322. Why Cheaters Lose

The real reward from the run wasn't the sunrise or the rainbow, but the way I felt for having completed the run. At the finish line (which for me was the dining hall, where I had a delicious breakfast of raspberries and oatmeal with fun toppings), I experienced the surge of joy one can only get by having succeeded in accomplishing something difficult. In making it through the run, I reinforced my understanding that I can do hard things.

All of this self-satisfaction got me thinking about why students cheat on tests and essays. I understand that many students genuinely believe that their sole purpose in being here is to gain admission to the best college they can. To achieve that goal in the easiest way, they take whatever shortcuts they can find.

• submitting other people's work
• relying on AI to write essays
• sneaking looks at calculators or websites or books during assessments

Obviously, I think they're wrong-headed in this approach, both in the short-term and the long-term. In the here and now, they risk getting caught. If someone discovers this cheating, they face disciplinary action that will likely lead their transgressions to be reported in the college admission process.

But it's the long-term consequences of cheating that concern me more, especially since I understand that the vast majority of people who cheat don't get found out. Each time a student takes a shortcut on an assessment, what they internalize is that they can't do the work on their own. They learn that they don't have what it takes to succeed. What a sad message to believe!

When I was on the school's discipline committee years ago and now as a class dean, I also rankled at students' explanations of why they cheat. They usually share some combination of "I didn't have a lot of time," and, "I was scared about asking for an extension," and, "it was really important that I do well." I think, DUH, OBVIOUSLY. Nobody cheats when they have all the time in the world, are fearless, and know they can do well.

But what the kid learns by cheating is that they're right in their doubts. They internalize that they can't do the work on their own. They learn that it is easier to take a shortcut than to reach out for help. They reinforce their own insecurities. It's so sad to me because it's a self-fulfilling belief --> I think I can't do the work, so I cheat, and when I cheat, I don't learn to do the work. Alas.

What are your thoughts on taking the difficult path versus cheating? Please share them in the comments.