Today I had a test. I am so close to finals and I knew this test could make or break my grade. I studied so hard so I could be comfortable with my grade for the final. When I got to class, everyone was cramming last minute and they pulled out a worksheet I had never seen before. I started to panic and asked them if it was going to be on the test. “Yeah,” they replied, “Im pretty sure it’s on the majority of the test.” Then I really started to freak out. I had worked so hard for my grade that year. I am not trying to point fingers, but because of the vocal brevity my teacher withholds, I was not aware of all the worksheets and information present. I got up from my chair and got a laptop from the cart, beginning my online test. I tried to be confident and not panic, but when I saw the first 1o or so questions on the test they ALL had to do with the one worksheet I didn’t know. Then, I really started to panic. Taking a second to myself, I evaluated my options. I could cheat; which I am never comfortable with and I don’t think I could live with myself. I could accept failing and get an A+ on the final; which is not realistically possible. I could ask my teacher for an extension; which I knew he would not give because of his monotonous “stick to the book” attitude. Then I realized something. On the bottom of the quiz there were two buttons, one said “submit and grade” the other read “clear and erase answers.” Thats when the idea came to me. I was to take my test like everyone else in my class but instead of clicking the button on the far left I was going to gaze my mouse over the left button. After finishing my poorly taken test, I looked at the computer screen one more time and quickly pressed the wrong button. Closing my computer at quick speed, I sat up suddenly and put my computer back smiling at my teacher as I walked through the class room. Immediately the guilt sat heavy in my chest; no I had not cheated, lied, or coned. However, I had found an obvious loophole in the system and I knew it was not the morally inclined decision to make. Knowing my teacher, I am sure he will soon find the mistake and ask me to make up the test another day. I have slight doubts that he will reach the conclusions of my deleterious actions, but it is the principle of the action not the action itself that weighs heavy on me. With unflinching confidence, I pray that God will give me the strength to find my way out of this complicated situation. Although I am not going to come clean, I do want to follow out on better actions, ones that wont incline me to make such hasty decisions. Please forgive me and help me reason with my actions.
Amen