Rant: As, but doesn't deserve it

<p>You know the kind of girl who probably has a stellar record? She's in AP classes, gets decent grades that land her with an A, and has gotten nominated for Governor's school?
BUT!
This girl, let's call her Lisa, is the most annoying individual on earth. She asks 1 million questions in class--and not the kind of questions that you'd feel were remarkable (err maybe yes, remarkable in their stupidity.) But, I can't hold her for asking questions. Alright, fine. So she asks, and asks...but get this, she cheats. I sit in Environmental class and she sits sandwiched between two of the top five people in class who also happen to be her friends--and is ALWAYS whispering for answers during tests and quizzes! I want to bang my head because lately, the class has gotten hard and it's simply NOT fair for a girl to do that and get into a freakin' Governor's school! A week ago, she whispered to me and asked me when the teacher wasn't looking, but I pretended I didn't hear her. She constantly comes over and "checks" her English homework with mine, hastily adding answers and I can't be mean and snatch it away from her while two minutes ago a close friend of mine and I were comparing answers (but that was different! We collaborated, added stuff to each other's---she just comes and copies!). She is totally dependent on others. She misses tests and goes around asking people what was on the test--and not just general material--but specific questions! She does fabulously well on Multiple choice questions in every class, but always does bad on the essays...and that's not just in style, but because of the lack of knowledge and historical info (referring to U.S History).
I get sick of it sometimes. The fact that people like her exist--I believe she's # five in our class--and I would hold no grudge if she would deserve it.
A few months ago, I did a project on a particular kind of insecticide--and I mentioned to the class that it was an insecticide. Now, Lisa, didn't understand that, and two seconds later she asks me innocently, "So, what does it kill? You didn't mention if it killed rats, or humans or..."
Oh man, the casualties of high school. I wouldn't be surprised if she has a tutor for the SATs...I'd like to see what she makes (goodness, I sound so malicious, but really!, I don't have any malice...if she can prove herself, go her!)
Does your high school have a Lisa?</p>

<p>Yeah..we have a Lisa. She gets on everyone's nerves. To tell you the truth..some juniors want to help ME so I can beat her on tests and stuff. That's how much they don't like her..and she's not even in their grade, cuz I'm a sophomore. And it's really annoying when people take my work without asking me first. I wouldn't give her your work, there is no need for you to suffer for her to acheive the top scores. Who knows where she'll be 20 years from now..if she's THAT dependent on people, she may not succeed. Then again some top people are where they are because of cheating and stuff..just try to remember karma. :)</p>

<p>my school does, but it's a guy lisa. I'm really annoyed with him looking over at my test, but I don't want to get him into trouble either</p>

<p>Yeah... my high school has one. Let's call her Amy.</p>

<p>Actually, she's nowhere near that bad- she doesn't cheat or do anything like that, but she's one of those very good students with no commmon sense at all. My favorite story ever: back in my World History I class, we were talking about Egypt and the tombs, when someone asks something like "how have all of these people found the tombs since then?" And so the teacher, this real sarcastic guy, says, "Well, if you stand in the right place, there's a machine with an eye scanner. And it reads your eyes, and if you're on the approved list, a big hole opens up in the ground and you'll see a flight of stairs that will take you down into the tombs."</p>

<p>And after hearing this, Amy says, "But what did they do with the plug?"</p>

<p>I think there is a "Lisa" in all the schools.</p>

<p>Every school has Lisas. All that you can do, is call her on what she is doing, if she asks you. Yes, you can be mean and snatch your work away if she is copying it. Why not? She doesn't care about how you feel!!! Its people like Lisa who really don't care much about others, but tries to make others feel bad for her. And if you say no, what is she going to do- Say "hey so and so won't let me copy!!" I am not sure what grade you are in, but if you are a junior or senior, you are almost adults. You need to:</p>

<p>Number 1- don't let her copy your stuff any more...ever...so she gets mad, so what, everyone is letting her get away with what she does and people are afraid to stand up and say, no more free help from me!!! I am suprised everyone is so helpful to her. At my D's school, no one shares what was on the test, because it hurts them, they are tired of people not doing the work and yet looking good, and the teachers can tell if a student is missing tests and suddenly doing well. They have different tests for kids who are "sick" on test days, especially if there has been a pattern.</p>

<p>Number 2- Do your best to ignore her, she is a very sad little person, not on the outside, but inside, she has no faith in herself and uses others as crutches...it does come back to haunt them when they are older....those crutches won't be there in college or in the "real" world.
All you can do is feel sorry for her, cause she is pathetic, and the only true skill she has is learning to manipulate people.</p>

<p>I know you really didn;t want advise, but having lived through this my D's, I couldn't help myself.</p>

<p>That "lisa" will probably fail in life. Console yourself by knowing that.</p>

<p>Yeah we got "lisas" in my bio class, cept they lose out in the end cause they do awful on all the tests - hahah.</p>

<p>ironically, the "lisa" in my school is named lisa... lol</p>

<p>My school has a girl who is like the Amy mentioned above.
For instance, at the end of class, somebody was talking about the movie Signs. They mentioned the part at the end where the alien appeared. Our Amy, ranked number 3 in our class, asked if the movie was based on a true story.....</p>

<p>I'm always shocked by the number of top-ranking students who make a habit of cheating. I haven't cheated on quiz/test since first grade. lol I didn't know how to spell "their," and if I got it wrong, I wouldn't have gotten my "100% all week" spelling test certificate. I still feel bad about it today, but I guess it was a positive learning experience.</p>

<p>How do people honestly feel good about their grades when they know they didn't actually earn them? I've never understood that.</p>

<p>A friend of mine passed freshman spanish solely because he sat next to me and copied my vocab quizzes and tests. I don't really mind though, because he's not ranked very high, knows what he's doing is wrong, but just doesn't care about learning the subject. </p>

<p>If someone I was actually competing with was doing that, I would definitely do something about it. Once, the girl ranked just below me stole my latin notes the day of the final because she hadn't taken any all year and studied from them for the last few hours before the final and did really well (it was all culture, not much language, so it worked) and I got really ripped and almost turned her in for stealing my notes. But I didn't, because that probably would have beee an really low thing to do.</p>

<p>Interesting how we protect those that steal and do really low things themselves because we are nice. Why do we let people walk all over us? What the girl did was low and she didn't care about you at all when she stole your notes!! Its like she was bullying you and you said, well, whatever....and when people like that get away with it, they will do it over and over because noone wants to look mean or low. Yet, those kids don't care about being mean or low at all, they will let you do badlu on a test, let you possibly get in trouble for letting them cheat off of you, let you get ranked lower...I just don't understnad people letting themselves getting taken advantage of like that.</p>

<p>Isn't there an honor code at your school? At S's school, there is an honor code. Not only are students expected to not cheat, but they also are expected to turn in students who do.</p>

<p>This also is the case at colleges that have honor codes.</p>

<p>What I want to know is why the OP here is simply complaining on this anonymous board. The OP should be turning in the cheater. I doubt that the teachers know what's going on -- and that's because of students like the OP who know what's going on, but don't do anything to stop it.</p>

<p>I suppose it's the age-old thing; I don't want her friends, who are basically good people, to get in trouble. Her friends tire of her as well, and though I haven't told any teacher of her problem...my group of friends have started "boycotting" her, giving her the least "help" i.e. copy materials. If she comes to us, we explain a concept to her and tell her she can check her work with us.
I suppose in that aspect, I'm weak. I just couldn't rat on her and teachers are getting a hint of her brattish attitude--our AP English teacher told her to quit being a "brat". We're all going to take an indirect approach and be like, "Do it yourself," sort of thing. It's not only her who's so dependent but others--in my lab group for Environmental Science, I am the one who ends up doing the full write-up because I don't trust the rest of the group--and all them copy it in the end because the teacher selects a random person from the group and we all get the same grade.
If I see she does some major copying...I think I might hint to the teacher.</p>

<p>Cheating is unethical. Any cheater or cheaters also end up causing other innocent people to lose opportunities that those innocent people deserve.</p>

<p>IMO not turning a cheater in is virtually as bad as cheating. By doing nothing, you are allowing the problem to continue.</p>

<p>Your post to me indicates that if the girl were someone you liked, you wouldn't even be that concerned about it. The only reason you seem to be complaining here is that you don't like the girl and the girl also is getting awards that you probably want.</p>

<p>Regardless of whether one likes a cheater, it's still wrong that they are cheating. </p>

<p>In addition, if you are letting people copy off you, you are as bad as is the cheater. IMO if you don't have the guts to directly speak up to the teacher about the problem, you should not be expecting sympathy from us here. Hinting is not enough. There probably is not much the teacher can do unless someone has the integrity and courage to directly explain the problem.</p>

<p>When there was this girl who would bug my D for answers, test question etc. my D wouldn't help her. But girl persisted. So my D gave her wrong answers, wrong pages for home work, wrong stuff on tests. My D was in 6th grade and wasn't able to handle this girl. But interestingly, after about two weeks, she stopped asking my D. Just keep saying, gee I don't know, what did you do if you can't stand up to girl. It is perfectly fine to say, sorry.....</p>

<p>All you can do is keep remembering these kids who copy off you DONT CARE ABOUT YOU OR IF YOU COULD GET IN TROUBLE...do you think if you were caught letting them copy, that they would step up and say it was there fault? Everytime they try to copy or cheat,move your paper, say you can't find it, pretend to yourself the teacher is right there.</p>

<p>Doesn't Springfield Elementary have a Lisa?</p>

<p>What about Barts? Any Barts out there?</p>

<p>NSM--I don't think it would be okay even if I liked her. Heck, of-course, I wish my rank was higher, but it's not sheer jealousy. The two people tied at number one are some of the most spectacular people I've come across (who have not cheated, and I've never seen them doing thus when I've been in their classes) and I certainly feel very proud and glad for them because I know they DESERVE it. I know cheating is wrong, and virtually everyone at our school trades answers--thus, I have very selective friends who are as passionate about not doing it as I am. I think I may have given you the wrong impression when I said my friend and I were collaborating. It was a partner discussion on an essay that we were going to write in AP English and we were supposed to come up with points to talk about with our partner about what we thought the main point was. Lisa's partner wasn't that good at analyzing and she herself wasn't too excellent--so both slacked off. I do understand your point but it's easier said than done. I'll endeavor to be brave and take the step. </p>

<p>CGM--I think that's great advice. I'm going to pretend being dumb and act clueless and be like, "I don't know. Maybe C?" One of my friends, trying to help her, actually ended up writing a whole para for an assignment; I was quite mad at her for doing that and we both decided to let her work for it now. She may have high grades, but I don't think she'll go so far...with bad AP exam grades and such...and even if she does, I don't think she can survive an intensive college environment being dependent on somebody.</p>