There is no doubt that the majority of students are honest, hard working, and possess high levels of integrity.  On the flip side, students are reporting crisis levels of stress from the elementary grades through college. This “stress crisis” is when “good” students often face the real yet harmful choice of cheating for a higher grade. From downloading papers and copying friend’s work, to having some write your paper or using technology to cheat; there is no foolproof way to get away with cheating.

There are many reasons to avoid cheating:

1. It is wrong and sets you on a path that you may not want to go down;
2. In many cases, it’s illegal and can result in arrest;
3. A nice professor will give you a failing grade for the test or assignment you cheat on;
4. A smart professor (the majority) will fail you in the class and report your cheating to the administration;
5. Many institutions will expel you and mark the cause on your transcripts, making it very difficult to gain entry into another college or university; and
6. It doesn’t ease your stress; it makes it worse!

Bottom line, cheating is not acceptable and few will tolerate it.  Your best bet is to invest the time in learning how to study, putting the time in to do well in school, and learning to deal with your stress.  You will be happy you did and life will be a lot less stressful in the long run!

Steven J. Harvey, Ph.D.
CEO & Founder, My College Max, Web Site: www.mycollegemax.com
Executive Director, The WNY Consortium of Higher Education, Web Site: www.wnycollegeconnection.com