I completely bombed a very important test
 

I don't even know if this is possible. But I studied harder than I ever have for any test before... I made sure I could work the problems and knew the material, and I am about 99.99% sure I failed my Project Management exam.

The profs exams are not multiple choice.. essay only (with a couple of problems to work out).. they are timed (2 hours). Basically broken down to 2 small essay questions, 2 problems to work out, and one big essay question worth double the points of the other questions.

I did pretty good on the first one.. I scored an 80. And I figured I would do OK since I had one of those tests under my belt and I studied so hard.

I failed.

I drew a complete blank when I got the test and I went into panic mode.

I answered the essays with the little information that I could remember, and I finished one of the two problems (although I'm not sure if I did it right). And needless to say I walked home crying yesterday.

After one of the girls made me feel better, I called my mom.. and surprise, I cried again.

I don't know what went wrong. I prepared for it during spring break and I KNEW my stuff :(

Now I'm really scared. It's too late to drop the course, and even if I could, I'm supposed to graduate next semester, and I don't think I could handle another class on my already full schedule if I have to retake it.

I've heard horror stories about this happening, but up until now it had never happened before (to me at least) and now I don't know what to do.

I think maybe part of it is because I have 5 tests in a span of 1.5 weeks.. and even though I am not taking part in sorority stuff this week and next, I still feel so overwhelmed :(

I'm not sure what to do (if anything) to salvage my project management grade. I hate to feel like I am settling, but I just really want a C in this class so I don't have to retake it. I'm not so sure that is going to happen though.

My mom & my friends say I should talk to the prof about it, but I don't think he will do much to help me? He figures it's a senior level class and extra credit was something we did when we were freshmen.

I'm really scared and don't know what to do :( :(

honestly, I'm going to agree with the suggestion to talk to the prof. I've found that when things aren't going so well, even the ones who are usually total jerks can show a bit of sympathy and help you out. and be sure to throw in that you need to graduate next semester... that usually helps your cause, from what I've found.

Talk with your professor and explain your situation. 5 exams in 1.5 weeks?? Sheesh, that's a lot of information to retain, and I understand how you drew a blank during exam time. Hopefully he'll be sympathetic and try to work something out with you.

Keep us posted.

First of all, breathe deep! You have no idea how many other people blew the test, too. I once took a test that NO ONE in the class did well on, and one woman cried all through it!!

Talk to the professor, see how you can make up for the test. If you keep your cool, he'll appreciate your honesty & maturity. Good luck, and keep us posted!

update.. advice needed
 

I set up an appointment to talk to the professor about this weeks's exam. I meet with him next Tuesday.

Yesterday and today I found out through several classmates that at least 8 people in class cheated on the exam. Big time.

I guess it would be pretty easy to cheat on those tests, because the way one of the cheaters explained to me, the prof doesn't check our stack of paper that we bring in to write on.. so he hid notes in his stack.

A girl who sits next to me said she noticed 2 people with their notes on the floor...

The prof doesn't really look up at all when we are testing.. he is doing his own thing... and when I learned all this it just made me really angry.

My grade is basically based on how everyone else answers. The prof reads all the Question 1 answers and grades them best to worst basically. So if all the cheaters made stellar grades, I am stuck failling because I couldn't remember half of the stuff they were reading off of.

I'm so angry right now I can't even type.

So now that I know this I'm stuck with the decision if I should tell the professor or not that several people were cheating. I want to because it directly affects me, and that is not cool. On the other hand, I don't want to be a kindergarten tattletale.

Any advice please?

I'm picturing the flames as I post this, but...

What about schools' Honor Code? Doesn't anyone take it seriously anymore?

This is *my* personal opinion....but I definitely think you need to tell the professor.

Out of how many in your class, at least eight people cheated on the exam (now, coming from my university experience, that'd be almost half the entire class!). It's not fair to the others in your class (including you) who studied their tails off for this exam and possibly would not score higher than those who did cheat on the exam (saying that they probably got lower grades on that first question than did the cheaters)....therefore, it's unfair to you and your fellow classmates to have your exam score based upon the cheaters' answers to the questions.

Everyone hates being *the tattletale*. Is there a way to anonymously inform the professor of the cheating that occured? The reason I ask is the university that I went to had an honor code that we had to write and sign on EVERYTHING we turned in....therefore, if anyone cheated, plagarized, etc, they'd be brought up in front of honor council, either by a professor who suspected that cheating had occured, or by a student who reported knowledge of said cheating. I know not all universities work this way, but if there's an anonymous way to inform your professor of the knowledge of cheating, that clears you of being the tattletale.

Best of luck, t*p! I'll be thinking of you next Tuesday and I hope it all works out for you!

L&L,
Jennie

ETA: Honey, you and I must think alike! :)

Arnette, UNT has an honor code. It is agreed to every year by every student when they pay their tuition. It is also restated on every sylibus. I can almost bet it is at the bottom of your profs.

You should already have an appointment to discuss your grade. I think this is a perfect time to discuss the people not being honorable. If you don't want to be a tattletale, then don't mention names. You can get your point accross without mentioning names. If the prof believes you, as I think he will, then he might administer a pop test. This might be your saving grace, if that makes sense. :)

You studied hard and deserve to be rewarded for the time you put in. The other students shouldn't. And the fact that this is a senior level class only infuriates me. They should know better. They should care more. The should be more respectable and honorable. They aren't setting good examples for the type of people soon to graduate and be in America's work force. ARGH!

Arnette, I'd turn them in, and if the prof does nothing about the cheating, go see the dean. We aren't allowed to bring our own scratch paper for this very reason.

I'd tell the prof about classmates cheating. If there's an honor code to abide by, then there's an honor code to abide by, and there's no excuse for their behavior. Also, I've heard of several honor codes that also state if a student knows about someone else breaking the honor code, they must report it.

I don't think I'd go in there saying "These people cheated and it's not fair to my grade." You'll look like you're using an excuse for your performance. I'd simply tell him what you saw and what you were told. Let him interpret it or ask questions.

I would definitely be prepared to prove to the prof that you know the material. That's what they're testing anyway, and we all get hit with test anxiety at some point or another. If you know the material, you know the material. If he asks you some questions about the material be ready to discuss it. If he does that and you do well, then he might be willing to adjust your grade or give you another shot.

And if he gives a pop test in response to the cheating, match your reaction to everyone else in the class. If you look like you were expecting it, it makes you look suspicious to the classmates. Don't get me wrong, in my head I would be thinking "Should've followed the code, you little weazels!!", but I would put on the face along with everyone else. Just don't overreact.

And that's my rambling for the day!
PsychTau

I know all military academies honor codes are like that: if you know cheating occurred, did not participate in it, but failed to report it, you are in just as much trouble as those who did cheat.

I agree - talk to the professor about the cheating - it's YOUR grade on the line as a consequence, since it appears he curved grades - you therefore are at an unfair disadvantage.

If the professor will not do anything about the teaching, then it's off to the dean's office. Believe me, a prof that does nothing about cheating, that gets referred to the dean, who then finds it DID occur, will have a lot to answer for.

It's not fun. It's not easy. It's not popular. But, it's the right thing to do.

For what it's worth, I agree- your professor should know what's going on. BUT, when you're talking to him, don't use it as an excuse as to why you failed (*NOTE* I did NOT think you were implying this in what you said- just make sure the professor doesn't think you're implying it either). I have found through the years that when I start placing blame elsewhere it does no good. Likewise, when I hear others blame everyone else but themselves it does not make me have sympathy. I have gotten out of more scrapes by saying, "I messed up. Can you help me fix this?"

So go in there with a humble attitude, show him your study outline or what you studied when, ask how to modify it for future tests, ask if there are any opportunities for extra credit, a re-take, or oral exam. Show him you're willing to go the distance to make a better grade. Then you can work in the allegations about the other students- because remember, you didn't actually see them cheating (at least that's the way I understood it when I read your comments).

One time I was failing a class that was called, "English Literature Before Burns." It was awful- on the test he would give us one line from a Shakespeare sonnet & we'd have to write in the # of the sonnet. (Hello- what does that teach anyone??) I was defeated before I began- I knew I couldn't memorize all 100+ sonnets. Anyway, I went in & had a talk with him, explained how I know Shakespeare influences our lives today, gave several examples, demonstrated I have an appreciation for the literature of that time, told him about my trips to Stratford-Upon-Avon and so on. He ended up giving me a passing grade that I truly did not earn, but he could see I got the "spirit" of the class, I just did not ever pass any of those wretched tests.

Anyway, the point is that sometimes professors do listen & have sympathy.

This whole situation makes you feel horrible and scared probably. Good luck on Tues and let us know how it goes. Here are some hugs for you!
{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{ T*P}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}

L&L,
WLFEO

Even through what the cheaters did was morally wrong, don't feel that you're being a tattletale by blowing the whistle on them. Their "perfect" score has lowered yours. Why should they get a high grade and you get a low grade? Why should you feel like you're in the wrong for taking a low grade that should've been a high grade, if it wasn't for them messing up the curve?

Square your shoulder, take a deep breath. Walk in there and tell your professor, "I have something to tell you that upsets me greatly. There was cheating going on in your classroom and it angers me because thanks to all the students who cheated their way to a perfect score, the curve was set off-balance, and my grade has unfairly suffered for it. That is not right and it is against our university honor code to cheat. I believe we need to retake the exam and have stronger exam proctoring in place to ensure that all students have a fair chance. I also believe that this is a matter that needs to be taken up with the Dean, as we have a clear policy regarding cheating. I will NOT allow my hard work to suffer because of the unethical behavior of some of my classmates."

Be assertive. Don't be submissive. In the real world, we'd chalk this up to an issue of business ethics-- and there are consequences for unethical behavior. Enron, anyone?

I DEFINITELY think you should turn them in; however, you need to make sure that the other students you spoke with who saw the actual cheating are willing to come forward. Did you see the students cheating? If you actually didn't see it, then it's hearsay coming from you personally. However, if you can take one or all of the witnesses in to your appointment with you (or mention to the professor that they are willing to speak to him about it), then you have proof.

I dont' ever recall having an "honor code" in college, but I knew damn well that cheating = failing grade or dismissal! EVERYone knows that! Everyone INCLUDING those who engage in cheating!

I agree wiht LXAAlum, if you don't tell the prof what you know, you are in collusion with them, and therefore just as guilty.

There's already a lot of good advice here, this is just my .02!

Loyally,

If I was the prof I'd see this as a case of a student with a low grade looking to explain away her low answers.

While they cheated, you also screwed up on the exam. Yes your score hurts, but it's not just their action that hurt you to be honest.

I would talk to the guy and ask him if he'd consider weighing another part of your grade more. It might help to offer a more balanced picture.

Don't feel too bad. As long as you don't fail, you'll be OK I think. The hardest class I ever took, I overslept for the final and only had 1/4 the time to do it. Let's just say I wasn't happy with that. Then there was the time I showed up to the midterm, thought I was fine so I didn't go to class until the final and found out that several extra credit assignments were given to the retards who hadn't done well on the midterm thus pushing me down on the curve.

-Rudey

Rudey brings up a good point that you did not do well on the exam, either. However, I still think you need to talk to your professor.

If you talk to him and he does nothing, how much worse off are you than you are now by saying nothing and wondering "What if?"

I'm going to have to agree with Rudy... i think you DEFINITELY need to talk to your professor - but I wouldn't talk about the cheating. Instead I would anonomously report it.

Here's a suggestion: Print out this thread for the professor to read! Then, make it clear that you'd like to talk to him about 2 things: your grade & how to improve it, and also, the Honor Code.

If he ignores the Honor Code part, I'd consider an appointment with the Chairman of the Department.

I agree with Rudey et al. I am don't think i would turn them in for cheating especially without proof.

I have definitely seen people cheat in classes however it doesn't impact your grade that much. You either know your stuff or don't. Even that kind of curve can't much effect you if you know your stuff because someone will always score very high.

I was a noted curve killer.

I can understanbd you are upset and kind of looking for someone to be angry at other than yourself .. .

I don't know if you're trying to be funny or sarcastic here, but I'm going to respectfully disagree with what you're saying.

t*p states in the very first message that she studied harder for this test that she ever had in her life for a test, and when she walked into the exam, she panicked. Maybe this is some unforseen occurrance in your life, but it does happen. Heck, it's happened to me, and I've been a "curve killer" myself in school a number of times.

Although she *may* not have seen the cheating happen for herself, that doesn't mean that (at a school with an honor code) she shouldn't report it. Another GCer has even suggested talking to the people who *did* see the cheating occur and see if they'd be willing to tell the professor what they saw. I'm sure that this cheating affected their grade as well, and someone will *likely* (I'm not saying definitely, mind you) step up and tell the professor what they saw. Otherwise, if there is a way to anonymous report the cheating, that's another way to go, and then in that case the professor can give a pop quiz/test to see who really knows their stuff, and if the cheaters can't do well on the pop test over material they *knew* perfectly well the week before, that would definitely signal that something fishy had occurred.

This is *my* personal opinion, and flame me if you want....but this is the way I see it and would advise anyone who had information about cheating occuring (especially if they had seen it themselves or know someone who had seen it occur). :cool:

Can't believe I'm going to say this...... but I agree with Rudey. ;)

I can say this, b/c I feel if I were in the same boat - the first thing I'd want to do is say "well, at least I was honest...." But that whole situation might draw in more trouble than its worth.

I would save that option for last. Not saying I wouldn't do it, but save it for last resort.

My first option would be to talk to him, show him examples of how you studied. I.E - examples, notes, note cards, highlighted points of study, etc. If he looks at you and says he's sorry he can not help you....then I would look into your other options. Just make sure and keep your cool!

My class that I'm having trouble in is a class of 400 students + , so when I had trouble on a test and needed a "how did i do bad on this test?" talk I had to first go through one TA, then another, and next week is my Prof. So I'm glad you only have to go through one person, instead of 4.

But I wish you luck!!!! And hopefully everything will work out okay. Its very easy for some people, me included, to completely know the material and then blank once you see that test paper. Especially since you had soooo much going on that week!! But keep a positive attitude and know that you are not alone!!

I see her poor test performance and the cheating as two seperate things.

Even without the cheaters, she fully admits she bombed the test. She was already leaning toward talking to the prof anyway, then the cheaters came into the picture.

If you don't want to report the cheaters anonymously (and I would definitely report them...stuff like that ticks me off.) then I'd immediately tell the prof that you have 2 things to discuss. You can fully admit that you blanked on the test and you know you answered the questions poorly, etc. Talk through that entire situation and come to a conclusion on it. Then when that conversation is over and resolved and the prof asks what the second thing was...mention the cheaters. Now, only you know how to bring this up. In one of your posts you said
To me that isn't heresay...if someone admitted to you that they cheated, that's all you need in order to report it. You can discuss what others told you as well, but that is heresay (I guess). I wouldn't say a word about how the cheaters messed up the curve for you and everyone else, etc. Focus on their action and how it is a violation of the honor code. By doing that, you have less of a chance looking like you're trying to use excuses for your poor performance.

Of course, you have no control over how the prof reacts, or whether he thinks you're using the cheaters as an excuse. But it's your conscience you have to live with, so do what you want to do in order to be comfortable with yourself.

Let us know what happens.
PsychTau

I think I agree. But I would do it in reverse order. I'd discuss the cheating, then my poor performance, not linking the two.

from a college instructor's view
 

texas*princess...

I teach English at a large University. I hear excuses for poor grades ALL the time, and I know that I, unfortunately, have developed an automatic BAD reaction to these excuses...no matter how valid they may be. My advice is simply to allow Tuesday's appointment to be strictly about you, your grade, your commitment to preparing for the exam, and your understanding of the course material. Afterall, you made the appointment before you knew about the cheating. The professor should be made aware of the cheating, so I strongly recommend an anonymous report to the professor or to the appropriate dean. An anonymous report only has the potential to HELP YOU. A direct accusation in the midst of your meeting has a strong potential to HURT YOU.

However...here is another perspective. I asked my husband (who teaches English at the same school) what he would do in this situation. He said that he would consider your accusation, and if there was real evidence of the academic dishonesty that you described, he would give those students who cheated a failing grade. Your grade might improve slightly, but there is always the possibility that the cheaters did not have the very best grades on the exam. You grade might not be affected at all. My hubby said that he would not feel that you were making excuses.

Two sides of the issue...take them for what they're worth:)

Good luck!

LM

You know what the biggest lesson of life college teaches you? Personal responsibility.

You can study and study and know everything, and still fail. You can say it's unfair and whatnot, but you still failed. But instead of failing and learning from that, you're failing and not taking responsibility if you say it's not fair and that it's someone else's fault.

Life is fair. That test was there and it wasn't created with the sole intention of failing you. The fact that you studied a lot more for this is NOT an indication that you were prepared. For some exams I would not study and do better than my friends that had. For some it was the opposite. The point is you failed. Try and say a word or two to the prof to see if he/she will consider weighing things differently for you. If that happens know that is an act of kindness and quite actually unfair. You are getting a grade for something you did not do. If you'd ask me, in some ways it's similar to cheating.

Now for reporting the cheating. You really think a couple kids can destroy a curve? You realise you want to report this because you did bad and not because they cheated (Nietzche might have something to say about that)?

Seriously learn from this. In the future don't take on more than you can handle. Be prepared to stumble because while life is fair, it isn't perfect.

-Rudey

Forgive me for asking, but did you and I read the same post? I couldn't find anywhere in t*p's two posts that said she thought this was unfair. She stated what happened and what she learned, and was asking for people's advice. She's already going to be talking to the professor about her personal performance on the exam, which is a *separate* issue from the cheating that took place on the exam.

While in most cases a number of cheaters may not destroy a curve, it depends on the number of students in a classroom total and how many of them were cheating. As I said in my first post, at *my* university, 8 people in a class cheating would be about half the entire class....which therefore would DEFINITELY destroy a curve.

Maybe I'm naive, but the cheaters need to be reported. In the work force, what would happen if they had stolen an idea from another person and passed it off as their own, and it was later determined that it was someone else's idea? People really don't get ahead in life by taking shortcuts....eventually, we all wind up in the same place, and if you push ahead to the front of the line, you may get there just a fraction of time earlier than the rest of us :)

Actually, this kind of stuff happens all the time, whether in the workplace or social situations.

Most of the time there is no higher authority to go to settle matters.

To me it seemed as if it was unfair to her. She said she knew the material and studied so hard. The fact is that if you know your material you don't panic.

The cheating is being tied into her performance. You even try to do it by saying how the curve, and her score, is affected by it. Her motivation is fueled by her personal performance (not the immorality of the act) and that's how it comes across to me, and might come across to a professor.

And I personally don't see too much of a difference between a prof changing someone's score and someone "cheating". My advice is to get ahead any way possible and to learn a lesson from this. If you don't agree with my advice to her, that's fine but it is my advice.

-Rudey :)

first off I want to say thanks for everyone who has replied.

For the record, the whole cheaters thing is not my primary concern here. I started this whole thread b/c I felt like I felt I was prepared for the test, paniced and ended up doing terrible. From what some of my friends tell me, it happens. And this is honestly the very first time it's happened to me, so I didn't know how to react. I *KNOW* that bombing the test was my fault.. so I'm not trying to point the blame of my poor preformance on someone else.

When I was discussing the exam with some people in my project group for that class and one of them openly admitted to me that he cheated it did make me angry.

I believe at our school nothing can really happen about cheating unless you are caught (although I haven't read the University Code of Conduct in awhile, so I could be wrong)

I basically want to make sure the cheating doesn't happen again. If it means we have to go to the bookstore and buy those blue books for test taking, then so be it.. In my eyes spending a buck or two is a pretty good investment if it means cheaters can't hide their notes in them.

Thanks so much for everyone's posts :)

As a professor, I definitely want to know if a student is cheating in my classes. It's not fair for the honest students--especially if their grades are directly affected by the dishonest students' cheating.

This affected several other students and me when we were undergrads. In several classes, we had plant tests in which the professors would walk around town and we'd have to write down the names of the plants they pointed out. There was this little clique headed by a guy whose parents were in the nursery industry and when he realized which plant the professors were walking up to, he'd whisper its name to his friends.

His buddies wouldn't miss any. The rest of us would miss one. They got A's, we got B's. They made Gamma Sigma Delta, the ag honorary, the rest of us didn't...well, at least I did years later in grad school. We tried to report it to the professors who were involved but they were, shall we say, very senior citizens and couldn't believe that students at our university would do that.:rolleyes:

Years later, I became an assistant professor there and the professor who was still teaching told me that he had indeed found out they'd been cheating. I don't know how, I don't know if they were punished. But yes, cheating by other people can adversely affect your grade...especially if there's a curve and if the cheaters get some "reward" (higher grades, honor societies, professional school) due to their cheating--and you don't.

I fully understand about freezing up on exams, I never used to and now this past year in grad school I seem to do it everytime. Go talk to the professor about it, explain to him it is the first time you've had that happen to you. ask him for suggestions on ways to help study for the next exam so that you aren't so totally stressed about it. He may or may not have suggestions for you but he knows you're trying at least.

Before you go meet with the professor, print out this thread and highlight (or cut out) the small section about your concern about people cheating in class. When you get ready to leave give him the paperwork in a sealed envelope. Explain to him this isn't about your grade but about academic integrity of your fellow students and then leave.

Probably if you look in your school catalog there is going to be a section about academic integrity in it. read that and maybe it will help you make up your mind about whether to tell the professor. I personally think your professor needs to know that there is the possibility it may be occuring.

Good luck, let us know what happens

Carolyn

And if someone told you they saw someone cheating and had no proof other than their word, then what?

And have you ever adjusted a student's score beyond what the grading requirements were?

-Rudey

I think your idea of getting people to buy the books might be better but it's really hard to stop cheaters. For example, one of the cheaters had a crib sheet on the floor you said and not in the book. Cheating gets more and more advanced as the stakes rise too. I've heard of kids breaking into a grader's office to change their answers prior to getting a grade. I think the best way to succeed is to push yourself so you know the material to the point that you can get a better grade than a cheater and if you see a cheater in class to ask that the prof have more TAs patrol the classroom.

-Rudey
--Good luck :)

I would watch that student like a hawk during the next test. I'd also change the seating and make it clear that I was doing so because I'd had reports of cheating. And if I caught someone, they'd get a zero.

What do you mean by "adjusting a student's score"?

You should be watching everyone during a test but basically you can't do a single thing for what happened, just what might possibly happen in the future.

As for adjusting a score say someone came to you and said "Hey Carnation, I really messed up on this final and don't think it's indicative of what I've learned in this course. Would you be willing to look more at my midterm and problem sets when determining my grade?" That is something that happens all the time. It is a deviation from a standard that gives an unfair advantage to some. Sometimes the student doesn't even have to say it. The prof rewards the kid for raising his hand and coming to office hours.

-Rudey

It hasn't happened to me. I have no clue why.

The only time I ever adjusted a grade was when our valedictorian was in a horrible wreck her last year and not expected to live. Somehow she did and somehow she made it back to school. She was fabulous-- had never made a B in her life and she managed to make an 89 in my class despite her brain injuries. I could not be the one to give her the only B she ever had. I gave her the A.

I tend to agree with what polarpi has said. The cheating needs to be addressed, no matter what. I know it goes on all the time, but so what? If you've got the chance to catch the lazy SOBs who'd rather think of creative ways to not study and pass than actually put in the time to learn the material, go for it. Chances like that don't come along every day. Cheaters tick me off. Really bad. Some say cheaters may not even get very good grades, but in my experience a lot of them do. That's why they do it in the first place! Report them.

And I consider that the equivalent of "cheating". Grades are not about emotions but tracking your performance.

-Rudey

I don't consider it cheating. Who's to say I graded all her essay questions correctly during the term? A point here, a point there--they all add up.

Her A in no way affected anyone else's grade. I will always be confident that I did the right thing. I was there, you weren't.