Cheat or Fail? by Charis

Cheat or Fail? by Charis - December 2024 Scholarship Essay

This past semester, I started my Dual Enrollment Calculus course. All of my life I have been excellent in school, especially math. However, for the first time, I struggled. My teacher, Mr. Heflin, is about 65/70 years old. He is a smart man but not a great teacher. We also have an accelerated course which means little instructional time and a lot of restring/quizzing periods. I found myself falling behind, failing tests, and for the first time I earned a C on my report card. I tried to study outside of class and teach myself the information, but nothing seemed to take. All of the other students in my class also struggle in course, but they cheat on all of the tests and quizzes to pass. As my grade dropped lower and lower, I faced the same decision, cheat or possibly fail the course. I sat with the decision for a while and considered whether or not it was worth betraying my morals to pass one class. I decided not to, taking the grade I truly received. I accepted the grade I got because I tried my best and refused to compromise on the values that mattered to me.

I can't say that I ever fully mastered the course, but I did learn to be okay with prioritizing my integrity over my grades and accomplishments. It has been a defining experience for me this year that I believe will help shape me into the person I want to be.