It’s something most students witness or take part in during school.

Cheating.

In order to stop the problem, the reason why students cheat must be understood.

“So it starts small and you might cheat on something simple and not think it’s a big deal, like homework,” Coach Kathleen Moroney said.

She believes that when cheating becomes a habit, the lines are blurred and soon students don’t recognize they are doing it. The student handbook piggybacks her statement by saying that education is based on lifelong work habits and developing mature coping skills.

Often, students also don’t recognize the effects cheating could have on them in the long run.

“Years from now, if a student cheats in college, the consequences could change your life. Whereas in high school, the consequences are meant to teach a lesson,” Coach Moroney said.

Additionally, students fail to realize that when they cheat, they are not benefiting themselves.

According to the student handbook, “Cheating displays a lack of integrity that doesn’t represent the values of Heritage High School.”

As a result, the student can risk academic relationships. 

“The student will have lost the trust between themselves and the teacher,” sophomore Ashley Batac said.

Junior Andrew Wilson believes that relying on others and pure laziness are two relevant reasons for cheating in school.

“They don’t trust that they are smart enough to complete the work given, resulting in finding answers from others,” Wilson said.

Some of the work that is completed in high school is done in study groups. Thus, students need to know the fine line between sharing ideas effectively and sharing answers word for word.

“I just think that you have to be careful not to be too dependent on a study group,” Coach Maroney said.

Working in a study group can be very effective, but students must learn to complete independent work on their own.

Reasons to cheat are always present, but students who want to cheat have to overcome the urge to do so.