Here’s what might happen to you if you get caught cheating

Here’s what could happen if you’re caught cheating:

I never anticipated sharing this story, but here we are. As we all know, online classes have been particularly challenging this semester, and my chemistry course has been a nightmare. The average test scores are hovering around 20%-30%, and I usually score even lower since chemistry has never been my strong suit.

So, to be honest, during our third exam last week, I struggled with a few questions. Our tests are technically open note, but I ventured into the one place I usually avoid: Chegg. I found that some questions had been copied and posted there along with answers. To my credit, I looked at the explanations and tried to understand how the answers were derived, but I did end up using one of the answers on my exam.

Yesterday, my professor sent an email indicating that exam questions had been posted on Chegg and that the Dean of Students would be contacting them to identify who shared the questions and who accessed them. My professor also mentioned that those who admitted to cheating would face lighter penalties, so I decided to come forward.

As a result of my honesty and since this is my first offense, my consequences include receiving a 0 on the exam, enrolling in an online academic integrity course, and having an official report filed with the Dean of Students to keep on record in case of future incidents. The really tough part? I work within the Dean’s office, which makes this all the more embarrassing. I don’t believe my job is at risk, but I can’t shake the anxiety.

Honestly, I never considered using Chegg until now. My roommates use it, and many others in my class were cheating on this exam too. It seemed so commonplace that I didn’t think anything would come of it. But now I recognize my mistake and am ready to accept the consequences.

I want to share this as a cautionary tale. I’ve learned a valuable lesson from this experience, and I’ve deactivated my Chegg account. I’d honestly rather settle for a C in the class than risk suspension from my university. While my punishments may seem mild, it simply wasn’t worth it.

In the comments, some people are calling me foolish, claiming my professor tricked us into confessing. I’m uncertain what to make of that perspective. Chegg’s policy does mention that they can disclose extensive information about who accessed certain questions, but there are varying opinions on forums like r/professor. Regardless of whether I was misled or not, I’ve taken away an important lesson from my use of Chegg, and I won’t be doing it again. I believe it’s more honorable to take responsibility for my mistakes rather than trying to evade accountability. Sometimes, it’s better to accept the consequences and learn from them.

Also, some are questioning why I used my real name on my account. I registered with my real name because I genuinely didn’t intend to cheat when I created the account. When I looked up questions during the exam, cheating wasn’t even on my mind because using Chegg is so normalized. Yes, it might have been wiser to remain anonymous, but my initial intent wasn’t to cheat.