<p>I was a bit surprised to learn that placement tests at UVa are administered online. What is to prevent people from just looking online for all the answers? If there isn’t some sort of safeguard in place, I’m gonna be a bit ****ed off – I studied my ass off for the SAT II test just so I could place out and the fact that some people might be able to do that without even trying is pretty disheartening. </p>
<p>Is the honor code that respected among students? Forgive me for sounding skeptical – I’m coming from NOVA where cheating is prevelant to ridiculous proportions.</p>
<p>I’ve heard of some people who just have another person take the exam for them sadly. That’s just what I’ve heard though. But the Honor Code still applies.</p>
<p>Keep in mind also that the placement tests have nothing to do with getting college credit. You don’t earn any credit for placing out of a language requirement.</p>
<p>@Knights09 - The mere presence of an honor code in no way guarantees its effectiveness in the prevention of dishonest acts. What you’ve said is akin to the statement: “There’s no such thing as murderers…we do have a penal code. Duh.” Ya, maybe UVA has a morality-concientious population on average, but with enrollment near 25k, there’s bound to be more than a few cheaters.</p>
<p>I get where you’re coming from, but it borders on disgusting that someone with little to no knowledge might barely lift a finger to test out of a subject who’s legitimate apprehension has occupied years in the lives of other honest and moral students. After someone cheats, the ultimate degree that we will all eventually receive loses value and, thus, affects the honest individual in a considerable fashion. That sort of uneven playing field is really what p isses me off.</p>
<p>What Knights said - don’t focus on other people.</p>
<p>There is honor in following the honor code. You can’t control if other people do, you can try to get them kicked out if they don’t. But you can know that you are following it and are a better person for that, and enjoy the benefits of professors who still believe in the system, such as take home tests and such on your honor.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>UVa total enrollment is well under 25K (undergrad is about 14k). </p></li>
<li><p>The goal is to create an entirely different environment than you experienced in HS. When I went to UVa, students would have felt insulted if the prof stayed in the room while the class was taking a test.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Don’t assume that cheating is prevalent all across NoVa simply because you are aware of cheating at your HS among your peer group. Those who cheat wind up screwing themselves: 1) they miss out on a quality education in the area in which they are currently deficient, 2) they may move into a class for which they are woefully unprepared and suffer accordingly.</p>
<p>Evitaperon - I’ve heard of Echols Scholars but I’ve never been able to find out exactly what they are. Is that an honor society or something? And even if it is an honor society, how does that preclude its members from certain requirements?</p>
<p>It is a program for Arts and Science students, not an honor society. For incoming first-years, admittance is by invitation based on ones’ application. After that, first-year students may apply for admittance as second years. Echols Scholars are exempted from competency requirements (including foreign language) to allow for more “freedom of inquiry” by the top students, according to the link above.</p>
<p>“Potential injustice” – that phrase is why you are getting somewhat negative responses to your initial post. By all means, concern yourself with actual injustices. But coming on the UVa thread on CC to complain about some “potential injustice” that you conjured up about students at a school you have not yet attended, is not going to win you a lot of support for your concerns.</p>
<p>No one is suggesting you be “naive” or that you associate with slackers when you actually arrive on Grounds this fall. Instead, we are suggesting you concern yourself with your own efforts. If you do, you will succeed in spite of what others are doing. If you have actual evidence of someone cheating on a placement exam, then you have the choice to report that. If you don’t have such evidence, enjoy your summer rather than worrying about some “could’ve” that might put you you at some disadvantage when you get to UVa.</p>
<p>I do have to wonder though, if you have such a negative impression of UVa students, why do you want to attend there?</p>
<p>I don’t have a negative impression of UVA students in general – I’m basing my concerns on the fact that, in any population, there will be a percentage of people who do this kind of stuff. Perhaps I’m a bit over-sensitized after spending a year at community college – the sort of **** that goes on there is absurd. I’m exited about attending UVA and I hope not to encounter the same things that I’ve been putting up with for the last year. </p>
<p>And with that lets put an end to this thread. I’ve gotten what I wanted and it’s pretty off topic by now. Thanks</p>
<p>If a few people really cheated out of their foreign language requirement so what? They are a very small minority-- even the most douchy frat guys I’ve met demonstrate multilingual proficiency, sometimes to the point of horror.</p>