Recently I’ve noticed a lot of posts related to Academic Integrity violations related to Chegg and it hurts me to see so many people have their reputation and education impacted so negatively for seemingly minor things like homework help.
I had Chegg a while ago to help on homework when I was really stuck, and while I think it can be a good study tool it comes with a lot of risk, especially now since professors are extra aware of online resources that can be used for cheating on take home exams and what not.
I deleted my account because I feel that I was relying too much on Chegg for answers and not actually learning the material as well as I could be.
Anyways, I think for people that are considering to get Chegg or already using it should be aware that if you POST something it WILL BE TRACED back to you if the professor decides to investigate, as Chegg is obligated to release that information in their terms and services. So please be wary of this if you decide to post questions that are homework related or exam related (if it’s exam related you deserve to be caught though imo).
To be clear, I am not advocating for or against the use of Chegg, I just want people to understand the risks of it. So I urge people to please be aware of this and use Chegg with lots of caution because it breaks my heart to see students get probation or possibly suspension for something they genuinely didn’t think was a big deal.
Edit: Fill free to DM me or ask questions if you have any about Chegg and Academic Integrity!
Realize it isn’t just posting questions that is relayed to universities, but viewing questions. Universities may impose greater penalties to posters, but penalize viewers as well. Students who neither post nor view also run afoul of AI policies by either submitting work too similar to that of other students, or too similar to Chegg. Universities are simply more tech savvy than any individual student and have whole-heartedly joined the effort to insure the work students turn in is their own. I think their eyes were opened to unauthorized forms of problem solution once on-line instruction became a necessity and tests and assignments similar to ones given in semesters past were suddenly resulting in much higher class averages. Universities DO need to protect the value of their degree . But now that they have an idea of the extent of the problem. they have way more resources to bring to bear than any student or ‘study group.’ They can easily run all sorts of statistics (probabilities, solution sequences etc) and analyses well beyond what a typical undergrad would either expect or understand. It’s true; now’s the time to be scrupulous about every source used.
If you’re using chegg you should use an email that’s not related to UCSD in anyway, and don’t have your name or college listed on your account
For the love of god don’t use chegg, there are so many other ways to learn the material and I’m sure if you reach out to prof/TA they would definitely help you out. It’s simply not worth it. The AIO website says that getting Caught cheating won’t “ruin” your life, and they’re right it. It ruins your academic life and switches into something else, literally closes any door to higher education and government work. So it’s your choice, work a bit harder than normal learn the material the hard way, or risk this. Even if your intent is not cheating you could get fucked over, and you hate to see it
how long does it take for an investigation into academic integrity? a day after the exam or how long?
Guys, a PSA from a grad student who’s been through undergrad elsewhere and just finished a year as a grader/going to TA next year.
Go to your TAs. They will help you on the problem. They won’t give you the answer but they’ll likely help you out enough to get the gist of it. Every grad student in my department wants people to succeed, I promise you. They’re going to give you everything you need to do that.
So I guess to be extra safe, you gotta use a VPN and non UCSD account to be as anonymous as possible? I graduated. I personally never used Chegg but man it’s insane how many people use it in the physics and chem series. College is honestly pay to win.
It’s been a few years since I graduated and I never used Chegg, so forgive me if this is a dumb question. Why does it matter if people use Chegg? If it’s used for homework and not for exams, then why is it such a big deal? I understand your stopping using it because you weren’t learning as much with it, but why are professors giving academic integrity citations when it’s only homework?
not just chegg, professors and tas will trace to online calculators such as symbol lab, wolfram alpha, mathway, etc. please please be careful with consulting these aids!!
No, no. That’s your dream. All that does is demonstrate your cheating wasn’t a “momentary lapse in judgment” but an organized and deliberate attempt to cheat. If you understood how to solve the problem, one assumes you would do it on your own. Remember those faculty with their doctorates—education and experience puts them WAY beyond the undergrad who thinks they have invented a clever cheating plan. People who teach for a living have seen any number of cheating schemes. So, you use the Chegg solution. It matches the EXACT same process used by multiple
classmates and can be traced to Chegg. And you’ve got a couple answers that match up the same way. Even if your solutions aren’t correct, how people approach problems is NOT identical. No one will believe that you, by great coincidence, approached your solutions like Chegg did. Not to mention, small errors (or greater) are common on Chegg during exam windows, and unknowingly copying an ERROR is proof positive. Then there’s the fact that the question answerer is likely someone with an advanced degree who is can use more sophisticated ways of problem solution you haven’t (yet) been taught. Think of solving algebra based physics problems with calculus. Your answer is correct but you haven’t been taught the specific solution you used. The burden of proof will be on YOU that you didn’t cheat, as the professor only needs to believe it’s more likely than not that you did (NOT beyond a shadow of a doubt). So while you can argue that it’s theoretically possible that great minds think alike and your correct answers coincidentally followed the same cognitive process as Chegg, it’s more likely than not that it didn’t happen that way. And that’s the “proof” needed by the university. Morals aside(it IS dishonest and you aren’t learning), it is wildly naive and uninformed to think that hiding your name from being linked to a Chegg or similar account ‘protects’ you. Not to mention when you’re called and asked to discuss those or similar problems on the fly you’ll have no clue. It’s like all the guys in jail who thought they let had the perfect crime— you don’t know what you don’t know, and there’s always more knowledge out there that will trip up someone trying to skirt the rules.
Will questions get traced back even if you deleted the account before?
I personally am glad that Chegg is being considered an Academic Integrity Violation, but I also have issues with the number of people that have been getting (seemingly) false claims against them. Knowing that Chegg was always there in the background, even though you have to pay for it, was an unethical temptation imo before more professors flat out said don’t use it in their syllabuses and tests. Granted, I have the financial means to get an account, but I never did because it felt wrong
You have a great point!
I think it is very controversial and scary that professors are reporting students based on work that is similar to online solutions even if they don’t have evidence that they viewed them. In response, I believe students should also be aware in not only showing all their work but being able to explain and justify it if asked as well.
Also, it’s important to note AIO has had almost a 150% increase in violations from last spring quarter. So please be careful and most importantly aware of your work and resources, as AI violations are much more rampant now than ever!
Not true, very easy for students to out maneuver schools on chegg. How? Buy a chegg account on eBay, has a fake name and everything on the account. Use a vpn, they can’t track your ip then. The only way to get caught is if questions are individualized to each student.
Definitely, if you plan to use Chegg try and make it as anonymous as possible as a precaution. However, if you post and professors want to investigate there are still lots of ways you can be caught. Chegg will release lots of information about the poster to the school that investigates, so be careful of what you choose to post and how you post it.
The thing is, TA and professor (depends on the class ofc), worried that they will give you the answer, so even when you go to them for help, the way they handle it is very vague.
I still remember go to the office hour asking hw question, and the TA keep asking what does this means, etc… I mean bruh if I understand what this means I wouldnt be here
There are a bunch of cases popping up rn, so I’m sure it’ll take a while
an investigation takes around a month, especially considering the amount of cases right now. then you will proceed to a personal hearing with the dean if you want to vouch that you didn’t cheat. however, if the professor still doesn’t want to drop, it takes another 3 months to wait for the hearing in which there will be the presences of the professor, college dean, and a peer educator. the process is strenuous, but keep your heads up high. it is not the end of the world.
Use an account that you buy of ebay since it has a fake name and email, and use a vpn to change your IP.
If you actually look at the sanctions for Academic Integrity Violations they actually prohibit any type of cheating on homework, which includes posting or viewing solutions or answers. It isn’t as big a deal as exam cheating, but it can still turn into a violation. This is why I want people to be aware about Chegg and that it can be traced back to them if they post, because to a lot of students posting about homework seems minor and inconsequential when in reality it can be the exact opposite.