cheater, cheater, pumpkin eater
You know that feeling when you look upto someone and respect them and then they turn out to be the worst person ever. That's me with almost 60% of the people I know in real life and respected.
I love being righteous. I know it sounds like I'm being overconfident but seriously, I love doing the just and right thing. I expect that of myself and I expect that of the people around me. So naturally, when they do not follow my expectation, I will see them differently.
I do not condone cheating on a test. I know it seems like I'm a teacher's pet, goody two-shoes, nerd, loser, and a weirdo. But if you need to cheat to succeed you were never worthy of success in the first place. I will always have much greater respect for those who fail trying honestly, rather than succeed by dishonesty and cheating.
More than it being morally wrong, it's unfair to the people who actually try. Here's a scenario:
Student A cheats on a test and scores a 85% that goes towards their overall average in their class.
Student B tries their hardest and scores a 65% that goes towards their overall average in their class.
Now in that scenario, do you think it's fair that one student gets amazing grades for something that isn't even an accurate representation of their knowledge and skills? No.
What can we do though? It's not like the students who cheat will read this and think, "hey, maybe I shouldn't cheat because it's wrong." You think they don't know that?
It's the need for a good grade that drives people to the most dire circumstances. This doesn't justify cheating but it is one of the most common reasons I see for people cheating.
More than the students cheating, the teachers don't care. At least where I am. They see the students cheating and ignore it for a reason I can't even think of. Then the same teachers have the audacity to get annoyed that students continue cheating. Who set that system up? Simply telling off a student the first time they cheat is ok, but the second and third times are not. That's when you snatch the test and give them a zero. That's when you call their parents. That's when you tell their guidance counsellor. That's when you do whatever more you can do.
So many schools and academic programs boast about not condoning cheating and prioritizing academic honesty, yet they never follow through. It's always about how it might affect the student's future. That's why you talk to them. If you're not going to sit and have a stern talk with them about why it's wrong and the possible consequences, of course they would do it again.
It drives me insane because I used to look up to some of my classmates because they're smart, motivated, and social. I used to look down on myself because I was not as smart or as motivated or as social. I thought I had to reach their level to even be considered a good student.
Come to find out they cheat on some of their tests without a care in the world. So they're not smart. They're not motivated or disciplined. They're cheaters. And guess what? I'm not a cheater nor will I ever cheat. So I guess by default, I am smarter than them and more motivated than them(which is totally not the point I'm making but hey, I'm not wrong).
This also connects to how in life, people are not who they seem to be. We build an idea of who they are in our heads based on minimal knowledge and percieve them as such. When in reality, they could be the complete opposite.
If there's one thing I learned, it's to never compare myself to anyone without knowing the full story. I might even end up saving myself a whole lot of time feeling inferior and like I need to live upto something.
If there's one thing I hope you learned, it's to always do right by yourself and never second-guess you're values. It's to never compare yourself to someone because you're you and the others are the others.
stormborns
andulkaphoto
snowghoul
origamiaround
yousharknotpass
kianamaiart
