In a society where people are overly interested in the size of their houses, the price tag of their cars, and the lavishness of their weddings, it is only natural that that mentality would spill over into the world of academics and the way students view competition.
Most, if not all universities have policies discussing the severity and consequences of cheating, but the act still does take place. According to the Online Education Database (OED), 60.8 percent of polled college students admitted to cheating, 16.5 percent of those students did not regret their decision, and 85 percent of college students believe that cheating is a necessary part of college academics.
Not to pardon the dishonest students who cheat their way through life, but part of the reason we see such high numbers of cheaters in college is because of the academic pressure that is placed upon students. From the moment they enter high school, they are entering a world of grade point averages, a race for valedictorian, and a desire to be among the top 10 percent in order to have their choice of the best colleges out there.
In college, the race continues to be even closer to the top percentile in order to secure a useful internship, an invitation into an honor society, and eventually a job. Students graduate from one pressure cooker to another. Although the constant comparison of grades is not as blatant in college as it is in high school, the competition does still exist.
Academic dishonesty is also growing in numbers due to the numerous websites available for students to buy papers. Websites such as perfecttermpapers.com are available 24/7, and they even offer special rates for those last minute students who need a paper within 12 to 24 hours. As an added bonus, the website offers to include a title and bibliography page free of charge.
Laziness and the desire for instant gratification contribute to the staggering statistics on cheating. Students are asking themselves, “Why spend days researching and writing a 10-page paper when I can pay a complete stranger to do it for me and get me an A?” This mentality is what allows those websites to thrive and continue their business. According to OED, popular websites for term papers can receive an average of 8,000 hits per day. Although some visits are from the curious public, many visits to the websites are from students who intend to cheat and do not fear the consequences. A poll by the Ad Council and Educational Testing Service may calm the fears of cheaters even more.
According to the poll, 95 percent of cheaters do not get caught, leading more and more students to believe that they can get away with cheating. There is too much accessibility to cheating methods, and there are people who are making it easier for students to do it.
Despite websites such as turnitin.com, which allows professors to check whether or not their students have either cheated or recycled a different paper, they cannot catch everything, especially cheating on tests.
Most of the time, competition can be a good thing. It challenges students to want to do better and succeed. However, there is a fine line between healthy competition and a desire to beat all other competitors at all costs.
It is not uncommon for students under pressure to take substances they believe will help them focus. As a result of high pressure levels and a fear of being unable to handle increasing workloads, more and more college students are illegally taking prescription drugs, specifically Adderall and Ritalin to give them an extra boost, said The Daily Sundial.
Students fail to realize that they are putting their bodies at risk and jeopardizing their long term health by engaging in an act that they think will help them academically, but it is only hurting them. The Daily Sundial also reports that Adderall and Ritalin can lead to addictions, as well as severe side effects such as irregular heartbeat, fainting and hallucination. With all of the negative results that can stem from unhealthy habits due to academic pressure, one cannot help but wonder why students put so much pressure on themselves, in addition to the pressure that comes from parents, professors and sometimes peers.
Why is there such a need for students to be the best? Do students not feel proud of climbing the success ladder one rung at a time as a result of hard work? Dishonesty as a method of success may seem like the right thing to do at the moment, but in the long run, it gets people absolutely nowhere.
PHOTO COURESTY of urbantitan.com
