Let’s face it. We’ve all had the cheeky look over our friends’ exam paper over the years. I for one will admit that I’ve been a culprit. Everybody knows that cheating isn’t right, yet we still do it. Why is that?

According to a study in the US(1), around half the population of teenagers believe that you should be doing everything you can in order to be successful, even go as far as cheating if necessary. The reasoning behind this, I believe, is due to the unnecessary pressure that is put upon students by forces such as universities and schools. When entry into University, for example, is based upon a single metric such as a mark, students have no choice but to strive to achieve that mark whichever way they can. However, the shortcomings of the education system is another topic for another day.

In saying that, there are a few things that students collectively can do in order to take control and change the current culture and perspective on cheating:

• Leverage Technology: The beauty of technology nowadays is that it brings most of the services you need straight to your fingertips at any time of the day, such as maths help. When you download the Intellecquity app, all you need to do it snap a picture of your math problem and send it over. You’ll be able to receive help almost instantly by tutors who will show you how to tackle the problem.

• Utilise your networks: We all have our group chats on Facebook and Whatsapp that we use to make plans with our friends (and share memes!). Why not reach out to students who do well in subjects you struggle with and start a group chat? Chances are that most students are willing to help friends out.

• It’s not even worth it: In hindsight (and it’s very easy to speak from experience) cheating actually takes up more time than knuckling down and learning the good old way. Let me explain how: Most, in fact, all math curriculums, regardless of difficulty are set in a cumulative fashion, meaning one topic leads on from another. So if you’ve managed to skip a topic through being naughty, chances are you’ll be playing catch-up for the rest of year. Trust me, that’s not a place you’d like to be in.

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Here I’ve listed just some of the reasons why cheating isn’t the way to go. I’m sure there are more negatives to cheating out there, not least getting caught and facing the thought of suspension or even expulsion in extreme cases. Utilise the advancements in technology to seek out help when you need it. There are cost-effective options, such as Intellecquity out there to support you. So go forth and conquer those exams to the best of your ability, because at the end of the day, that’s all anyone can really ask of you.

http://www.theatlantic.com/notes/2016/08/students-broken-moral-compasses-contd/494513/