Girl in my cohort is cheating

[KitKat2019]

Hi everyone!! I am a first semester BSN student and I'm kind of in a predicament... I don't know how to go about this because I don't want to have a target on my back. There is a girl in my cohort who showed me that she wrote down word-for-word questions from our mock dosage calculations test. I don't know if this is a big deal, but my intuition is telling me this isn't right. We are not supposed to take pictures and/or leave the classroom with our tests and this girl sitting next to me wrote down the questions/answers during review time. She showed this to me after class and I don't know if I should report this or not. My entire cohort is studying together in a couple of days for our med calc and first check-off and I really don't want to go because I don't trust this girl. She's also made me feel really uncomfortable bc she's asked me very personal questions that I don't feel comfortable sharing. It seemed like she was digging up info about me and she also would ask me things like, "The table you sit at during lecture is so loud, what are they talking about?" Also, she asked, "How could you afford a wedding while in college?" "What does you husband do for a living?" Etc. Those are things you ask your friends NOT someone you just met 3 days ago. And she insisted that I don't buy a parking pass for our simulation lab bc "we are all riding together." I said, sure! but I may need to come in on my own time in case I need to practice and study in the library", She said, "No if you go during the week, we'll ride together bc I need to practice too." She is trying to control me and wouldn't let me buy a parking permit. I have a family and other responsibilities and sometimes our schedules won't overlap. She never has anything to follow up with her odd Q's and I just don't feel like I can trust her. Any advice??

[sradnothy]

i always like the old saying...."if you aren't cheating you aren't trying and if you get caught you aren't trying hard enough"

[Apple-Core, ASN, BSN, RN]

i always like the old saying...."if you aren't cheating you aren't trying and if you get caught you aren't trying hard enough"

??? You condone cheating...and that's your first post since you joined in 2014????

Or am I misunderstanding...??

[Apple-Core, ASN, BSN, RN]

OP - you need to set some boundaries, and quickly, or she'll continue to talk to you like this.

[milesims]

Cheating is wrong, but what you described does not sound like cheating to me at all. It's just as wrong to accuse someone of cheating who isn't as it is to not report cheating.

You said she copied down a "mock dosage calculations test." Mock dosage calculation tests are frequently handed out by professors to students in my university, and they are not the actual test. They are practice. A professor will NEVER show you the actual test, or even previous tests, before it is administered. They are just practice, and perfectly fine to study from or "copy."

If you tell an upper or spread rumors, it will seem as if you are grasping at straws.

[AnxietyMaven, BSN, RN]

I reported another student for cheating on a test once. I was outraged and concerned that someone that cheated their way through nursing school might someday treat a loved one. My instructor basically said "even if they pass an exam by cheating now, they will never pass the nclex. You can't cheat the nclex and they will never become a nurse." It never came back on me that I reported the person.

As for your other (In my opinion) more pressing issue-- You need to learn how to be more assertive. A firm "No thank you, I will get my own pass but maybe you can find someone else to ride with." Would have been perfectly acceptable. In the future remember that if the person is dictating that you must do something be firm. "No, thank you."- "No, that doesn't work for me"-"No I have other plans" If the person asks why not, just reiterate your first response. If it is a personal question, be frank and say that you would rather keep your school and personal life separate. Chances are this person will find a more pliant individual to harass once you put up a brick wall.

[KitKat2019]

Cheating is wrong, but what you described does not sound like cheating to me at all. It's just as wrong to accuse someone of cheating who isn't as it is to not report cheating.

You said she copied down a "mock dosage calculations test." Mock dosage calculation tests are frequently handed out by professors to students in my university, and they are not the actual test. They are practice. A professor will NEVER show you the actual test, or even previous tests, before it is administered. They are just practice, and perfectly fine to study from or "copy."

If you tell an upper or spread rumors, it will seem as if you are grasping at straws.

Actually,this is not true. Our professors said, "No phones, no taking pictures.. all tests must be returned before leaving." The test was practically the same as the mock test.

The professors were appalled when I let them know someone was cheating. They are probably going to watch this girl from now on.

[esnujnev]

These questions are not very intrusive. I think you need to toughen up quite a bit to become a nurse. I wouldn't tell on her either, as her cheating will affect nothing. Just move on and if you dont like talking to her then dont. Not complicated.

[KitKat2019]

These questions are not very intrusive. I think you need to toughen up quite a bit to become a nurse. I wouldn't tell on her either, as her cheating will affect nothing. Just move on and if you dont like talking to her then dont. Not complicated.

Oh, so you condone an aspiring nurse to cheat her way through school? I'm sure you would want her saving your loved one's life in the near future... Nice to know!