By Ellie Smith
Features Editor
Students have found creative and sneaky ways to cheat on tests, classwork and homework. With more and more students having cell phones and other electronics, students have found easier ways to get the answers online or by texting their friends.
1. Looking at other students’ answers or sharing answers
The most common way students cheat on tests is by glancing at other students’ answers or people willingly sharing answers with each other. Most students have done this at some point in the past because they might be nervous they wrote an incorrect answer and want to make sure they have the correct answer. Some students willingly share answers during tests and especially on homework. If a student doesn’t understand the homework, or does not want to do it, they might ask their friends for the answers.
2. Plagiarism
Plagiarism is common in English and history classes where students have to write papers often. There are multiple websites where people can copy papers and turn them in as their own work. However, with turnitin.com, a website where students submit their papers online to be checked for any copied information, plagiarizing has become more difficult. What many students don’t realize is that even taking ideas for papers from websites such as sparknotes.com without copying websites word for word is also considered plagiarism.
3. Writing on hand or wrist
Some students write their own cheat sheet on their hand or wrist and cover it up with the sleeve of their shirt so the teacher won’t notice. However, this method is easily seen by the teacher and the ink can be smudged.
4. Writing on a small piece of paper
Similar to writing on their hand or wrist, some students make small cheat sheets for themselves with formulas or pieces of information and hide the paper in their pocket or hand. After using the small piece of paper, the students then crumple it up and throw it away or put it in their pocket. This method can easily be spotted by teachers who may notice if a student is constantly glancing down and not keeping their eyes on their test.
5. Using electronics to look up answers
With an increase in electronics at WA, a new way to cheat is to use a phone or other device to look up answers, or text friends for the answers. Some students hide their phones in their laps and use their electronics when the teacher isn’t looking. This method is risky because if caught, many teachers might confiscate the student’s electronics on top of giving them a zero on the exam.
6. Leaving class to look up an answer
Similar to students using their phones in class, some students will say they have to go to the bathroom and after leaving class, will use their electronics to look up answers. Some students even go to the library to look up answers on the computer. This is harder for teachers to catch. However, this method is also the reason why many teachers don’t allow students to leave the room until after they have finished an assessment, unless it is an emergency.
7. Borrowing or making copies of tests
When taking difficult classes where they are struggling with tests, some students convince upperclassmen who have taken the class the year before to make copies of their previous assessments. The students will then memorize the answers to the questions. This method is risky because many teachers tend to change the questions on tests every year. Students who study copies of the previous tests may come to a new problem that they do not know how to solve.
8. Writing on inside of water bottles
One of the reasons why some teachers do not allow water bottles in class is because students write notes on the inside of the label. Though, this tactic is not used often because it can be tricky to conceal, it is similar to writing a small cheat sheet to stick in a person’s hand.
Most of the methods students use to cheat may be difficult to hide from the teacher. The obvious and less risky alternative to cheating is studying. Studying can ensure that a person will not get a zero on an assignment or test, however, if a student is caught cheating, they receive a zero. Studying is always a better alternative instead of going to extremes to cheat.
