Students find creative ways to circumvent studying by cheating
by Alan Adams
UHCLIDIAN STAFF

For many students it is an all too familiar scenario.

You walk into class without a care in the world. Curiously you notice everyone staring down at similarly outlined sheets of paper, their study reviews. Then cold, harsh reality starts to set in. You have a test today. What do you do?

For many, the answer is simple. Take it like a man (or woman). Pray you can make a 'D,' and then try to make up some ground with extra credit and daily assignments. There is however an alternative... you can cheat.

A recent study conducted by the Center for Academic Integrity at Duke University found nearly 75 percent of college students admit some academic dishonesty.

Pressure to succeed remains the main cause of cheating. Many students are concerned about their lives after college. The anticipated repercussions from failing a major exam can leave students feeling frenzied and bold.

"I think people will cheat if they can get an A and believe they can get away with it," said John Garza, an undergraduate marketing major. "I believe students cheat because they are desperate. However, I think that a students desperation stems from laziness."

Although many would agree that cheating is a product of laziness, laziness is not necessarily a product of stupidity. In fact, cheating has become somewhat of an art among students who search for constant innovations to stay one step ahead of their professors.

Writing the answers to essays in a blue book or copying notes to desktops are becoming obsolete. Professors have developed safeguards against these strategies, such as collecting blue books and redistributing them or inspecting desktops while handing out the tests.

These are small obstacles for students who take just as much time preparing to cheat as it would take to study.

Programming formulas or notes into calculators is a preferred method among many students. For those seeking a more traditional route, placing notes and answers in a cup can be just as affective as anything digital. Adding water and viewing the notes while sipping from the cup adds a nice touch. Placing notes in the revolving clear window of a click-pen can be next to impossible for a professor to detect. The Internet is a rich source for research papers. Web sites, such as SchoolSucks.com, offer students thousands of free papers on a variety of topics. Students can also purchase custom papers, some written by 'moonlighting teachers.'

With all of the outlets available to aid students in cheating, why does anyone bother to study?

"I think the majority of students who do not cheat are scared; they don't have any guts," said Luis Montes, an undergraduate communication major. "It's not because of morals."

Guilt may be another factor preventing many students from cheating. But for some, the fear of failure overrides any feelings of regret.

"I sometimes feel guilty if I cheat in a class I really need to know the material in," says one UHCL student. "What else am I going to do? Fail a test?"

As another student so eloquently stated, "Do teachers feel bad giving you a hard-ass test?"

Almost everyone is in agreement that cheating is wrong, and everyone at some point has been tempted Even teachers?

"Sure some of our professors cheated in college," said one student. "I occasionally cheat and I'm an education major."