After finals

After finish the period of final examinations studying and working like a crazy, after drink not cups, but gallons of coffee, after hours of lacking of sleep and a terrible diet composed of everything digestible, but not healthy food, it is time to get some time off.

Many students at NCC did a good job finishing the spring semester with a satisfactory effort. Others finished with a regular performance, and others more expired, literally, in the effort to get a good grade. The only thing that remain, after final examinations, is to reflex about the performance in class and if the grades are according our expectative.

For some reason in the last lecture of my World Civilization II, came the topic about cheating during exam.  It was funny to hear that people still cheating during exam, even in college level.

The topic is not new, but in some way made me think when for different reasons, laziness or not having the time, we had hard time memorizing lectures, concepts, formulas, definitions, etc.  And of course, the unavoidable question, how many times did you copy in an exam?  Being honest, at least in some moment we have turned our eyes to see our classmate’s exam, perhaps only “to compare" answers, but we have done it. 

Picture from: http://jingreed.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c73fe53ef0115702100f7970b-pi

There are some techniques like writing the answers or key point of the exam in little pieces of paper, in the hands or legs, or have a very agile eye to watch and verify the exam of the contiguous buddy.  However, those techniques, sometimes, worked fine, but with modern technology came modern ways to cheat in exam.

In order to develop new tricks that improve their chances to pass, some students take an old technique and improve it with the help of technology. Now, students use gadgets like cellphones with Bluetooth and internet, iPods, hands free, digital cameras, and other technology that are a disadvantage for those professors who are not update in the use of such technology.

Internet website like YouTube, help students to interchange ideas and techniques that lead them to improve their methods of cheating during exam.

Not all the students fall in this classification. There are students who prefer accept a low grade and work harder in the next chance or just like others who can talk with the professor(s) asking for more time and have a better preparation for examinations.

At the end the idea is just only encourage to prepare ourselves for a better performance in school that will be translated in the future performance in our work place.

Do you think that in a meeting or in a professional presentation you will be able to copy or see your co-worker results?