Wednesday, April 1, 2009

So, is this cheating?

Here at BYU there is the Honor Code. Despite the complaints which some people have against it, I overall like it. Except for the fact that guys can have mustaches but not any other type of facial hair. I mean, mustaches are nasty. Other facial hair, a little scruff here and there, I find to be somewhat attractive on males that can pull it off. I think that needs to be updated. ANYWAYS. One of the big things on the Honor Code is academic honesty. It's great. The thought of defying this has kept me many a times from saying I completed my reading for certain classes when in fact I did not. However, I have been contemplating whether or not something would be considered "cheating". Whenever I write an essay, which is indoubtedly always the night, or in many cases a few hours, before the due date, I tend to put the date in the header as at least a few days before. Why? For one thing, in my mind, it makes me feel like less of a procrastinator (even though in reality, it has no effect). But mainly, I feel as if teachers grade you less harsh if they see that you wrote the people in advance. Why do I believe that? Because after some thorough examination (okay, maybe just a few papers of mine), I have noticed that I get better grades on the ones where I put the date a few days before than the ones where I honestly put the correct date. So, cheating or no? I don't think so. But just to be safe, I've started opening up a word document about a week before I intend to write the paper and put the heading in. I mean, I started an attempt towards beginning the paper, right?
Think about it.

2 comments:

Lindsay said...

first of all...I hate the stache.. Chelsi and I count how many we see walking from one class to the next. It's the new slug-bug! Nast
Second, I too procrastinate - big surprise I know. I also think too much about the date on my papers because of this as well. To solve that problem I usually write DUE: **/**/**** whatever date... Think that works? haha

Kristalyn said...

I was taught in AP English to always put the date that it was due...so that's what I did for all my papers at BYU....I wonder if I would have done better if I would have known your little secret? Papers were always my worst grades