Cheating in exams
I was very creative in finding methods to cheat in examinations - something I am not very proud of ("High-tech cheating," Gulf News, April 1). I would spend nights before the examinations building strategies on how to cheat, instead of studying.
I never thought it would affect me, until I enrolled in university. Cheating has bigger consequences in university and my long history with cheating made it extremely hard for me to study, because it was something I had rarely done. I had absolutely no idea about how to memorise or prepare for an exam.
Today, I am not a big fan of tests; I prefer research papers and presentations. I do not support more regulations but suggest more vigilance during examinations.
Being caught and humiliated in front of classmates is more terrifying than getting expelled or failing a course.
From Ms Shamma Tarish
UAE
Destiny counts
I am not proud that I practically cheated in every grade until grade 11. I would exchange papers with friends and answer their questions for them after I was done with my exam.
But then I noticed that in some classes, I would get straight As and Bs, while in other classes I would fail. It was then that I started thinking about the word destiny - wherein a person's destiny depends on their actions.
I realised that each time I cheated, something bad would happen to me. I have finally stopped, even though I have been tempted to cheat a number of times.
From Ms Shaikha Faisa
Dubai
Bad experience
Cheating is usually defined as stealing someone else's work and presenting it as your own. But what if you helped someone cheat?
I tried to cheat in my final mathematics exam in high school. We had to memorise certain formulae, but I wrote them on the back of my calculator instead.
During the exam, I tried to pass my calculator to a classmate but, unfortunately, it fell to the floor and the instructor picked it up.
He saw the information scribbled on the calculator and knew I was the person who wrote it. It was very embarrassing.
From Mr Shahad Ahmad Al Sabhan
Dubai
Ethical awareness
Back when I was in school, I used to cheat with my classmates all the time. We would save physics and chemistry formulae in our calculators so that we could use them during exams.
The cheating I did at school didn't really affect me as an adult. However, I realise now more than ever that cheating didn't help in enhancing my education - especially after joining university.
I support undertaking stricter regulations in schools to prevent cheating.
Nevertheless, I believe awareness programmes on cheating and ethics should also be conducted because regulations are not always successful in stopping this kind of behaviour.
From Ms Roudha Al Majid
UAE
Caught and dismissed
I never cheated in school - not because I didn't have the chance, but because I could not trust someone else's answers.
When I was in grade six, one of my best friends cheated by bringing a cheat sheet to class, but she was caught.
She was dismissed from class and failed. From that moment, I despised the idea of cheating and began to advise my friends and siblings against it as well.
Additionally, I forced myself to become independent and to avoid relying on others, as I knew a piece of paper could completely destroy my career and me.
From Ms Amal Mohammad
UAE
Back to old ways
I got caught stealing a mid-term exam paper when I was in grade 11; I was suspended for two days and had to write an essay about it. Of course, the exam paper was changed right away, so it was a useless endeavour.
I was sent to the principal's office every day for almost two weeks, and my mother was called to school.
This affected me greatly and, for a year after the incident, I was too scared to cheat or break any other school rule. Unfortunately, it was just a temporary fear.
From Ms Bushra Al Madani
UAE
Reprimanded with a whisper
I was in grade five when my French teacher caught me cheating. I wrote down all the answers in my dictionary the day before the assessment. My teacher passed by me during the quiz and saw it.
Her reaction amazed me! She didn't embarrass me in front of my classmates but rather whispered to me, asking if I had cheated. She then asked me to see her in her office after class.
This experience affected me. If she had punished me, I would have never done it again, but the bad feeling would have stayed with me.
From Ms Lulwa Al Aidarous
UAE
Earn your grades
Cheating was the most interesting thing we did in school and we were always trying out new ways to get better grades. Now when I see students who solely rely on cheating to get through, I feel sorry for them.
I think students should earn their grades because when you cheat, you are actually taking on other people's work and their marks. I definitely support stricter regulations in schools.
I have observed how several lazy students count on their smarter peers to succeed in classes. They always try to bully them into letting them cheat.
From Ms Zainab Al Kandi
UAE
Deserving praise
I am not surprised that rescue worker Jameela Al Za'abi received such great praise recently - she deserved it ("Emirati grandmother breaks social barriers with job choice", Gulf News, April 1).
As a former colleague, I knew her well. She was always a sister, a mother and a friend to all of us, regardless of differences in our backgrounds and nationalities.
She will continue to be a woman who inspires others through her dedication.
From Mr Mohammad Ali Cayongcat
Dubai
Losing patience
I agree with Mr Rangan Kasturi about the pathetic traffic situation at the exits on roads in Sharjah ("Monitor exit", Gulf News, March 31).
Many a time, it so happens that people decide to queue up and when they see they have not moved an inch in 10 minutes, they lose their patience and use the hard shoulder to jump the queue and cut in.
Driving would be a lot easier if there were police presence at the exits before 7am.
From Ms Reshmi
Sharjah
Full name withheld by request
