College Students and Academic Dishonesty

Cheating, or academic dishonesty, may be something we have all done at one time or another, in some way, shape or form. So, what is the reason behind it? Are students being lazy or possibly scared of failing? Or, could it simply be that they desire more free time to indulge in the socially enjoyable aspects of college where hours of research and writing doesn 't exactly fit into some students “schedules”. All of these are reasons are for academic dishonesty but none of them are right. Academic dishonesty has come a long way over the years, with the widespread accessibility of the Internet and electronic devices, students today have more ways to be academically dishonest than students did 10 years ago. With technology advancing, so are the ways that students are able to cheat. From cell phone cameras, taking pictures of an answer sheet to students sending emails to each other after a test has been taken. The possibilities are endless and easy.
Academic dishonesty is becoming a larger problem in high school and college classrooms in every part of the world. Back in 1940, only twenty percent of college students admitted to cheating during their academic careers. Today, that number has increased to 75 to 98 percent. Students today are not just cheating to pass the exam they are about to take, they are also cheating to get ahead of the game. There are more and more reasons why students choose to take the easy way out and cheat. It could be due to academic pressure put on by their parents, pressure to keep their grade point average up for the scholarship that have been awarded, or just trying to stay involved with school activities. At one point or another, it can all feel too overwhelming for some students to manage to the best of their ability; some students may end up feeling hard pressed for time. According to a survey by the Josephson Institute of Ethics of 12,000 high school students, 74 percent admitted to cheating on an exam at some point during the past year

References: Gibbs Staff. (2002, March 11). Cheating in Schools: Societal Implications. Gibbsmagazine.com [Oakland]. Retrieved November 12, 2010. Douglas, M. (August 4, 2007). 75 to 98 Percent of College Students Have Cheated. Education-Portal.com [Mountain View]. Retrieved November 13, 2010.