by 
The advent of technology has also worsened the case. Mobile phones, laptops, iPads, and video games interest students more than reading. As such, it becomes difficult to pass without cheating. These articles analyze different aspects of cheating, reasons, pros and cons of cheating.
What is Cheating in School?
Cheating is the unethical behavior of copying assignments or using external aid during tests. Cheating does not necessarily happen during exams or tests, as students can also cheat during class exercises or assignments. College students can also cheat while writing their term papers or dissertations.
Perhaps your instructor gives a set of rules to be observed while doing a task. Going against such rules can be considered as school cheating. A mathematics teacher can request that you do a sum without a calculator. Using a calculator for such an assignment is cheating.
Seeking help during your assignment can also be considered cheating. Assignments are personal and should be done by you alone. Plagiarism can also be regarded as cheating. Plagiarising your colleague’s work or copying from a website is not the right thing to do.
What are the Consequences of Cheating in High School?
Cheating in high school can have grievous consequences. Interestingly, you don’t have to be caught before you suffer the consequences. You can experience the consequences even after you have successfully acquired a good grade.
The following are consequences of cheating as a high or middle school student;
· Cheating lowers your self-esteem
As a cheater, you are likely to become a victim of an inferiority complex. You constantly see yourself to be lower in standard compared to other students. If you are caught, you may lose respect from other students, which may worsen your condition.
· Cheating disallows you from learning
Cheating on an assignment can deter you from learning as a student. The moment you start cheating, you gradually lose focus on studying. It becomes easier to cheat than to study for your tests and assignments.
· You can be expelled if caught
Some high schools are not lenient on students that cheat. Cheating is regarded as a bad habit with grievous consequences. The penalty for cheating in such a school is dismissal.
· Cheating rob you of your learning
Cheating disallows you from studying and learning. Opting to cheat on a test or an assignment can disallow you from learning what you’re meant to learn. That is, cheating is simply robbing yourself of what you should know.
· Inability to defend your grade
Cheating offers you grades you will find difficult to defend. It is embarrassing to claim a grade when you cannot boast of your achievement. Cheating might earn you a good score but will deprive you of respect.
How to Cheat in School
Cheating in school can take different forms, for there are many ways of how to cheat in school. Some rules are strict for every assignment given by an instructor. Going against any rule can be considered cheating. Making use of external help to get answers to questions during a test is also cheating.
Visiting websites that give answers or tips to questions during a test is cheating. This act is common among high school students. College students purchase already written term papers from websites, and they also hire a professional to write their dissertations online. Such acts are considered academic cheating.
What is the Punishment for Cheating in High School?
High school authorities always frown at cheating students. Measures are put into place to curtail the spread of such acts. Culprits of cheating are punished according to the school code of conduct or the decision of the school authority.
Meanwhile, the following are the most common punishments meted to cheating students;
· Expulsion from school
Students caught indulging in cheating during examinations can face expulsion as a penalty. This decision has been the ruling of some authorities. It aims to send a strong warning to other students to desist from cheating.
· Cancellation of work
When the school authority wants to be lenient, they can choose to cancel such work. The student will then be requested to retake such an assignment or test under strict monitoring.
· Suspension from school
Some schools use suspension as punishment for cheating. The student is required to face a disciplinary panel. Depending on the gravity of the cheating, the student is then disallowed from school for some time.
· Cancellation of work
Another common punishment that schools give to a cheating student is work cancellation. When an instructor catches a student cheating, he can cancel such work. As a result, the student forfeits the score for such an assignment or test. Consequently, it will harm the cumulative grade.
Common Cheating Websites for School Students
Technology has made it possible for students to cheat. There are websites students can visit to receive help on their assignments. There are different types of online cheating websites too.
The most common websites for cheating are discussed below;
Google is a search engine capable of giving answers to virtually all questions. It can also refer you to websites that can offer better answers to your questions. Students, therefore, take advantage of it during their assignments or tests.
· Wikipedia
Wikipedia is an encyclopedia website that gives detailed information about any topic. Students often visit the website to copy content for their assignments.
· Answers.com
Answers.com is a social network where students meet. It also offers content sharing, which allows them to share resources on examinations and assignments.
· 123Homework.com
123Homework.com is a website that offers to cheat to willing students. They solve questions and supply answers to students. Likewise, they engage in writing papers for students at a stipulated price.
· DissertationTeam.com
DissertationTeam is a website where students can seek professional help for homework. It also offers all manner of academics for students. College students can hire professionals to write their term papers and dissertations on this website.
Causes of Cheating in School
There are many reasons students cheat in school. The reasons can be categorized into student and teacher factors. Regardless, the student has no justifiable reason if caught. The following are common reasons why high school students cheat;
· Fair of failure
A student with low self-esteem always has performance anxiety. Regardless of their preparation and effort, they hope to fail. As such, they resolve to cheat as a way to avoid failure.
· Laziness
Laziness is the fundamental cause of cheating in high school. Lazy students will find it difficult to prepare for examinations or homework. Such students have no choice but to cheat to avoid failing.
Meanwhile, an instructor or teacher can also be lazy. It results in an inability to teach effectively. Students, therefore, have to cheat in such subjects to get a good grade.
· Truancy
Skipping class as a high school student is unethical. It affects your learning progress resulting in poor performance. As a result, passing the examination might be difficult until you cheat.
· Peer pressure
Students who cheat have always formed the habit of luring other students into it. This act is an attempt to decrease responsibility and save time. Statistics have it that half of the students who cheat are lured by friends or peer pressure.
· High demand assignment
In an attempt to make students learn ahead, instructors might assign works that are too demanding. Such a task might force students to adopt cheating to meet such demand.
What Happens When You are Caught Cheating in High School?
Cheating at school is a considerable risk you don’t want to take. The consequences might be more grievous than what you can bear. It outweighs its consequences if caught. Some schools have stringent measures in place to discourage cheating.
In some high schools, students who cheat are regarded as rotten eggs. To avoid influencing other students with such bad habits, the school might choose to dismiss such students.
Schools that are lenient in discipline might suspend such students. The suspension may last for an extended period. Most of the time, the student must show a remorseful attitude and be ready to sign an undertaking.
On some occasions, students caught cheating will eventually fail the subject. The instructor may reject the assignment. Therefore, the student will have zero grades in such a subject.
Common Ways to Cheat in School
Cheating in school can take different forms. Students can also adopt many ways to carry out cheating. You cheat during homework and a test. The following are some ways to cheat in school;
· Making use of electronic gadgets
Students can make use of electronic devices such as mobile phones and tablets to cheat. These devices are capable of storing information related to the questions. You can also use devices such as iPods to receive external assistance during tests.
· Making use of programmable calculators
You can use programmable scientific calculators for cheating. Such calculators can store answers and formulas ahead of the text. Likewise, the calculators can automatically solve mathematical problems with little input.
· Seeking professional help on an assignment.
Assignments are personal and should be done by each student. Seeking help from a professional to do your assignment is cheating. Students can employ a professional writer to write their essays quickly. College students do the same to write their term papers and dissertations.
· Copying content online
Students can make use of online materials to learn more in their studies. However, plagiarizing content online for your homework is cheating. Such an act can be penalized and cost you your grade. Students can also bring an already written sheet into the test hall.
What are the Benefits of Cheating in School?
Cheating in school can be beneficial to students. However, the consequence is weightier than the benefits of cheating in school. While the benefits are inconsequential, students can choose to work hard and pass.
One benefit of cheating is scoring high grades. Students who cheat successfully get good grades on any school work sheets, and at the end on tests and assignments. Cheating can also be an avenue to learn new things if used right. It exposes your ignorance and can serve as an avenue to learn new things.
Conclusion
Cheating is an act of making use of external help to carry out an assignment or test. It is regarded as unethical and immoral behavior. Students who indulge in cheating are taking a considerable risk. The effects of cheating in school might be grievous and unbearable.
Hard work and proper preparation can serve as a substitute for cheating. Cheating, at times, is a result of low self-esteem. Meanwhile, electronic gadgets are tools students leverage to cheat.
