As most of you know, I’ve been dealing with S (friend from school) and her absurd laziness and wanting to cheat since last semester and last week was the last straw. It started the night before our social psychology exam when she texted me and asked if I had done the “study test” our professor had uploaded for us. At that point in time, I told her that I had because I had been studying all weekend and she asked me if I could send her the answers. I went ahead and sent her the answers to the multiple choice because after all it was just a study test and I didn’t want to be bothered anymore with it. Apparently that wasn’t enough for her and the next day on the way to class she preceded to TELL me to not cover my test; basically telling me that she wanted to be able to see my test in case she needed answers. The thing is is that most professor give out two versions of the exam to prevent people from cheating and I watched her straight up take the same version I had.

While taking the exam, I did exactly as I always do and covered my answers as best as I could. I could see her out of the corner of my eye bubbling in an answer after every one I did. I knew she was looking at my exam. I was frustrated and could only think about “this is my grade, not hers. It’s not my fault she didn’t study…if I pass, she shouldn’t.” She finished before I did but I expected that and when I finished my exam I went home and called my mom. I wasn’t sure what to do or what to think. My mom convinced me to email/talk with my professor because if something were to happen it shouldn’t come back on me and so I emailed my professor and told her that I felt someone was engaging in academic misconduct. I didn’t give her S’s name because I don’t want “being a rat/tattle tell” on my conscious either but asked if she could keep a closer eye next time; if she sees anything then she has the ability to take the apporpiate steps to elevate the problem where as this time she didn’t catch her so nothing could be done anyways.

Well…it doesn’t stop there. Just today, S was explaining to me the surplus of papers and readings she has to tackle over spring break and asked me for the millionth time if I would do her 102 class for her and she’d pay me. She gave me $100 flat out in abnormal psychology this morning and said she’d give me another $50 once I completed the work. She wouldn’t take the money back so I held on to it for the day. In social psychology, I told her that I wasn’t going to do it. First off, it’d take away from time that is MY time and I shouldn’t have to spend MY time doing the work in a course that we’ve had since the beginning of the Fall semester 08. She’s had plenty of time to complete it – a whole semester, Christmas break and now Spring break coming up – but she’s just lazy and tries to use her having other homework as an excuse. I did my 102 course last semester in one day, it isn’t that hard. Secondly, if I were to do the work I’d have to spend twice as much time doing so because I’d have to make up answers in regards to plans for graduate school and careers – I don’t have that much time. And lastly, it’s about principle and it goes against everything that I believe in and work hard for. I handed her back the $100 that she wouldn’t take earlier in the morning and she tried to deny it; I put it on her desk. She was irritated, annoyed and probably pissed but at that point I didn’t care.

As we left class, she asked me again why I wouldn’t do it and I told her that if by chance we were to get caught, we’d both be expelled and of course, she said he’d never know. And I tried to explain to her that it wasn’t the right thing to do and I wasn’t going to do it. I said it didn’t matter if I’d get caught or not, it was the principle behind it and she said “principle…who cares about the principle?” I said: I do and you should too. She walked off to her meeting with her advisor but I know she’ll ask me again after spring break. I don’t know what else to say or do to get her off my back.