<p>okay, so just about the worst sh** in my life happened to me today. i am currently taking biology AP, and on the day of our final (last week), we had to turn in a project where we make an evolution timeline and take hand written notes on two full chapters. well, the chapter notes are ridiculously long, and i was short on time because i had to study for my finals. as a result, due to time pressure and such, i resorted to hand-copying the notes available on the textbook's online website. at the time, i didn't think i was doing such a bad thing; after all, i was studying from the notes as i was copying them, and it's not like i was copying some other student's work.
well anyways, after i turned in this project, i went to school today to find out that my biology teacher caught a dozen students (me included) who copied the online notes. the sh** here for me is that this is my second 'academic dishonesty' offense. the first was when i was an immature freshman cheating on a test, but seriously this bio notes deal does not seem like cheating at all. i mean i spent like 7+ hours copying the online notes and studying from them. it was freeken hard work, but now due to my second "offense" i'm looking at being ejected from biology ap class with a F grade, and omfg i'm a senior, so i am panicking and dont know what to do. what is gonna happen to me in terms of colleges? am i basically done for with all my college choices with an F in the senior transcript?</p>
<p>your ****ed basically at most top schools unless you get that F removed off your transcript somehow.</p>
<p>^^^ agreed. </p>
<p>No chance at top schools.</p>
<p>wow....****....idk what to say. An F puts you out of running for so many top colleges like that. Academic dishonesty? that's like thet worst possible reason also....damn I'm sorry dude...</p>
<p>o.o ur teacher is so strict o.o
and yeah i think an F hurts really lots!</p>
<p>Let's all calm down for a second. TC, what school were your hopes and dreams towards?</p>
<p>Don't panic, it was stupid and you will learn from this. Meet with the teacher, describe what you did and why, offer an alternative if possible. If the grade is failing, contact the schools you applied to proactively and explain the context before they get your grade. Be honest and humble and stress how much you have learned from this. You may be ok. If your record is reasonable and you were competitive before this happened, this may be just a bump (somewhat large) in the road. Good luck, and remember this lesson.</p>
<p>Trying to be optimistic here, you could call a meeting w/your shool's admin w/your teacher present, and explain your case and what really happened in your opinion. I mean, right now it looks like the only thing to save your grades. If there's any way possible to keep that F off of your transcripts you should find it and do it. That's so horrible to happen your senior year : (</p>
<p>You're not going to find out what the consequences are on CC. You and your parents need to go and meet with your head of school ASAP.</p>
<p>Talk to your teacher one on one. Be as genuine as possible. Explain to him that while you knew writing your own notes was better, you did not see copying the online notes as a form of cheating because of the reasons you mentioned. I mean, 11 other kids did the same thing. Tell him you're sorry for the trouble and ask him if there's a way you can make it up to him without receiving an F on your transcript. </p>
<p>Talk to your principle, guidance councelor, and anyone else you may think would be of help as well. All is not lost yet.</p>
<p>drop bio, ASAP.</p>
<p>thanks for the replies everyone. I have already talked to the teacher, of course, but she referred me to the school's head-figure anyways. btw, It's not the teacher who's giving me the F grade; that's the school policy for students with two offenses in cheating (altho i feel the second incident isn't cheating, but the teacher wont listen to my shiz). I have to go talk with the school administration this week, but i doubt my explanation would cause the principal to override the school policy of F & removal from class. and dropping bio right now would have no effect..
i guess i will have to write some compassionate letters to the colleges i applied to (which are cornell, rice, usc, ucla, ucberkeley, and the lower UCs....). i talked already with my counselor too, who is really sympathetic, and she said she would also write a letter herself vouching for me. how much help would my counselor's aid provide?</p>
<p>why wouldn't it have any effect?
at least in my school you can still drop classes, my best friend just dropped AP calculus. i think a W or NC looks better than an F.</p>
<p>becuz the semester just ended (2nd semester began today), so if the school administration shows no mercy on me, my first sem. report card would contain F and i would be forced out of the bio class anyways.</p>
<p>Well hopefully you and your family have already scheduled the meeting w/school's admin. I mean, the sooner this gets taken care of, the sooner you will know what you have to do. I mean, if Heaven forbid, the F is still branded to your report card, then the sooner you know the sooner you will be able to let your colleges know. Like we've all said, you can explain your situation, and I bet you can even get your councelor to vouch for you. Send it in a big package to the undergrad offices, and pray that they're lenient and compassionate. And STRESS that you've learned from it.</p>
<p>Nothing can hurt from you giving your side of the story to them. If anything, it will deff help your case. Best of luck!!!</p>
<p>damn, your school is tough!</p>
<p>for all those UCs you said you applied to, an F is automatic rejection. and for those other schools like Cornell, Rice, etc the F is more or less auto-rejection as well. </p>
<p>i would definitely talk to your principal and try to get the F removed. if the don't remove it, you're all but done at all of those schools.</p>
<p>that really sucks man. i can think of so many times where I've been in similar situations and came extremely close to having an issue blow up in my face, and for one reason or the other, i managed to make out okay. so i can definitely understand how you feel right now. it's probably depressing and hard to keep a clear head feeling like you've ruined everything, but keep your head on your shoulders and focus on how you will make your case to your administrator.</p>
<p>This is a case where I seriously advise your parent's get involved.</p>
<p>That is definitely tough. I hear a D/F is an automatic rejection from UCs.</p>
<p>wow, i'm so sorry!!!!!
i think that instead of appealing to people in your school (since you said it wouldn't work very well), appeal to the colleges. i'd give up on rice, cornell and upper uc's. but lower uc's, i think you should talk to the admissions office. instead of just writing a letter, ask to talk to someone in person/on the phone. really and i stress really paint yourself in a sympathetic way. don't say anything that comes off like "ugh my school is too strict" or "ugh i just made a small mistake". STRESS that you were under serious stress. exaggerate w/e was going on. you thought that what you were doing was fair. do not mention anything about spending so much time on it, it just shows people that maybe you thought spending time on something makes it right. you learned the material well and you just thought it would save valuable time just copying the notes from an open legal site and copying notes helps you study.
oh and don't mention that oh other people did it so it's fair. just stay away from points that make you seem like you're justifying yourself.
end always with i know i made a terrible mistake. i have learned from this experience. etc etc. </p>
<p>GOOD LUCK! i really hope this goes well for you. i just can't imagine what it's like to have college chances almost ruined.</p>
<p>did your teacher say in advance that you couldn't use the online website? If not, I don't see how that is "cheating"... That's like a teacher giving you questions from a prep-book as a test and you coincidentally having that prep-book and acing the test. On top of that if a lot of other students did the same thing, you guys should try to persuade the teacher somehow. It'll probly be hard for him to fail so many students.</p>