aldous dela pena,
Cheating has always been a common problem among schools, and with the help of technology, students are finding new ways to cheat. Before the internet came to be, cheating usually involved having small pieces of paper with notes or answers discreetly written on it, discussions with other classmates during exams, or simply looking at other people's papers.
But now that the internet is a couple of taps away on our cellular phones, students are now introduced to a different way of cheating. Sometimes, students take advantage of the privilege given to them when they need a bathroom break, and some even exploit the lenience of their teachers when it comes to using cellular phones during classes.
With internet connection, the whole cheating game has changed. But why do students cheat in the first place?
From a macro-perspective, cheating can be viewed as a side effect of cramming, especially when we are given time to prepare, study or do the tasks given to us which we take for granted. We underestimate the time needed to absorb information and overestimate our capabilities to absorb everything in one quick grind. But the stress and the pressure that comes with it hinders productivity. Once the due date comes, you use your emergency mobile data to cheat on tests, or even plagiarize outputs so that you have something to write or pass to your teacher which you see as one less thing to worry about. But on an even larger perspective, students cram because they have poor time-management skills.
Instead of allotting our time for studying and other academic requirements, we use it instead to play games or go on social media because we think there’s still time left or we know there are easier ways to pass. Most of us can’t handle too much stress so we either drop everything and just do whatever we want instead. These lead to choosing one of the easy way outs: cheating. With cheating, you get passing grades, and it takes little to no time to accomplish.
Another common motive for cheating is our twisted view of success. For so long, we have looked at grades and marks as figures and numbers and we think that having higher marks will lead to more favorable circumstances in the future. We all look at grades as the measurement of our intelligence, to the point that students will do everything to be "smart." It's ironic, really. In the process of trying to be so-called smart, having good grades loses the essence of making people truly wiser because they are gained through trickery.
Students have also found another way to cheat by freeloading. They survive effortlessly through leaching on their groupmates, without providing any kind of assistance in group works. The grade, in this situation, came from the hard work of the cheater’s groupmates and yet he/she receives the same mark. The cheater has then effectively earned marks they do not deserve.
We shouldn't look at grades like this. We shouldn't focus on just getting good grades. Rather, we should focus on learning as much as possible. Yes, cheaters may get higher marks, but most of the time they will lack the skills, knowledge, and experience needed to be effective in whatever field they wish to pursue. Cheaters can't cheat through everything. Eventually people will recognize the cheaters and that won’t bode well for them.
Also, if the internet is a few clicks away, this means that information is easily accessible. We should maximize what we have and what we can access to learn from it. We should be looking up more important things than how to be a better cheater. Because cheaters take advantage of other people, while those who learn and study help others by sharing their knowledge. We should build a world where we have each other's backs to help us all achieve greatness, not one where we step on each other to be greater than everybody else.
What then can we do to change our current circumstances for the better? Simply put, action should be taken regarding this issue because students should go to school to learn how to improve, not to learn how to cheat. For the students, I know cheating is easy: easy grades, easy aces, easy to do, easy everything. But this world isn’t easy. If we cheat now, all we’ll ever learn until we graduate is how to cheat. This will lead to how to cheat on people, colleagues, the authorities, everyone. Let’s not pave the way for a future of cheaters. Let’s pave the way for learners, innovators, and leaders because we’re so much more than just no-good cheaters.
Now that we know that there is the pressing issue of cheating present in the school, we must take action. In this, the students greatly need the support of the teachers and staff. They know more about the students and how to handle such situations, thus the students are urged to change their ways through seeking help from those who can help them the most.
In conclusion, we must remember that grades and figures do not exclusively define success; we must also remember that integrity is a key to true and honest success. We must learn to utilize the time given to us and not take it for granted. As the internet amplifies our access to information, we must be critical in choosing how we use this convenient privilege. Those who cheat may have a head start, but in the end, they will be the last to finish. The students who cheat only instill in themselves trickery. Those who gave effort to learn will be the true witnesses of progress and success. Those who study and learn instill in themselves the knowledge they can share with others and not ways to take advantage of other people. Through this, they will be able to help oneself and others for a better future for all and not just for one.
It’s not too late. We can all still fix this problem. Those who cheat should stop, those who don’t should not allow those who do to continue. Remember that cheating is a choice we make and not one others can make for us. The authorities should guide us to a better and fairer future. The cheating game is one we shouldn’t play, because if we do, we are all doomed to be cheated out of a better life experience. // by Aldous Ayal O. dela Peña
Opinion: Cheating: The Misleading Quick Fix
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| Photo credit: Jem Torrecampo |
Cheating has always been a common problem among schools, and with the help of technology, students are finding new ways to cheat. Before the internet came to be, cheating usually involved having small pieces of paper with notes or answers discreetly written on it, discussions with other classmates during exams, or simply looking at other people's papers.
But now that the internet is a couple of taps away on our cellular phones, students are now introduced to a different way of cheating. Sometimes, students take advantage of the privilege given to them when they need a bathroom break, and some even exploit the lenience of their teachers when it comes to using cellular phones during classes.
With internet connection, the whole cheating game has changed. But why do students cheat in the first place?
From a macro-perspective, cheating can be viewed as a side effect of cramming, especially when we are given time to prepare, study or do the tasks given to us which we take for granted. We underestimate the time needed to absorb information and overestimate our capabilities to absorb everything in one quick grind. But the stress and the pressure that comes with it hinders productivity. Once the due date comes, you use your emergency mobile data to cheat on tests, or even plagiarize outputs so that you have something to write or pass to your teacher which you see as one less thing to worry about. But on an even larger perspective, students cram because they have poor time-management skills.
Instead of allotting our time for studying and other academic requirements, we use it instead to play games or go on social media because we think there’s still time left or we know there are easier ways to pass. Most of us can’t handle too much stress so we either drop everything and just do whatever we want instead. These lead to choosing one of the easy way outs: cheating. With cheating, you get passing grades, and it takes little to no time to accomplish.
Another common motive for cheating is our twisted view of success. For so long, we have looked at grades and marks as figures and numbers and we think that having higher marks will lead to more favorable circumstances in the future. We all look at grades as the measurement of our intelligence, to the point that students will do everything to be "smart." It's ironic, really. In the process of trying to be so-called smart, having good grades loses the essence of making people truly wiser because they are gained through trickery.
Students have also found another way to cheat by freeloading. They survive effortlessly through leaching on their groupmates, without providing any kind of assistance in group works. The grade, in this situation, came from the hard work of the cheater’s groupmates and yet he/she receives the same mark. The cheater has then effectively earned marks they do not deserve.
We shouldn't look at grades like this. We shouldn't focus on just getting good grades. Rather, we should focus on learning as much as possible. Yes, cheaters may get higher marks, but most of the time they will lack the skills, knowledge, and experience needed to be effective in whatever field they wish to pursue. Cheaters can't cheat through everything. Eventually people will recognize the cheaters and that won’t bode well for them.
Also, if the internet is a few clicks away, this means that information is easily accessible. We should maximize what we have and what we can access to learn from it. We should be looking up more important things than how to be a better cheater. Because cheaters take advantage of other people, while those who learn and study help others by sharing their knowledge. We should build a world where we have each other's backs to help us all achieve greatness, not one where we step on each other to be greater than everybody else.
What then can we do to change our current circumstances for the better? Simply put, action should be taken regarding this issue because students should go to school to learn how to improve, not to learn how to cheat. For the students, I know cheating is easy: easy grades, easy aces, easy to do, easy everything. But this world isn’t easy. If we cheat now, all we’ll ever learn until we graduate is how to cheat. This will lead to how to cheat on people, colleagues, the authorities, everyone. Let’s not pave the way for a future of cheaters. Let’s pave the way for learners, innovators, and leaders because we’re so much more than just no-good cheaters.
Now that we know that there is the pressing issue of cheating present in the school, we must take action. In this, the students greatly need the support of the teachers and staff. They know more about the students and how to handle such situations, thus the students are urged to change their ways through seeking help from those who can help them the most.
In conclusion, we must remember that grades and figures do not exclusively define success; we must also remember that integrity is a key to true and honest success. We must learn to utilize the time given to us and not take it for granted. As the internet amplifies our access to information, we must be critical in choosing how we use this convenient privilege. Those who cheat may have a head start, but in the end, they will be the last to finish. The students who cheat only instill in themselves trickery. Those who gave effort to learn will be the true witnesses of progress and success. Those who study and learn instill in themselves the knowledge they can share with others and not ways to take advantage of other people. Through this, they will be able to help oneself and others for a better future for all and not just for one.
It’s not too late. We can all still fix this problem. Those who cheat should stop, those who don’t should not allow those who do to continue. Remember that cheating is a choice we make and not one others can make for us. The authorities should guide us to a better and fairer future. The cheating game is one we shouldn’t play, because if we do, we are all doomed to be cheated out of a better life experience. // by Aldous Ayal O. dela Peña
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