Don't Cheat Pt 2
This article will try to calm the temperature of situations that may endear students to consider cheating.
By Xavier Royer — March 30, 2023
In part 1, we discussed cheating and how students get caught doing it. We also learned some tips for avoiding cheating in practical ways. But often, the circumstances that drive students to cheat have less to do with getting caught or misunderstanding citations and more to do with life circumstances. One great thing about people is that we all have unique strengths and skills. What comes with this is our unique struggles and challenges. Combining these makes us who we are and enjoyable to be around. Part 2 of this article will try to calm the temperature of situations that may endear students to consider cheating.
Don't Panic!
I know, saying "don't panic" is like telling someone to calm down: it is so obvious that it is effectively pointless. However, not panicking can be done more intentionally than simply calming down. Cheating occurs when students feel the stakes are too high and they do not have the resources to accomplish the task. Most of the time, a bit of perspective will reveal that the stakes are not quite as high or the students are more competent than they believe they are now. Look at the syllabus: how much is the assignment worth? Look at the rubric: what is the instructor actually asking for? Break the whole situation down into smaller pieces.
Students often realize they do not have as big a task in front of them as they thought or are at least in a more survivable situation than they initially believed. Even if they may have to settle for a sub-par effort in a lower than average, maybe, an acceptable grade is better than getting caught cheating.
In the same vein, students should never forget what they have already gone through to get into their position. Any given paper or situation during college is unlikely to be the toughest situation students have ever dealt with. This is not to say there won't be challenging circumstances; there will be, and I do not mean to mitigate that. What I am trying to drive home is you, yes YOU, are way tougher than you think and have no excuse to cheat.
Give Yourself Plenty of Time
This common piece of advice for new drivers is also great for new students and for similar reasons. New drivers get into many accidents because they run late and cut corners, which gets them in trouble. College students often end up in the same situation. While I know getting work done more than a few days ahead of time is incredibly rare and a tough ask (students are busy!), A reasonable rule of thumb is to ensure all assignments are on a student's radar at least a week before they are due. If students can stay conscious of at least their next seven days of assignments, that is enough time to perform some true miracles. Rome wasn't built in a day, but with the right incentive, I think some motivated college students could have done it in a week.
Have Confidence in Your Preparation
By the end of their first semester, the average undergrad should have consistent routines for studying and paper writing. If you watch NBA players shoot before games, you will notice they have very consistent mechanics for shooting. They may jump a little more for longer shots. In a game, they may adjust to avoid a defender. But when uncontested, their shot will always look the same. Even when they have to adjust for different circumstances, it is all based on that standard jump shot that they have practiced hundreds of thousands, if not millions of times.
Paper writing and studying can be treated much the same. Once students find a studying and writing process that works for them, they should identify what about that process works and continue doing it every time. "Working" here should be defined as grade-effective, relatively stress-free, and efficient. If a study method works for achieving good grades but is a grind, students are more likely to burn out and resort to phoning it in or cheating. Having a routine also makes tests and papers less stressful because it removes having to figure out that part every time. Students who have to reinvent their study or writing process for each assignment will be exhausted by midterms and more tempted to cut corners.
I can understand what drives students to cheat. However, some preparation and perspective can reduce the incentive to cheat. Ideally, cheating never crosses a student's mind. Desperation can lead to poor choices. A last piece of advice I will include in this closing paragraph is asking for an extension if cheating begins to seem attractive. Many instructors are willing to give extensions. Most due dates are arbitrary anyway, and an extension allows them to procrastinate grading the assignment. This isn't a magic bullet, but asking for an extension humbly and honestly is an option that not nearly enough students use.
Xavier Royer
I am currently a full time instructor at a William Penn University, a small private university in Iowa. I am the lone political science faculty member there. In my time teaching, I have already connected with an incredible cohort of students in ways I could never have expected. Partnering with SAGE will allow me the opportunity to help even more students across the globe navigate those tricky questions.
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