Student Blog: Honesty, Honestly

If I’ve learned one thing over the course of four years, it’s that college comes with many tests. Yes, there’s tests as in exams and quizzes, but then there’s also tests. Tests of morality and fairness, and due to the fast paced nature of college, there are tests everywhere you turn. This is where academic integrity comes in. Do you copy and paste that test question into google or do you think about it for a second, and choose the most logical answer?

I believe maintaining academic integrity as a college student is one of the best ways to succeed in college. It’s more rewarding to produce something that’s original rather than to be dishonest, or to be unjust. One of the pitfalls I think many students find themselves in around exam season is having lots of exams to study for, but so little time to study. If this is the case, then students might feel forced into cheating because they think it’s their only option. 

Truthfully, that’s how I’m feeling at the moment. I’m wondering how I’m going to make time to do theater, write articles, host events, do homework, while also having midterms right around the corner. While I recognize that studying is important, how can I study for my midterms when there’s still so many things that need to get done?

This past week, I did something that I’m actually really proud of myself for doing. I read over all of my classes syllabi and paid specific attention to their attendance policies. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I only have two classes so I decided that I would email my Tuesday/ Thursday professors and use my free excused absences for those two classes. I spent all day doing work so I could try to make progress on the things I’ve been putting off and it actually went really well! I finished the majority of the things I said I would get done. Last year, I tried so hard to never miss a class, out of fear that my grade would drop down, but it’s actually okay to miss class if you need to get your work done. Students (especially theatre kids) are busy busy people and unfortunately, homework often is reserved for the midnight shift after rehearsal. Point is - be honest and open with yourself. Set realistic goals and actively work to complete them. That’s all part of academic integrity as well - being honest about what you need as a student.

Professors would rather you be honest than to not know you’re struggling/ find out you’re resorting to cheating because you want a better grade. My professors were super understanding when I explained to them that I needed a day without classes to get my work done. One of them even sent a makeup assignment to complete so I could get my attendance counted for that day. A lot of my professors in their syllabi state that they would prefer students to make them aware they’re using ChatGPT for assignments because they want to know how they can help for next time. In my experience, professors are here to help, and they’re more than willing to do so as long as there is honesty from the student.

Hopefully this is helpful for students who are in that part of the school year where everything just feels too much all the time. Please be honest with yourselves and those around you about what you can and cannot complete, what you do and do not need, and make an effort to see those things through to the end so that the end result is all the more rewarding.