whether it was for missed or incomplete work, or even just for credit that you didn’t deserve. But this is not right; in fact, it is unethical and unfair. Taking the work of others and using it as your own is not the right thing to do. It shows a lack of responsibility as well as a lack of knowledge. For example, if a student cheats using a classmate’s exam paper, he is taking credit for another’s work. If the tea-cher catches him, the consequences are usually failure.

Cheating by using the work of others is the same as ruining your life with drugs. It is not only unnecessary and foolish, it can also start to be addicting in many ways. If a student constantly cheats, then it may become a habit in the future. Besides, no one needs to cheat. We all have brains that we can use and also teachers, parents, and peers to help us. Anyway, it’s not like we will succeed in life if we continuously cheat. There is no need to ruin both your education and your life by cheating.

Cheaters usually suffer many consequences. In the beginning when the student is in grade school, cheating may only lead to losing credit and going to the principal’s office. In middle school, there will be Saturday detentions, suspensions, and even parent-teacher conferences. But in high school, college, and the rest of a person’s life, cheating will not be tolerated. If a college student uses a quote from a book or website and doesn’t cite where the information came from, that is plagiarism. This form of credit-taking does not just have minor consequences but can also land you in jail, ruin your record for certain jobs, tear apart your relationships with family and friends, and jeopardize your future.

Every day as you pass through a teen-infested hallway, there will be at least one person madly scribbling away on a piece of paper trying to match it with the one from their peers. This all can occur right before the bell signals the start of a new school day. Why do they have to do this? Will those extra 10 points have a huge impact on their grade and also remind them to do their homework in the future? The clear answer is no! Why can’t they just tell their teachers the truth? By copying, the cheater learns nothing and the teacher will never know if they copied their homework or if they did it themselves.

Of all things, taking credit for others’ work is not only unnecessary but quite unreasonable as well. If we all just do our work, then there is no need to cheat. We should make an effort for our education instead of taking the easy way out. But most important, if we all work hard instead of cheating, then everyone will live a prosperous and successful life.



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This article has 81 comments.


lovevpets said...
on Nov. 18 2010 at 4:53 pm
I completely agree with this article.  Copying on anything is wrong.   Even homework.  If you are always cheating on homework, it will make your grade better, but you won't know the material.  Every day tons of people get into college fairly without cheating.  If you can't pass homework without cheating, you need to get help.  Cheating will hurt you in the long run.  Besides, if you do get into college by cheating, everything suddenly becomes a whole lot harder and a lot more important to your future.

on Nov. 18 2010 at 4:32 pm
PurpleFeather BRONZE, Canton, Connecticut
1 article 0 photos 124 comments

Favorite Quote:
"The pen is mightier than the sword." - Edward Bulwer-Lytton

Another note: Do you seriously think it is impossible to get into a good college without cheating? People do it everyday.

on Nov. 18 2010 at 4:30 pm
PurpleFeather BRONZE, Canton, Connecticut
1 article 0 photos 124 comments

Favorite Quote:
"The pen is mightier than the sword." - Edward Bulwer-Lytton

If someone else seese you as stuck up or prudish just because you refuse to help them cheat, it is their problem. What you are doing by copying off of other people is unfair to all ofthe other students who take the time do the homework correctly and by their own efforts. I bet everybody esle is as busy is you, yet they soemhow find the time to do the homework themselves. I think you are wrong and cheating is wrong.

on Nov. 18 2010 at 4:27 pm
PurpleFeather BRONZE, Canton, Connecticut
1 article 0 photos 124 comments

Favorite Quote:
"The pen is mightier than the sword." - Edward Bulwer-Lytton

Imaginedangerous,

If others are angry with you because you refuse to do the right thing, it is their problem. Don't let peer pressure trick you into doing something you know isn't right. If you stand firm and state your reasons why you feel that cheating is wrong, poeple won't bother you, they'll respect you.


Wordgasm GOLD said...
on Oct. 27 2010 at 2:32 pm
Wordgasm GOLD, Kingfield, Maine
12 articles 0 photos 45 comments

Favorite Quote:
If it was a unicorn it would have gored you.

helped the kid out

Wordgasm GOLD said...
on Oct. 27 2010 at 2:30 pm
Wordgasm GOLD, Kingfield, Maine
12 articles 0 photos 45 comments

Favorite Quote:
If it was a unicorn it would have gored you.

I happen to completely disagree, an i also happen to be "smart" as in, in the 99th percentile on all standardised test, without cheating. However, the only homework assignments I pass in are the ones i copy. and it is stuck-up and prudish to tell someone thata they cant cheat off you. I know all of the answers, i just dont have the time or the energy to do them out. i wouldn't get into a good college if i didnt "cheat"

Briii said...
on Oct. 27 2010 at 11:28 am
Briii, Gap, Pennsylvania
0 articles 0 photos 2 comments

Favorite Quote:
*everything happenss fer a reason . <3 *

great article. (: i agreeee .

on Oct. 27 2010 at 11:27 am
forman10 BRONZE, Atglen, Pennsylvania
1 article 0 photos 3 comments

Favorite Quote:
idk

i totally agree. this is so true. nice descripting words

 


on Oct. 27 2010 at 11:05 am
C0RiNNAZ0RN BRONZE, Atglen, Pennsylvania
1 article 0 photos 2 comments

i agree with this article .

you also have lots of details . (:

 


on Sep. 13 2010 at 4:31 pm
Imaginedangerous PLATINUM, Riverton, Utah
31 articles 0 photos 402 comments
Something the article didn't point out- social pressure to cheat. If I did the assignment and someone else just needs one or two answers, I'm a jerk if I don't share (because 'that's cheating'). By seventh period, half the school knows how rude, selfish, and stuck up I am.

AshleyP BRONZE said...
on Sep. 13 2010 at 4:23 pm
AshleyP BRONZE, Marietta, Georgia
1 article 2 photos 1 comment

Favorite Quote:
&quot;I like nonsense. It wakes up brain cells.&quot; Dr. Seuss<br /> &quot;I can do everything through him who gives me strength.&quot;

yes yes yes. totally agree.

great article!


Danica SILVER said...
on Aug. 22 2010 at 3:03 pm
Danica SILVER, Avondale, Arizona
7 articles 0 photos 105 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;It is our choices, that show who we truly are, far more than our abilities.&quot; -- Albus Dumbledore

Oh my goodness i totally agree! Apparently no one else at my school does, though, because EVERYONE cheats! It drives me nuts. Thank you for writing this :)

on Jul. 31 2010 at 11:22 am
silence-is-loud GOLD, Chicago, Illinois
10 articles 0 photos 135 comments

Favorite Quote:
FLOAT LIKE A BUTTERFLY, STING LIKE A BEE- MUHAMMID ALI

wooww... awesome work!!

on Jul. 31 2010 at 2:01 am
Superdooper SILVER, North English, Iowa
5 articles 0 photos 3 comments
This is completely true. I am glad you wrote this. Now I can show some people this artical who cheat and make their life less of a failure!

on Jul. 12 2010 at 12:20 am
sweet_silent_surenity GOLD, Puyallup, Washington
16 articles 0 photos 52 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved- loved for ourselves or rather, loved in spite of ourselves.&quot; -Victor Hugo-

indeed  =3

VanillaPanda said...
on Jul. 11 2010 at 7:16 pm
Yes I think so. How satisfying.

on Jul. 10 2010 at 1:04 am
sweet_silent_surenity GOLD, Puyallup, Washington
16 articles 0 photos 52 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved- loved for ourselves or rather, loved in spite of ourselves.&quot; -Victor Hugo-

Did we just have a discussion and end up finding out that our opinions were the same, because I love it when that happens. ^^


VanillaPanda said...
on Jul. 10 2010 at 1:01 am
Yep. Thats right. (:

on Jul. 10 2010 at 12:58 am
sweet_silent_surenity GOLD, Puyallup, Washington
16 articles 0 photos 52 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved- loved for ourselves or rather, loved in spite of ourselves.&quot; -Victor Hugo-

That would have been a better use of words, because in that case the comparison would have been between the way both issues ruin the lives of those who partake in them, rather than the issues themselves.


VanillaPanda said...
on Jul. 10 2010 at 12:53 am
The article could have been done without the line, but perhaps the author thought she should include some kind of reference or similiarity between cheating and another issue. Maybe she could have said "Cheating by using the work of others is similiar to ruining your life with drugs"