Everyone has heard of cheating in school, and many may even take part in this activity. Academic cheating includes copying test answers, plagiarizing reports and paying someone to complete homework for you. The reasons why students cheat are varied, but many students do it. The ease of internet access, the needs to get higher grades, the acceptability of cheating, the lack of repercussions for cheating, and the lack of time or desire to complete assignments are some examples for reasons that people may cheat in college.
The internet brought the ability to quickly and efficiently transmit information on anything, from anywhere, right to our fingertips. With sites catering to students by providing pre-written reports and essays that you can purchase or download for free, it's never been easier to plagiarize someone's work. The temptation of being able to grab just a few lines from the Internet can be irresistible.
Today's academic system is based on 'Grade Point Average' or some other numerical or alphabetical representation of educational skill. Students may opt to cheat in various ways to give themselves an edge with their grades or to help them get better marks in a class they find difficult or are not being engaged in by the academic staff. A personal expectation of grades may also drive a student to cheat. “Grades, rather than education, have become the major focus of many students.” (Jeffe, 2012)
Another common reason why students cheat is because other students cheat. More students may end up cheating if they discover the head of the class is cheating, as it shows that people who cheat will get better grades. Due to the lack of social reprimand and the notion that "everyone does it", there isn't much of an honor system regarding cheating among students. “Students who cheat often feel justified in what they are doing. They cheat because they see others cheat and they think they will be unfairly disadvantaged.“ (Jaffe, 2012) It is generally accepted