[sureglymop]

As a student, I have no issue doing oral exams or written exams without notes. I mean I'm there to learn and out of curiosity so I like that challenge...

I truly don't understand how people can sign up for a degree and then have to cheat? Must feel torturous to endure a class you're not even interested in.

[kaladin-jasnah]

Some of this is sort of a tangent, but:

When I was a student (and a student TA), what I heard or saw was that students were in CS for money, or their parents forced them to study it. Both of these things created some sort of extrinsic motivation that leads to cheating. In some cases (eg. in my high school) I heard parents would threaten to beat their children if they did not do well in their classes. So maybe that pressure continues in college. And for some, they just want an easy 6 figure job and are willing to take shortcuts. Students I know (some honest, some not) have mentioned they cheat on CS interviews or lie on their resume.

Additionally, I heard that multitides of parents would threaten to withhold tuition if their child failed a class. since the university is not well off, they acquiesce and make classes easier for students who aren't interested.

[danparsonson]

For many people and in many places, having a degree is a differentiator that increases someone's chance of being able to earn money. Not everyone is studying because they're interested, but rather because if they don't, their opportunities will be reduced, possibly significantly.

[red75prime]

I wonder if messages like "there's no such thing as gifted children"[1], create a situation where if a student struggles to keep up with their peers, they might conclude that their peers have unfair advantages.

[1] https://www.brunel.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/articles/There...

[bocytron]

Some are chasing a diploma, career opportunities, family expectations, social status, or simply feel like they have no other path...