<p>So this is my senior year of my college career and I’m majoring in Mechanical Engineering. All throughout summer I had health issues, and they have continued into the Fall semester where I am still getting tests done to see what’s wrong with me. I have a test come up in a class that is the same day as one of my procedures, so I get the excused absence and I get to take the exam on Monday. All is good. I begin studying a couple weeks before and when I study I compile a small little folder of all notes, homework, example problems, etc. The professor allows us to use the FE reference book on our exam as well as our books, so I print out the section from the FE manual to use on the exam, but I put it in with the same folder in order to study over the weekend during my procedure and while I have downtime at work (I work in retail so I carry the folder around with me when the store isn’t busy). It just so happens that this professor posts the homework solutions since the homework is not collected. So I print out the homework solutions (after working through them by hand), along with my typed notes, and the FE material and have them with me the entire weekend. Fast forward to Sunday night, and I have a family issue, I drive home, get about 3 hours of sleep and come back the next morning for my exam. I show up with my folder, calculator and head to my professors office. There’s a few other kids who missed the exam too who are making it up. So we walk to the exam room, which happens to be the teachers lab. I sit down with my folder and begin taking the exam. The first few problems are easy so I don’t even need my book or the FE reference materials. I eventually get to a problem that I need the reference materials for, just to make sure I’m right and I flip through my folder to the section and continue on with my exam. Eventually the professor comes in to check in on us and the guy next to me has a question, so i mind my own business feeling pretty good since I’m about halfway down with the exam and still have plenty of time left. Well after my professor answers the questions she turns to me and grabs my folder. I don’t think anything of it until she taps me on my folder asking me to step outside. Confused I do so and that’s when my entire world went to complete chaos, embarrassment and horror. The professor points to my folder and asks me what it is. I state that it’s my reference materials and my book tables. She asks me again and then points out what she’s referring to. Instantly my face turns to horror as I realize what is going on. Me, being the dumbest person in the world and making THE stupidest mistake of my life, forgot to take out my worked out homework solutions from the back of my folder in my rush to get back to school from an hour and a half away on next to no sleep. Immediately I turn red because I know exactly what she’s thinking and I try to explain myself, but she just rips out my homework, hands back my folder with the reference materials and says we’ll need to talk after class. Somewhat relieved (as I was expecting her to strip my test away right then and there) I go back to my test. At this point I was too shaken up to really focus, so I continue cursing myself under my breath for being so dumb that I really don’t finish the exam. I sit there feeling numb and eventually go to turn in the exam. I attempt to explain myself again, but she tells me we will have to talk about it later, that there will definitely be consequences, and that I may or may not be able to finish out the course (she’ll have to think about it). She walks out and leaves me there flabbergasted, ashamed with myself, and embarrassed. I feel like such a failure and an idiot. I wasn’t even cheating or attempting to cheat, I literally just forgot to take out the homework from when I was studying. So now I’m freaking out. I’ve never had a case of academic dishonesty in my entire life, nor have I ever tried to cheat on an exam. But now I’m screwed because I know that no matter what I try to say she’s going to think that I was and am a cheater, and any trust she may have had in me is gone. A part of me wants to go to her and say “Who in their right mind would print out over 60 pages of homework, just to blatantly cheat in a small room with 5 other people like that?” I can’t even imagine someone being so blunt or bold as to pull a stunt like that especially as a senior.</p>
<p>Anyways, now I am petrified that she will fail me from the class with an unforgivable F, and since last semester was pretty rough on me, my GPA will bomb my senior year when it is the most important. Also, if she does fail me, that will go on my record and I will have to stay an extra year to make up the class and its subsequent course since my school is smaller and works on block scheduling.</p>
<p>Any advice on what it is I should do or say? I feel like I should go to her and try to explain during office hours, but on the other hand I feel like waiting it out to see what she says is the best route so I don’t annoy her and make the situation worse. I feel like such a idiot and it’s all I can think about at this point. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>Oh and sorry it was so long, but everyone I talk to about it says that everything is going to be fine and blah blah blah, so I had to get this off my chest and seek some advice from outsider’s points of view.</p>