Report exam cheating to professor? Forum

[encore1101]

As has been mentioned several times it is extremely unlikely that what any one person does will actually affect another

I don't believe that, nor do I think it justifies remaining silent. In a curved class, such as most 1L classes, it could very well mean the difference between a 3.7 and a 3.3 in a 4-credit course. Certainly, as the number of credits increases, it doesn't mean as much, but it's still something that they're getting unfairly and undeservedly at the expense of someone else.

I also don't agree with the whole "They'll get their comeuppance when they fail the bar or turd an assignment!" Neither of those are guaranteed to happen any moreso than the possibility of bumping someone down out of an interview or out of a scholarship range.

ETA: also, even in just OP's example, it wasn't one, but two people cheating. Even if one or two people won't make any substantial difference (which I still disagree with), that's assuming that it's only one or two people. If you saw everybody in your class cheating but you, would you report that?

[sublime]

..

[FKASunny]

Yeah, I didn't study with peers specifically so that there was no chance I'd somehow improve their odds of outdoing me.

I pray this was a joke

Yeah, the real reason is I just was not a study group person / social learner. Not helping peers do better than me was more of a tangential benefit I realized after-the-fact. I didn't invent the curve, I just killed it.

New personal motto

[NotMyRealName09]

Yeah, I didn't study with peers specifically so that there was no chance I'd somehow improve their odds of outdoing me.

I pray this was a joke

Yeah, the real reason is I just was not a study group person / social learner. Not helping peers do better than me was more of a tangential benefit I realized after-the-fact. I didn't invent the curve, I just killed it.

New personal motto

I knew it was a winner as soon as I wrote it. I feel sexy.

[jbagelboy]

As has been mentioned several times it is extremely unlikely that what any one person does will actually affect another

I don't believe that, nor do I think it justifies remaining silent. In a curved class, such as most 1L classes, it could very well mean the difference between a 3.7 and a 3.3 in a 4-credit course. Certainly, as the number of credits increases, it doesn't mean as much, but it's still something that they're getting unfairly and undeservedly at the expense of someone else.

I also don't agree with the whole "They'll get their comeuppance when they fail the bar or turd an assignment!" Neither of those are guaranteed to happen any moreso than the possibility of bumping someone down out of an interview or out of a scholarship range.

ETA: also, even in just OP's example, it wasn't one, but two people cheating. Even if one or two people won't make any substantial difference (which I still disagree with), that's assuming that it's only one or two people. If you saw everybody in your class cheating but you, would you report that?

you sound so lame. this striver shit cracks me up.

[prezidentv8]

No opinion either way on report vs. not report, BUT

if you do report something, you better be damn sure you're not wrong about what was going on. If you throw some classmates under the academic bus and you're wrong, you're going to look like/feel like a total douche.

[GOATlawman]

If you throw some classmates under the academic busand you're wrong, you're going to look like/feel like a total douche.

[guinness1547]

I think there are three acceptable options, depending on how much you like or dislike the cheaters.

1. Do nothing, but give them a ton of shit for being mentally weak.

2. Observe their cheating and spread malicious rumors about their testing and sexual habits. "I heard she cheated because she couldn't concentrate on studying after finding out about the super herpes."

3. Turn them in and watch their lives crumble, because fuck them for taking the last bagel that one time at the free school breakfast.

[CicerBRo]

God, law students make me sad.

It's the holidays. There are bigger problems in the world. Report 'em or don't report 'em; who cares. I know TLS is for posting about this sort of stuff, but sheesh.

[prezidentv8]

If you throw some classmates under the academic busand you're wrong, you're going to look like/feel like a total douche.

fair

[HardCider]

Can a MOD lock this thread please?

[sparty99]

Can a MOD lock this thread please?

No. You made your bed and now you must sleep in it.

[FuturePanhandler]

Can a MOD lock this thread please?

What a loser.

[AReasonableMan]

It really comes down to whether you know someone was cheating.

[jdmonkey]

I'd be interested to know where the "don't snitch" folks draw the line. You see someone smoking weed in public, do you snitch? (I'd guess probably not). You bear witness to a murder, do you snitch? (I'd hope so).

So where does the line get drawn? Is it totally arbitrary? If so, I'd say this isn't much of a principle to be premising an argument on.

The line is drawn where people get hurt. Nobody is impacted by someone else smoking weed...especially outside. However if you witness a murder there is actually a victim, and presumably a public safety threat with the killer on the loose, so you should report. However there are rational reasons not to report a murder... if the killer is part of a violent street gang I could see why someone wouldn't want to come forward as their testimony could be their own death sentence.

[fats provolone]

I'd consider most law students public safety threats. but maybe not the ones cheating on exams

[AReasonableMan]

I'd be interested to know where the "don't snitch" folks draw the line. You see someone smoking weed in public, do you snitch? (I'd guess probably not). You bear witness to a murder, do you snitch? (I'd hope so).

So where does the line get drawn? Is it totally arbitrary? If so, I'd say this isn't much of a principle to be premising an argument on.

The line is drawn where people get hurt. Nobody is impacted by someone else smoking weed...especially outside. However if you witness a murder there is actually a victim, and presumably a public safety threat with the killer on the loose, so you should report. However there are rational reasons not to report a murder... if the killer is part of a violent street gang I could see why someone wouldn't want to come forward as their testimony could be their own death sentence.

But haven't you seen Reefer Madness? Smoking weed could turn a peaceful murder into a psychopathic killer! So it's the same end result!!