re: How much did you cheat in college?

One class. I took History of China & Japan and it was a 300 level course. I enjoyed the content when I was there but missed a ton of classes and assigned reading. I was in a fricking around phase and thought I could handle it until the last few weeks when I started sweating the final.

The final consisted of an essay to be written in a blue book, about 20 short answer questions, and about 40 multiple choice. She gave us 5 topics with the caveat that one of them would be the essay portion.

I wrote essays on all of them and had them in my book bag. I also wrote about 200 facts and crammed them on a piece of paper in tiny font for the short answer and multiple choice questions.

There were about 30 students in this class in rows of six. I started with the blank blue book on my desk and then she handed out the exam. Once the exam started and she was seated at her desk, I sat there acting like I was writing for 45 minutes and eventually made the old switcheroo real cautiously. While doing that I also pulled out the short answer cheat sheet and had it under the already completed essay book.

The girl next to me kept glancing over at me. She had me dead to rights. I hurried up and finished right when she started packing up her stuff. She got up to go put her exam on the professors desk and I knew she was going to rat me out. As she walked up the aisle towards the front, I quickly put the cheat sheet back in my bag. She laid her exam down and and then leaned over her desk and started whispering. My heart was beating out of my chest but I had to remain cool. The professors head slowly rose as she cut her highs directly at me. I caught it with my peripheral vision. The girl exits the room and I see the Professor casually rise and walk back towards me. She proceeds to sit at the desk right behind me. I am panicking inside. Is this the end? Have I finally outsmarted myself?

I sit there for about ten minutes acting like I am rechecking my work but in reality making a show of exposing everything on my desk to her view. I figured the girl had told her that I had a cheat sheet hidden under my exam book. The professor was undoubtedly watching like a hawk set upon its prey. I finally muster up the courage and walked my exam book up and laid it own her desk.

As I turned to go back to my desk and retrieve my book bag, she is at the door instead of the desk. I gathered my bag and she opens the door and follows me out. She point blank told me that one of my "neighbors" had told her that they saw me cheating. I had a felling that it would play out that way so fortunately, I had already thought it through in the moments before I got up to turn in the exam.

I feigned a sad and empathetic look and told her that if it was the girl Julie who sat next to me that she might consider taking anything she said with a grain of salt. I told her how Julie had sort of stalked me all semester and would not accept that I was in a committed relationship with another girl. The last few weeks had gotten worse and I had to get stern with my request for her to leave me alone. The professor seemed to understand and said that was unfortunate and she enjoyed having me in her class. I told her that it was one of the more informative classes I had taken and thanked her and went on my way. I received an A on the exam and a B in the class.

So yes, I cheated on an exam and went a step further and impugned a girls character to save my arse. I never cheated again after that because it seriously scared the shite out of me. As far as the girl, snitches get stitches.