I’ve been around a lot of doctors and nurses. I’ve spent a lot of time in hospitals. I trust them, a lot more than I trust some of my generation going into the workforce now as doctors, nurses and lawyers.

So many high school and college students use AI, Chegg and other platforms to get their homework done. I’m not saying certain professions are more important than others, but a music major isn’t going to get the chance to perform surgery on me without knowing where my kidney is because ChatGPT told them the wrong location.

If you’re studying to be a doctor, just for the money or the title, and you cheat your way through college, you’re going to end up getting someone hurt, or even killing them.

I’m not just saying this as a member of the Academic Integrity Board. I’m saying this as someone concerned for the future health and safety of our world.

Of course, there are always going to be good people who really just want to help others. The same people who sacrifice a weekend of partying for the sake of knowing the correct formulas and calculations.

Even if you simply just try, I will not hate my doctor if they failed their first BIO 101 exam. They’ll learn from it.

It will also come back to bite you. An “A” will feel good in the moment, but you won’t learn anything from it. You may end up getting imposter syndrome later in your academic career or even during your professional life.

If you’re surrounded by people who took college seriously, and learned things that you thought weren’t important enough to spend your time learning, then you will always be at the bottom of the professional food chain.

A nurse who can’t insert an IV is a scary thought, but a very real possibility because of easy ways to get a quick good grade, instead of putting in the hard work.

It’s great to have a balance. I’m all for partying, but don’t do it at the expense of learning. I’d rather my nurse know facts about the body, instead of just how to do body shots.

There’s always the risk of getting caught too.

If you get kicked out of school, and end up becoming a doctor later in life, that reputation will always follow you. People talk. You’re not going to get patients or clients when you’re the doctor who didn’t want to study, so you cheated using some random online platform.

With college, professors are the key to connections. If you want them to help you network, not taking their class seriously, and getting caught cheating isn’t the way to do it. You’ll lose a lot of respect and will never be their first choice when it comes to recommending students for something.

There are so many ways you can use the materials you use to cheat with to help you study. If you’re going to use online tools, use them to actually learn the concepts and vocabulary. Instead of just using Quizlet flashcards as a cheat sheet, use it for what it’s meant for: learning.

Pay attention, learn and study. Don’t half-ass college when your career involves holding someone’s life in your hands.