Cheating? Girl tells me to get a study girl so I can cheat

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A girl I worked with as a CNA got into nursing school and due to having severe panic attacks she dropped at about the third week. I'm giving you this back story because I start nursing school in about a month. Said coworker is nice enough to give me tips (although anything past the third week is just hearsay) and every time she talks to me she says get a study group early so you have enough people to cheat off of "cuz girl you will need to cheat"

Is this true? I've made it this far without cheating/having the easy profs and done just fine. I know she's trying to help but now I think her advice is no longer helping me. What are your experiences with students "sharing" info??

Meriwhen she has said this in more than one conversation. Thanks for playing devils advocate though!

AllInRN hopefully she'll ease up when she realizes it can be done past week 3!

La_chica there were several things she said that it was obvious she wanted the easy way, not the right way. Such as having the whole answer marked wrong for not having a leading zero in front of the decimal. As well as another student failing IM injections because they touched the site after sterilization!

So needless to say I'm not using any of her tips! I just wanted inside info on what my schedule might be and how the classes/professors are.

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You speak the truth. The only person to not pass NCLEX in our entire class was suspected of cheating during school. It's not worth it. There is no purpose in getting through school if you cannot pass the only exam that matters in the end.

I would add regarding the study group: Don't allow anyone to do the work for you! Back when I was in school, we had a take-home style exam. I didn't participate in the study group 'work' on the answers to the exam, I did it on my own. 12 people copied the answers on to their exam based on the work of just two students in the study group. They all got an 80 (which isn't terrible, but it made all the difference in the world for some who really needed to do well, and some who really wanted to maintain an A in the class). I stayed up for hours completing the work on my own, and I got a 100%.

Otherwise, study groups are great--especially when all involved are equally participating and you can put each other in check. But always do your own work, and verify you have the most accurate information.

And NEVER EVER EVER CHEAT! No one who cheats deserves to be a nurse, and no patient deserves a nurse who had to cheat to get through school (there are some things one could cheat on and still pass the NCLEX).

Nursing is an occupation of integrity and holds the public trust. Just study, learn to be a nurse. Cheating is completely unacceptable.

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That is exactly why I hated forced study groups in school. Not only was I the one doing all the work, I was suffering because of others lack of work.

When people told me that study groups were their savior in school it terrified me because I've always done better on my own. Is it true that you can't survive on your own??

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Failure may make you look bad on the outside but cheating will destroy you from the inside out.

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Is it true that you can't survive on your own??

I did almost all of my work on my own, without study groups. The only time I used the study group was for rehearsing skills, vocabulary quizzing, and mandatory group projects ("you five have fibrodysplasia ossificans, I need patho, statistics, general information, meds, etc., in your report").

I graduated summa cum laude with an almost perfect GPA. I am by no means a genius, it was very difficult, and I studied constantly. I gave up social activities, TV, entertainment, and all the other things I needed to give up to ensure I completed my work. I wanted to not just finish school, I wanted to be an effective, educated, well rounded nurse.

I will say that I had the great advantage of not having to work while attending school. That afforded me more time to study, research, write papers, and study for the NCLEX (at least 30 minutes a night). Some in my class were working and going to nursing school, had young families, and it was very challenging for many of them and they relied almost exclusively on study groups. But some of them were also leading a very active social life, and neglecting their studies.

Bottom line: use a study group for what you need from it. If you are not getting what you need, fly solo, or find other like-minded students. It is entirely possible to do it on your own.

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Everybody cheats and its not just in nursing. There are industries in Asia dedicated to cheating the USMLE, SATS and various other standardized tests. Ivy league students cheat more than people who attend state schools. This is not a good thing but should not really come as a shock. I know from personal experience that many of the people in my pre-nursing prerequisites cheated and rationalized it with the saying,''you don't really need to know all this stuff as a nurse.'' Is it ethical? Not really but it goes on and I am willing to bet lots of incidents like the one described occurs in nursing school and probably even under the direction of many instructors.

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Thank you monkeyhq this gives me hope! I don't like relying on others when my future is at stake! Good to know it can be done and that there are useful parts of a study group. I think I'll feel more at ease when I get a lot of my questions answered at orientation :)

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You are welcome! Best of luck to you. Work hard, study hard. Don't be afraid to ask questions. And always put your academic success ahead of any study group success.

Nursing school is a period of your life that will require a whole lot of sacrifice, but it is just for a brief period of time. Successfully completing your program will give you a lifetime of fantastic rewards. Finish with as high a GPA as you can.

Finally, one habit that I formed while in school was to 'overkill'. Instead of limiting myself to reading a few chapters and studying a topic according to lecture, I researched beyond the textbook. I used topic appropriate nursing articles, medical articles, etc. For example: An A&P prof asked (on homework assignment) 'What is Boyle's Law?' Most students used one or two sentences to describe it. I researched it. I learned who developed it, when it was developed, why it was developed, alternate theories/explanations, etc., and gave a highly detailed response. Instead of using rote memorization of the few lines in the textbook, I understood Boyle's Law, and that made recall for later use much less challenging. I followed that pattern with just about every topic. It may not be the best retention system for you, but it worked like a charm for me.

All the best to you!

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I would consider the source. Do you really think it wise to take the advice of someone who couldn't hack it? Unless you're looking for advice on how to make it through only three weeks?

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
I would consider the source. Do you really think it wise to take the advice of someone who couldn't hack it? Unless you're looking for advice on how to make it through only three weeks?

THIS.

I'm would be so apt to listen to someone who flamed out of nursing school after three weeks, about cheating or otherwise. :no:

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Yes, obviously I will not be listening to her advice. My concern was more about how she made it seem like it was the norm and I was shocked. Glad to hear this is not the case and I can do just fine on my own. Thank you all for the study tips! I can't wait until my next chapter in life begins! :)

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Specializes in Emergency.

To quote Forrest Gump..."Stupid is that stupid does..."

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