Hi dear CC Members,
Today I made a terrible mistake. I promise I’m a good student, as a matter of fact I used to be a straight A student who had many honors and Ap classes, and I felt a lot of pressure from my mom to finish this semester with all A’s like in the past but I’ve been really struggling with physics and I had a low B, almost a C, in that class so today I did something I really regret - I walked into the class after the test and my teacher was gone, while the gradebook was open on his computer - so I went in and changed my grades a little closer to an A. Then I went home and just ten minutes ago my mom got a phone call that the teacher has proof that I was cheating and they are calling me to go to school tomorrow.
I’m a junior in high school and I fairly got A’s on my final exams in all of my classes except physics - where I, regrettedly cheated by changing my grade in the gradebook. They are threatening to give 0’s on all of my tests, in all six classes, although I only cheated on one. I admit that I made a huge mistake, but what do I say tomorrow at the principal’s office? My mom, who was a valedovictorian in high school, insists that she wants to be present with me at the principal’s office tomorrow… I honestly made a huuuge mistake but if I admit that I cheated I will be potentially even suspended… PLEASE, HELP ME! I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO! I’m a good student, I promise, but I make mistakes when I’m under a lot of pressure.
Lmao your so screwed
Just say they don’t have proof, but your probably gonna get expelled
I am impressed by how far you went. Don’t hear about that every day!
In my own opinion, I think you should fess up, apologize, and beg. If they have proof, you look even worse when you deny it. Show true remorse and plead for a chance to prove your trustworthiness.
I would fess up, and take full responsibility for your stupidity. Do NOT attempt to shift blame on your mother, or call it a “mistake”-- your actions were deliberate. Shifting responsibility just makes u look worse.
Beg for the opportunity to retake the exams to demonstrate that u actually do know the material. And pray it’s only a suspension.
@bodangles Thanks for the advice but this would ruin my chances of getting into a good college… my mom went to Harvard, and I was expected to also get into an ivy league… Is telling the truth worth ruining my life for? What if they don’t really have proof and I could avoid being suspended?
What the heck??? You deserve what you get. First of all, it was a B, IN PHYSICS!!! The fact that you had the audacity to do something like that says ALOT about your character.
I’m not even sure I believe this because no “good student” would do something like that. I mean if you were simply looking of your neighbor, I would be more forgiving, but not going into the grade book and changing your grade.
Tell the TRUTH! It will only get worse for you if you deny it or fail to take responsibility for you actions. And yes they probably have enough proof given when the entry was edited. Stop worrying about what college you can or cannot get in. That type of idiotic obsession is why you did something so unethical in the first place.
Wow, never heard of someone going that far to cheat.
One thing I’ve learned from criminal law: if there’s no proof, deny, deny, deny…
No guys, I really AM a hardworking student and I earned all A’s for the past four semesters fairly, like I said I just made an idiotic mistake that could destroy my years of hard work… I would gladly retake the test, even if I don’t do well on it, to show the teacher that I understand that it was unethical and I’m ready to accept even a C in the class - I just don’t want this stupid mistake to cancel out all the test scores I got in my other classes, so I could finish the semester with 5 A’s and a C…
But as @jackrabbit14 pointed out, I don’t know if they have real evidence. How could they know it was me who changed the grade? There are no cameras at my school. There is no point in risking getting suspended if they don’t have proof - despite how truly regretful I am of my actions.
Dude, you’re busted. Fess up. Lying about it will only make the punishment worse.
Plan on community college; if they put a letter in your transcript you will not be going to any worthwhile four year school.
No one’s doubting that you’re a good student; it’s your character that’s in question.
You are a fool. They can tell from the software when the grade was changed. You are the only one with the motive. Ignore the stupid criminal law comment above. The standard at the school level is more likely than not. If you have any hope of being given any mercy you must be honest and take responsibility for your actions or you are toast, dude.
You have a lot more to risk if you don’t fess up and they do have proof. And regardless, a person of good character would tell the truth and recognize your horrible behavior.
This will go on your academic record and you’ll probably have to explain it on college apps, but I think a college would have greater appreciation for a kid who fesses up and confronts this issue head on rather than trying to hide it. You made a huge mistake and you need to own up to it.
I think you need to take time for yourself to reflect on the gravity of your actions. It is only then that you will be able to confront what you did and take responsibility for it. Who you were in the past is irrelevant, during your meeting they will likely focus on your actions during the incident which good students with sound judgement don’t just decide to do. The most important thing you have to confront honestly and sincerely is: what would have happened if you were not caught? do you only regret it because you were caught? would this have happened again in the future?
The line “I’m a good student, I promise, but I make mistakes when I’m under a lot of pressure” in my opinion, is not taking responsibility for your actions by calling it a “mistake” and suggesting that it may happen again if placed under alot of pressure. This is why I suggest taking some sincere time for self reflection. Where do your values lie? What is the type of person you want to be?
You’re not the only person who has gone through something like this. Some people go through this and become stronger people. Others find themselves lapsing back into old habits. You have to decide what type of person you want to be and continuously work towards it. Trust once lost is hard to earn back.
You keep saying that you’re a good student, but you don’t want to own your “mistake”. If you were such a “good student” you would understand that good students are “good” in all respects.
The fact that you cannot “man up” and deal with your cheating shows that you are willing to cheat at all costs.
School will only become more difficult and you’ll be under a lot more pressure. So, you’ll be cheating a lot more because you won’t be able to take the pressure and you will be hoping you won’t get caught. Who wants an unreliable cheat at their school? A lot of these schools are on honor codes. You won’t survive.
Be honest because if you’re not, they may not grant you your diploma and college will be far off dream.
Your life isn’t over. But, in a split second you made a potentially costly choice that you are now going to have to work hard to repair. Obviously, the school has proof of your actions. The best approach is to tell the truth and accept the consequences. Hopefully it will only be a suspension.
First of all, back in your mom’s day, it was a lot easier to get into harvard. No kid today, short of being a Nobel Prize winner, Malia Obama or a Kennedy scion, can “expect” to get into an Ivy. So just get over that sense of entitlement now.
Secondly, your school’s disciplinary body is not a court of law. If they deem u guilty, then that’s that. And it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out it was you. Your’s was the only grade that was altered, and u are the only one with a motive.
You keep trying to make this an issue about academic integrity. It’s not. It’s an issue about character.
Your statement
“Is telling the truth worth ruining my life for?”
speaks volumes about your abysmal character.
If your mother knowingly lies for, it will say a lot about your whole family…
Community college? Um no, as a student with a 3.9 GPA and great test scores I’m definitely not considering community colleges. If it wasn’t for college I would definitely confess/admit but I don’t want colleges judging me based on my one mistake if it’ll go on my permanent record.
Guys I understand that I made a terrible judgement call, but if it’ll go on my permanent academic record it WOULD ruin my life because I won’t be able to go to a good college and thus get a good job or earn a good living… I promise cheating is not me, it was a split second decision that I’ll be regretting for a long long time. College is all I have to look forward to in life, so its a huge deal! I regret my actions, I do, but isn’t there another way out of this mess?
Another worry I have is that my mom will be there… and if she finds out that I really cheated then… I am too afraid to even think about it. So much disappointment and anger.
Quit the hyperbole. 99.99999% of people don’t go to an ivy college and they manage to get a life.
Even if this incident does go on your record, it doesn’t constrain your options to just community college. There are MANY other excellent schools that are still attainable. I know of kids who have been expelled from schools and still were able to get into selective schools. You too will manage to get a life.
The more you talk, the more it just confirms your conceit, your sense of entitlement, and your utter lack of character. Your mother righly should be disappointed and angry.