Dear Zsyrii,

I have been struggling to figure out how to avoid cheating on assignments when my friends ask for help . It’s so tempting to just send my friends a picture of the answers when they ask, but I know it’s wrong. How can I say no to a friend asking for a favor without sounding like a jerk?

-Stuck Student

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Dear Stuck Student,

I will be the first to admit that cheating is really tempting in school, when you have a ton of other things on your plate. I think that you should try to suggest other ways that your friend could get their work done. Try understanding the real reason that they want to copy your work whether it’s time management related, or if they are just plain lazy.

Taking time to help your friend find more efficient ways to complete their work. I advise you not to do something that makes you feel uncomfortable or makes you go against your morals. Communication is the key, with that being said simply communicate to your friend that you don’t feel 100% comfortable with sharing answers and maybe suggest helping them further understand the lesson, or find out when National Honor Society does tutoring and ask for help there. The main way to say no without “sounding like a jerk” is instead suggest an alternative plan.

-Zsyrii