Fact or Fiction: Cheating and Not Caring About Work

In one of the readings we had to do this week, the author explains how he went to a college library and saw multitudes of students "working" on research papers. He observed most groups socializing and occasionally focusing on the work, simply by copying down a paragraph from a textbook. I quite honestly found this a little disturbing. Not only that these students were outright plagiarizing and not giving two craps about the assignment, but also that this author now has the perception that all students take part in this. I personally feel that this is quite unfortunate, because this is far from the truth. I know personally that I have never experienced this first-hand, and I am willing to bet that a lot of other students here at JMU haven't either. This may be true for some high school students who just want to get out of high school already, but that is it. Most students feel compelled to get the assignment accomplished in the best way it can be and do their own work.
In the other reading, the author explains students' views on cheating in school. Most students feel that cheating is wrong and don't participate. Majority of these students also felt that they had never cheated in their lives. Had they? It all depends on what your personal view on what cheating specifically is. Some students will view cheating as simply copying someone's answers on a test or quiz. However, some people view it as a much broader term. When you do your homework with a friend, is that cheating? When you get outside information to use on an essay and don't cite it, is that cheating? This has become a very controversial topic in recent years and will continue to be in latter generations. I personally feel that cheating has only become more common in my generation, whether students realize they are doing it or not. I think that the author got some very important information in her writing and takes a very interesting side on the topic.