Do Cheaters Ever Prosper… In Algebra?
June 27th, 2006I’m taking an Algebra class this summer. Six weeks ends up being a really short period of time when a math class is involved. I took Physical Anthropology in 12 days, and that was no problem, but math is a different story.
Today I had this jock sit right next to me. I had noticed this because the previous class periods he had always sat two rows in front of me, right next to a group of people that look like they might be pretty good at this math stuff. A couple days ago I heard him comment that he had expected me to challenge the instructor’s teaching style rather than the girl who ended up challenging the teacher. His motives were soon made clear when he told me that he had cheated on the math placement test so he could get into this college level algebra class. He made it obvious that he was only in college to play baseball. During the quiz the teacher left the room for a few minutes and he tried to see what was written on my paper. After the quiz he said that he thought we had the same kind of calculator. I doubted him because almost no one has the TI-85 in college algebra classes. I asked to see his calculator to check the model number. Even though we all knew that it would be needed on the quiz, he said he had left his calculator in the car and that it didn’t matter because he didn’t know how to use it anyway.
Later on it seemed that he had realized that I wouldn’t prove to be the exceptional math student (and source of correct test answers) he had suspected I would be. He started looking around and asking people who the really smart people in the class were. We have our first big test in class tomorrow and he’s just trying to figure out who might let him cheat!
Cheaters never prosper, or so I’ve heard. I can’t help but wonder what this guy is like on the baseball diamond. If he cheats this wantonly on tests and in class I can’t imagine him having anything against such dishonesty in other matters in his life including baseball. I don’t know why, but something tells me that he’s not going to learn much in this class. If he passes and I don’t, I’m going to be really upset.
July 1st, 2006 at 1:56 pm
I can just imagine this slack jawed, empty minded jock spouting out a comment like “Duh, duz anyone no where all duh smart peoples are,†while drool is oozing off his chin.
July 1st, 2006 at 10:16 pm
The best part is that he got a 4 out of 108 on the test we just took. He complained and asked the teacher how he got zero points even though he got the right answer on a certain problem. She asked if he had shown any work and he said he hadn’t. He said e didn’t know how he got the answer but that he had just figured it out in his head. The teacher told him, “Then you need to get a tutor.”
Later in class the teacher asked if there were any questions after 20 minutes of showing a new technique for solving certain problems. He raised his hand and asked if she could repeat it again. She asked which part and he said, “all of it.”