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Student's elaborate exam cheating scheme — you WON’T believe what he did!
As many of us know, exams are no picnic – especially university exams. The pressure is high, the stakes are even higher, and there’s so much material to remember. It can be a lot to handle!
Unfortunately, the desperation that sometimes comes with exams can also lead some students down a dark path – one of cheating.
Of course, cheating has been around since the dawn of tests and essays, but in recent years it seems like people have been getting more and more creative with their methods — like this law student who was caught red-handed trying to cheat on their exam using an innovative (albeit morally wrong) technique.
Studying can prove to be a bit difficult, which is why some resort to cheating. Credit: Pexels/Monstera
Yolanda de Lucchi, a law professor at Malaga University in Spain recently shared a photo on Twitter of several identical blue pens that had been confiscated from a student during an exam a few years ago.
She captioned the tweet (post): ‘Tidying up my office, I found this university relic that we confiscated from a student a few years ago: criminal procedural law in BIC pens. What art!’
Art indeed! Upon closer examination, it was clear what the student had been trying to do.
Source: Twitter/@procesaleando
There were small pieces of what appeared to be dark paper inside each pen with various handwritten notes on them written in some sort of silver ink – probably keywords the student thought they might need during the exam but didn't want to get penalised for having visible ‘cheat’ sheets.
But wait, the story gets better!
The professor’s spur-of-the-moment admission managed to get a response from one user, who claimed to personally know the said cheater.
‘I know perfectly well the author of that wonderful work. In fact, he has authorised me, ignoring his name, logically, to show you some more that he still keeps at home,’ a user responded, along with a more close-up view of the crafty pens.
Apparently, the cheater replaced the lead of a mechanical pencil with a needle, which was then used to etch notes along the pen’s ink cartridge.
And another bonus — the cheater, via his friend, shared what the customised mechanical pencil looked like!
The cheater’s crafty etching device. Credit: Twitter/@gnlhi
Of course, the cheating tip received several responses.
First off, it appears the technique, while disastrous for our story’s cheater care of Professor de Lucchi, worked wonders for one anonymous user: ‘He was not the only one to use this wonderful technique, so I also passed several subjects. You remove the ink lead, burn the tip of the BIC with a lighter and put a needle, when the plastic dries it stays “anchored” and you have the needle-point.’
Another user, apparently a senior teacher, shared: ‘With 12-year-olds in a chemistry exam, the formulas were written in the same way in a fat marker, more expensive than a pen. And I'm 67 years old.’
And one remorseful former student added, along with a message to their teacher: ‘I'm glad to see that 13 years later a thread is opened about the same technique that made me pass Spanish history in high school (sorry Miguel if you're reading this, I didn't see another way to pass your exams).’
We’re all past the age of exams, but still, it has to be said that we do not condone cheating in any form or manner here at the SDC.
For what it’s worth though, you have to appreciate how some people come up with ways to overcome their academic hurdles — even using the very things used to write their answers with.
Want to try your hand at a current-day high school exam? Well, we have one here! We won’t tell your grandkids if you don’t pass
If you have time, check out these other stories we have on cheating, but…a different kind:
- This wronged lover exposed his cheating ex — but not everyone was pleased
- A woman’s husband has been doing sketchy things with a ‘friend’, and she’s suspicious
Well, what can you say about our professor’s story? Was the student daft for even thinking of cheating on his test?
Or maybe you have some interesting stories of your own?
Do let us know your thoughts and opinions below!