@mandalorian, I think your advice is way off. It isn’t a court of law. Not admitting is the worst thing you can do if you actually cheated. Here is the deal, instructors don’t like catching cheaters. It is horrid on every level. The instructor does not like being placed in the position of reporting a student. It is retched. But it is necessary if it become apparent that a student cheated for all kinds of reasons. Other students resent it when people are allowed to cheat. Cheating degrades academics, in general. Academics are predicated on the honor system-to publish accurate findings, to teach what is known to be true and not simply the instructors opinion, etc. Everyone in the university is charged with the responsibility for ensuring honest reporting. So an instructor is obligated to pursue instances of cheating.
But it is a lousy thing to have to do. And cheating students put instructors in lousy spots. The things is that the instructor usually feels badly for having to pursue the situation-badly for the student too. Most instructors know the stress students are under. They are not out to make life tough for students. So, signs that someone understands what they did and why it was so bad can go a long way to making things better. In contrast, digging in ones heals and denying what was done only signals to the instructor that the student is arrogant and unrepentive and likely to do the same thing again if allowed. And every effort will then be made to not give the student that opportunity. Who wants someone who cheats to ever be in a position to harm others or to make up data or to give the appearance of competency when it is lacking. So, someone who cheats but denies it is likely to have the worst outcome-for a reason. And since there is no reason an instructor would fabricate the situation, an instructor’s word is worth more than a denying student–because one has motive while the other does not.
“Lawyering up” is another absurd suggestion. By your own admission, you cheated. own it!
P.S. They don’t have to “legally” “prove” you cheated. They can simply examine the situation and determine that it is highly likely that you cheated-or if the instructor states that he or she observed it, that may be enough for a conclusion that cheating occurred. Having denied it will be viewed in a negative light. And, no instructor pursues the allegation and then just says “oops, never mind”. The fact that the instructor has pursued the allegation means that he or she is willing to go the entire way with it-meaning that you could be expelled on the basis of the allegation. But that is unlikely if you own it, are sorry for it, and appear genuinely repentive.
And it it entirely possible that an instructor can simply be wrong. (Not in this case, but others.) Or maybe that the instructor’s explanation of the sorts of consultation with other students that would be allowed were ambiguous, or somesuch. I’ve issued such findings before. So it’s not like these proceedings are designed to railroad the student; however, from experience, if cheating was reported we also know that it most likely actually did occur, for the reasons @lostaccount listed.
@TomSrOfBoston, wait, now I’m confused. “The Devil’s Advocate” starring Keanu Reeves and Al Pacino was about a criminal defense lawyer so wouldn’t that make treating this scenario as a court of law a perfectly appropriate use of “The Devil’s Advocate?”
@I-wanna-be-Brown,
The movie title was a double entendre, since Keanu was the attorney advocate for Al’s character, who ended up being the actual devil.
A devil’s advocate is someone who argues a position they don’t really believe for the sake of debate. It would be like a gun control advocate arguing against extending the waiting period to gun shows in order to explore the weaknesses in his own position.
This thread, like many on CC, is veering off the topic. as I posted above, the OP either got expelled or is off doing something else to occupy his mind.
Cheating on an exam is a sure sign that the cheater did not grasp the subject matter. This has nothing to do with an accident or test anxiety. Individuals like the OP, typically doesn’t finish college and will eventually drop out of college. The OP should seriously consider going to a community college (if that is not where is is now) and learn some basic study skills or aim for a major that is consistent with his skill sets. It is very difficult to cheat your way through college.
@Jamrock411 I think OP’s repeated cheating has more to do with his diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder than lack of study skills or lack of grasping of the subject matter.
@Jamrock411, I’ve got to say that I disagree, respectfully, with just about all of your post.
I’ve seen kids cheat on material that they understood just fine, they just haven’t had the time to study. Or they’ve cheated simply because they thought they could get away with it. Or because they’ve studied, but started to doubt themselves during the test.
All we know of the OP is this one post-- I’m not sure that’s necessarily enough to determine whether or not he’ll finish college.
And yet again, I’m going to defend Community College. It’s neither the place to develop a conscience nor a dumping ground for all those kids unworthy of a 4 year school.
