Topic Is Cheating...

Last thursday, we had our exam on Internaional Law. The exam covered three long chapters and involved several cases. In short, the exam wasn't a piece of cake for all of us. Although the exam was hard, I was confident that the smarter people in our class will still have the chance of making it good. But while I answering my test paper, I heard my professor saying that some of my classmates were blatantly cheating in front of his eyes. I was pretty much sure that the people he was talking about were the known intellectual beggars in our class. I was surprised when I was told that the people who received a minus 10 were actually the smart ones.

I was disappointed because I so abhor cheating. I'm not saying that I did not perform any act of academic dishonesty in the past. Yes, I cheated before, because I was too young to realize that cheating is a serious problem among students. Many people believe that cheating during exams is not a big deal. But it is! Cheating is a form of lying. Cheating, for me, is an act of pretense. Cheating is like digging your own grave. Cheating is cowardice, the last resort of those who can't accept defeat. Maybe in war, we can apply cheating and label it "strategy" but I'm afraid the same could never be applied when it comes to academic matters. Studies is different. We study because we have to learn, not just things related to math, science, etc.. We also study to learn values needed for our personal growth. Educational institution's primary goal was not to produce gradutes who have HIGH grades. Their ultimate goal was to produce graduates who have good attitudes toward work. If I'm an employer, I would only be interested in your grades in the beginning. My impression will still depend on the quality of your work and the manner you interact and deal with people.

You don't have to cheat. You need to study! Hardwork and determination will get you where you want to go. Add good attitude to that and you're on your way to achieving the best life has to offer.