On Internet you might find various videos where Exam Cheating is captured on camera by news reporter, students or any other media covering report. Today I would like to tell you an Exam Cheating story which thought not covered by media, thought not a big issue, but though caught, goes with a lesson learned and atticates installed.
In the year 2013 to 2015, I got chance to study in QUT, Brisbane, Australia. During my 3rd Semester of these study, small but important incident happened whose memory might be with me for rest of my life.
On the Exam day, Everyone completed the given paper on the allotted time. The exam was little difficult but I guess I did managed to complete it well in time like others. The last instruction came form the Professor, ” The time to the examination is over and now you all may please keep your pen down and stop writing.”
Everyone did as he asked to. The last moment I got a point that I can add on and which will add up my marks more.
I picked my pen and was just about to start writing the line that the invigilator saw me and said, “Mr, Please Dont play with QUT academic Integrity and keep your pen down.”
My brain took time to process his complicated words but as a reflex I kept my pen down on the table. I looked at him and he spoke some words that my overloaded brain was not able to hear properly.
Row by row he collected everyone’s paper and did not take mine. One by one pile of thoughts kept on adding up in mind.
If the case is reported, then I might loose this degree, If I loose this degree, then l would loose the visa I am holding, My one and half years of struggle will vanish on the same point form here. Just lifting my pen on the wrong time would lead me to go back to my country with a bad name on my shoulders. And more than that, a bad name to a student in foreign country can also be consider to bad name to the whole community or country where I belong.
Though I did not write anything on the paper but my action taken earlier put my brain into a roller coaster.
After collection of all papers except mine, he requested all other students to leave. Feeling left alone in the room with your own examination paper in hand felt both scary and helpless.
The professor came to me and said, “Do you realize what you have done?”
There might be possible several replies to that question but the best reply is to keep quite and listen. Plus I had no words to express whats going inside my head.
He continued, ” If you would have written even one word after the exam time is over, then it wouldn’t have been fair on others that they did got lesser time than you did to complete the examination.”
I replied to that in a very dim voice, ” Sir, I really did not write anything on the paper, thought I wanted to but i dint.”
In a calm voice he replied, “I understand and I trust your words, But you now need to understand the depth of incident what just happened. Even if you are allowed to cheat will you think the Degree you will receive of the marks obtained by cheating would be worth of it? The Degree you will receive form this institution is world recognized. Today If you cheat the same attributes you will take to your work place. You will become a qualified Doctor or Engineer and on the work site, these marks are not going to save you. You might end up taking a wrong decision on a very big scale due to the lack of knowledge you fail to gain here. Dont let the GOOD in you DIE in front of greedy actions.”
When He paused, I apologized for my action and promised him this will not happen again.
He replied, “I am taking you paper and I wish you follow the path you have chosen, but remember, Many people lost their carrier, their reputation, their years of handwork just because of one wrong manipulative plagiarism done in one of their journey of progress. And I wish QUT graduates wont fall on those category.”
I got up form my place and apologized again and left the examination room with my heart pounding beats more than it should.
Tapish Dongre 