Report exam cheating to professor? Forum

[kjartan]

Snitches get stitches.

[skri65]

Do you have a job lined up? If so, then this probably ruins their lives (especially the girl on law review) and only marginally helps you. Keep that in mind.

[jbagelboy]

To the people being all "Snitch or else!!" have you always been like that? Like even in high school where 95%+ of everyone cheats? Or did you develop that character trait at some point (during law school?

Right, because high school and law school are comparable in terms of what's at stake and difficulty. Get real.

Seriously, fuck that noise. I worked my ass off in law school to get good grades. I see no reason why I, or anyone, should accommodate others who want to take shortcuts, and don't want to put in the time or the effort to do things the right way. Especially if the class is curved, why the fuck should you help them out when doing so hurts you?

To all the people who are like "omg snitch!!" Is it that important what other people think of you? Why shouldn't you report it? Because you still live in the playground mentality of no tattling?

"Oh, but I'm smart enough that I'll still get a job and do better than them!" Okay, sure you will. But there are others that won't, who've put in the honest time and effort to study and work hard. Aren't they more deserving than two cheaters of getting that job or graduating with honors? Apparently not, in some people's eyes.

Y'know, I know its cheesy as shit, but fuck it. Integrity is what you do when nobody's looking.

To the people being all "Snitch or else!!" have you always been like that? Like even in high school where 95%+ of everyone cheats? Or did you develop that character trait at some point (during law school?

It's not about snitching, it's about doing the right thing and having integrity. There is a difference between right and wrong and actions do (or at least should) have consequences. Plus, I'm not in the situation but if people in my class were cheating I see that as them trying to take food out of my mouth, which does make it my business.

self-righteousness isn't flattering

you aren't "helping cheaters out" by not specifically reporting them to some authority figure who can fuck over their life. you're just not doing anything. it's not like people are being shot in the streets and your silence is complicit

oh wait they are, and you're going on about homeboy checking his iPhone in torts

fucking law students

[03152016]

idk what i'd do in the situation

but it takes some balls to cheat openly

i get the whole 'boo hoo what about their career' thing

but like bagel said, they'll probably fuck up again later in life

except at that point they'll also be fucking over their firm and clients

sooo idk about that argument

[sublime]

..

[03152016]

lol

they'll still go down

just in a more spectacular fashion is my point

[GOATlawman]

To the people being all "Snitch or else!!" have you always been like that? Like even in high school where 95%+ of everyone cheats? Or did you develop that character trait at some point (during law school?

Right, because high school and law school are comparable in terms of what's at stake and difficulty. Get real.

Seriously, fuck that noise. I worked my ass off in law school to get good grades. I see no reason why I, or anyone, should accommodate others who want to take shortcuts, and don't want to put in the time or the effort to do things the right way. Especially if the class is curved, why the fuck should you help them out when doing so hurts you?

To all the people who are like "omg snitch!!" Is it that important what other people think of you? Why shouldn't you report it? Because you still live in the playground mentality of no tattling?

"Oh, but I'm smart enough that I'll still get a job and do better than them!" Okay, sure you will. But there are others that won't, who've put in the honest time and effort to study and work hard. Aren't they more deserving than two cheaters of getting that job or graduating with honors? Apparently not, in some people's eyes.

Y'know, I know its cheesy as shit, but fuck it. Integrity is what you do when nobody's looking.

To the people being all "Snitch or else!!" have you always been like that? Like even in high school where 95%+ of everyone cheats? Or did you develop that character trait at some point (during law school?

It's not about snitching, it's about doing the right thing and having integrity. There is a difference between right and wrong and actions do (or at least should) have consequences. Plus, I'm not in the situation but if people in my class were cheating I see that as them trying to take food out of my mouth, which does make it my business.

you guys must be popular

[sublime]

..

[GOATlawman]

lol

they'll still go down

just in a more spectacular fashion is my point

Or they won't, like the majority of people who probably cheated in HS and shit.

Or (and most likely) if they were doing it so blatantly, there was some factor or part of the story that OP is not aware of.

fact is, there's not really any way to go down later..cus there's nothing else to cheat on. after school there is literally no point that you get sat down for 2 hours and told NO YOU CAN'T LOOK AT YOUR PHONE

they are probably just as capable but chose not to study as much.

unless you guys mean they'll go down b/c they're lazy... in which case...eh maybe but more likely they just lateral to gov or something

[03152016]

or maybe they're dumbasses who take stupid risks

[03152016]

@goat

literally no point after school?

what about the bar

[NotMyRealName09]

The right thing to do, if that's what you're into, would be to speak up RIGHT THERE AND THEN. Stand up, point, say CHEATERS - and call attention.

After the fact, as a practical matter, you've got nothing. What, go to the dean, say you saw X and Y cheating - yeah and? They deny it? They hold a hearing. You look everyone in the eye and say it happened. They look everyone in the eye and say it didn't, plus you're jelly. Now what?

If you're going to be moral, be timely. Or else shutup, you ceded the moral highground by sitting passive, your complacence amounts to acquiescense. No one likes a tattle tale. That blows my mind that that is a saying, but we teach it to children because it's true. You lost your chance police officer. Document timely or you lose your moral authority.

[NotMyRealName09]

To the people being all "Snitch or else!!" have you always been like that? Like even in high school where 95%+ of everyone cheats? Or did you develop that character trait at some point (during law school?

It's not about snitching, it's about doing the right thing and having integrity. There is a difference between right and wrong and actions do (or at least should) have consequences. Plus, I'm not in the situation but if people in my class were cheating I see that as them trying to take food out of my mouth, which does make it my business.

So it is about snitching then.

[fats provolone]

lol at interrupting the exam with your J'ACCUSE

[sublime]

..

[NotMyRealName09]

lol at interrupting the exam with your J'ACCUSE

The right thing is often difficult. But it is no less right. Of course, few people do the right thing. Thus, lawyers. Every one of them an asshole.

[fats provolone]

lol at interrupting the exam with your J'ACCUSE

The thread needs to know what fatduck would do.

probably nothing. im conflict-avoidant.

i mean i went to west point where "tolerating" an honor code violation is punished just as strictly as cheating yourself. and although i think that system has problems, i generally agree with the principle. "snitches get stitches" is fucking childish and feral. get over yourselves.

[NotMyRealName09]

lol at interrupting the exam with your J'ACCUSE

The thread needs to know what fatduck would do.

probably nothing. im conflict-avoidant.

i mean i went to west point where "tolerating" an honor code violation is punished just as strictly as cheating yourself. and although i think that system has problems, i generally agree with the principle. "snitches get stitches" is fucking childish and feral. get over yourselves.

Integrity is doing the right thing regardless of who is looking, so I was also taught. Before I never joined the Air Force.

[fats provolone]

i mean report it or don't. it's your choice. but to act like you have some obligation to say nothing because "nobody likes a tattletale" is just sad.

[sublime]

..

[NotMyRealName09]

i mean report it or don't. it's your choice. but to act like you have some obligation to say nothing because "nobody likes a tattletale" is just sad.

I just pointed out the absurdity of the choice. Either speak at the moment - when it is ripe - or lose it (assuming all you had as proof was what you think you saw). No one speaks at the moment. There is a reason for that. So cheaters don't get ratted on. If OP goes to the dean, what? Let's switch perspectives - someone accuses you, after the fact, of cheating because they think they saw you. They went to the dean, said you were a cheater and your career should be ruined right there. What will be your defense? You'll say bullshit, no proof, why did they wait? You will prevail assuming all there is is that person's word. The right thing, in my view, is to say it immediately. There is no compromise. That is the right thing. But I'm not saying that people often do the right thing.

Seriously, why do we tell kids no one likes a tattle tale? To teach them to take care of it themselves. Maybe you kick their ass. Maybe you threaten them that you know what they did and won't allow it to happen again. Both options, amongst others, will advance the goal of preventing cheating better than the option of ratting out after the test. There is "right", and there is "practical," and though I wish I could reconcile those two concepts, right is often not practical, and it makes me feel cynical about everything.

[A. Nony Mouse]

I mean, I'm also conflict avoidant, so I don't know what I'd actually do because I was never faced with the situation. But if you signed an honor code that says you'll report cheating I tend to think you should actually do what you agreed to do. (Not because of the curve or because you're competing with the cheaters or any of that shit, because who cares.)

[HardCider]

I reported them to the proctors after the exam (which I said poorly in my OP). I also emailed the dean of students to let them know what happened. The dean said my account was all they needed.

As for why, I think it's pretty clear. The class is curved and they were cheating. If there were no curve and everyone could conceivably get an "A", I wouldn't give a fuck; make your money booboo. However, the idea that some cheaters may bump me down a third of a grade and jeopardize my goals pisses me off. The curve requires integrity to be of any use. If there is no integrity in the system, all 1Ls should just try and cheat their way to honors and a job instead of playing things straight-up.

I didn't get into a top school to let some cheaters take anything from me. It wasn't like one person just gave the other their outline. They sat in that room and colluded on the test. The fact that two people blessed with all sorts of privilege (racial, financial, family connections, etc) would have the gall to sit in the school I work my ass off in every day and try to cheat their way above me pisses me off and they need to be reprimanded.

[Phil Brooks]

Whatever.

[jbagelboy]

I reported them to the proctors after the exam (which I said poorly in my OP). I also emailed the dean of students to let them know what happened. The dean said my account was all they needed.

As for why, I think it's pretty clear. The class is curved and they were cheating. If there were no curve and everyone could conceivably get an "A", I wouldn't give a fuck; make your money booboo. However, the idea that some cheaters may bump me down a third of a grade and jeopardize my goals pisses me off. The curve requires integrity to be of any use. If there is no integrity in the system, all 1Ls should just try and cheat their way to honors and a job instead of playing things straight-up.

I didn't get into a top school to let some cheaters take anything from me. It wasn't like one person just gave the other their outline. They sat in that room and colluded on the test. The fact that two people blessed with all sorts of privilege (racial, financial, family connections, etc) would have the gall to sit in the school I work my ass off in every day and try to cheat their way above me pisses me off and they need to be reprimanded.

Are you implying that if a poor person of color were cheating, you'd let it slide?

And as long as we're talking about "social justice," what are your lofty "goals"? Let me guess: biglaw?

Typical liberal hypocrite.

i can't decide which of these posts is worse