<p>I'm ashamed to admit it but for the first time, I cheated on an exam in class. My teacher gave me a 0 on my exam but did not say anything about cheating. I'm pretty sure he knows, because he usually gives credit for effort on a test no matter how badly someone does but he didn't give me any points at all. On the course syllabus it says that for a first infraction of cheating on a test, that'll result in a score of 0 and a parent notification...I don't know if he's being nice by not bringing up the topic, or if he's not talking to me about this but is planning to talk to the school officials to have them handle this with me. I want to come clean and apologize to him and if he's willing, try to negotiate something but if he doesn't want to discuss the topic and I'm the one that forces it on him, I don't to provoke him to take further punitive action. I have been admitted to my dream school and I thoroughly regret my lapse in judgment when I decided to cheat on this test. Having low grades or a report on my record can get my offer rescinded/revoked. I also don't know how to approach him because I'm afraid that if I begin talking to him about this, I'll start crying and I'll just seem like I'm trying to make him pity me. I don't know what to do! Should I tell him or wait for him to maybe talk to me about this?</p>
<p>Should I email him an apology letter or should I wait until Monday to talk to him face-to-face?</p>
<p>Also I posted this question in yahoo answers and I am getting mixed results. A lot of people told me to confess (which is what I wanted to do) but a lot of people are also saying that I should just let it go. I’m confused. Please help!</p>
<p>Yes, you have to be careful about opening that can of worms. It’s sort of a case of “don’t ask, don’t tell”. You could come clean but beat around the bush about it… don’t come right out and say what you did or ask your teacher to say it out loud either. Just do something like saying that you are sorry about a lapse in judgment and that you will be better prepared next time and won’t let it happen again and again, apologize. Don’t ask for your grade to be changed. You could possibly ask if there is something you can do to make it up to the teacher (to show the sincerity of your apology).</p>
<p>I’m not sure that you want to say or hear the word “cheat” though.</p>
<p>“I want to come clean and apologize to him and if he’s willing, try to negotiate something…”</p>
<p>What would you like to “negotiate”? This is disconcerting. Academic dishonesty is serious, and it appears that your teacher has told you the end result via the zero. Are you upset because you were caught or upset that your grade is affected? </p>
<p>Some of the most difficult lessons stay with us for a very long time. Work harder than you’ve ever done before until the end of the term. Your actions will speak louder than a “negotiation”. You will move onward and upward.</p>
<p>Only if my teacher was willing, I wanted to know if I could make it up to him somehow. It is completely the teacher’s choice and I know what I have done wrong and I am prepared to accept the full consequences. </p>
<p>Thanks to all of you. I found out about some people in my school who have had the same issue in this class in the past and they have told me that this teacher actually prefers not dealing with this. Like AHSTeacher said, I will definitely work even harder than before and do my best to gain at least some of my teacher’s trust back. This was my first time cheating, and it’ll be my only time cheating. I’m glad I was caught (even if the teacher hasn’t confronted me about it). If I had gotten away with a good grade I might have been happy for that moment but it might have led to a perpetually guilty conscience and even habitual cheating. </p>
<p>To any other students reading this, DON’T TAKE A CHANCE AT CHEATING. I was a straight A student and I was surrounded by lots of cheaters (my school valedictorian is a serial cheater, he has that reputation among the upperclassmen and has been caught doing suspicious things before standardized exams) and for that one moment that I decided to cheat, I thought that if everyone else gets away with it, surely I will, too. Don’t jeopardize yourselves. It’s not worth it.</p>
<p>Once again, thanks to everyone for their replies. I will never ever ever do this again.</p>
<p>Hang in there! As grandma says, “Cheaters never prosper.” What a good lesson to learn. Unloading your anxiety on your teacher only fowls up your academic waters. Suck it up, study hard, and score high on your own abilities. After graduation send a sincere letter of apology. Anxiety hurts. Work your way through this. </p>
<p>How you act/react to this experience may become a very positive defining moment of your high school career. As I’ve previously posted; onward and upward!</p>