MHB Look up for inspiration, down for desperation, left and right for information

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The discussion centers around the ethical implications of seeking information from peers during exams, with a humorous exchange between a father and son highlighting the son's excuse for a low score. The main argument against looking left and right for information during exams emphasizes that cheating is morally wrong and undermines true learning. It is argued that grades are overvalued, and real understanding of material is more important than scores. Cheating reflects a lack of genuine interest in learning and poses unnecessary risks. The Math Help Boards community maintains a strict anti-cheating stance, indicating a commitment to academic integrity. Overall, the consensus is that there are no valid reasons to justify cheating in exams.
Math1
In exams, we look up for inspiration, down for desperation, left and right for information.

Do You agree on this??

Father: Why did you get such a low score in that exam?
Son: Absence!
Father: You were absent on the day of the exam?
Son: No but the boy who sits next to me was!
 
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Math said:
In exams, we look up for inspiration, down for desperation, left and right for information.

Do You agree on this??

Father: Why did you get such a low score in that exam?
Son: Absence!
Father: You were absent on the day of the exam?
Son: No but the boy who sits next to me was!

I totally reject the "looking left and right for information" for the following reasons:

1. It is morally and ethically wrong. That is reason enough not to do it. The one who cheats is lying about his abilities.

2. It shows that the person doing so has a misplaced emphasis on grades, as if grades were the be-all, end-all. Grades are highly over-rated. When you interview for your first job, you might be asked about your grades (unlikely, actually). I can almost guarantee you that when you interview for any job after that, you will not be asked for your grades.

3. It shows that the person doing so has very little interest in understanding the material (see my signature). The person who really wants to understand the material has to wrestle with it himself. Understanding and being able to apply the material is the really important thing in school.

4. If the person doing so were to realize how over-bloated his evaluation of grades are, he would see that the risks of getting caught simply aren't worth the payoff. (This is a pragmatic reason and, to my mind, much weaker than my reason # 1 above).

Reasons in favor of cheating: none.

I should also comment that here at Math Help Boards, we take a very dim view of cheating. We are quite willing to take any proof of wrong-doing all the way to the student's school. MHB has zero tolerance for cheating.
 
That was for fun i think though...
Ackbach said:
Reasons in favor of cheating: none.

.
I agree on achbach
 
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