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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on Nov. 9 2009 at 4:09 pm
Inkspired PLATINUM, Whitby, Other
26 articles 0 photos 493 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If one will scoff at the study of language, how, save in terms of language, will one scoff?" - Mario Pei
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This article makes a really good point! I agree with you, copying is pointless and will just lose you more than it gains you. Great job!