EO

The Cost of a Shortcut

A short story and a guide for students and parents — why cheating steals futures and how to choose a better path.

Practice: English & Math Practice: Physics & Chem

This is a fictional story inspired by real patterns we see across Nigerian exam seasons. Names and places are changed — but the choices, pressures, and consequences are painfully familiar.

Read time: ~7 minutes · Tags: exams, integrity, students, parents

“A shortcut won’t change your future — it will only change how prepared you are to live it.”

1. The Setup — Promise and Pressure

By Edwin Ogie

Chinedu sat on the edge of his bed and stared at the surfaced light of his phone. Past questions, shared as blurry photos in the group chat, flashed on the screen. His mother had called earlier to remind him that the whole family had invested in this exam season — bus fares, a borrowed laptop, tutors who worked late. "We can't waste this," she said. "This is your chance."

He was good — smart enough that a teacher once called him "the quiet calculator" — but he had missed classes while juggling a part-time job. In the past months his practice scores were patchy. When a schoolmate mentioned a "special centre" where results were "arranged" for a fee, it sounded less like a crime and more like insurance.

So, the evening before the SSCE external exam, with his heart thudding, he folded a tiny scrap of paper and slipped it into his pocket. The promise of a pass felt like oxygen — necessary. The cost felt small: a few thousand naira and a favour done to a well-placed invigilator.

2. The Decision — A Quiet Compromise

On the exam morning the centre hummed with nerves. Chinedu sat, hands clammy, reached for the scrap and told himself it was only for reassurance. Someone else in the row tapped their phone. The invigilator, an older teacher he recognised, walked past with a nod that took payment without a receipt. The test began.

He used the note. Twice. He answered quickly. He left the hall feeling like a winner and like someone who had betrayed himself at the same time. That evening the family toasted with small cups of palm wine. "We told you so," his uncle said, clapping him on the back, while Chinedu smiled and tasted the sourness under the sweetness.

3. The Consequences — When Shortcuts Snap Back

A week later a public announcement named the centre, the invigilator, and a list of affected candidates. Drills at the exam board had flagged irregular answer patterns; camera footage showed unauthorised items in pockets. Chinedu’s result was cancelled. He learned of the cancellation the way everyone learns bad news nowadays — a forwarded message, and then a call from his school principal.

He felt humiliation first, then anger that landed equally on himself and on the adults who'd asked him to take a "supportive risk." The family who had celebrated now talked of the lost money and the lost time. His tutor said little; the proud silence of disappointment wrapped their house. Worst of all: the internal knowledge that he had not earned the certificate he thought he had bought.

In the months that followed, scholarship opportunities evaporated, a university offer was postponed, and invitations to join a technical apprenticeship were withdrawn. The cost was not only the exam — it was trust, options, and the quiet erosion of confidence.

4. Redemption — The Harder Path

After a long, raw conversation with his mother, Chinedu decided to retake the exam the honest way. He apologised to his teacher, told the truth to a mentor at a local youth centre, and started a disciplined plan: short daily study blocks, deliberate practice on past papers, and small jobs that didn't eat into study time.

It wasn't dramatic. There were no sudden grants or a movie montage. There was steady, stubborn work. A year later, he sat the exam again. This time his results were real. He didn't top his class, but what he gained was far greater: a durable confidence that came from knowing he had earned what he had.

Later, when asked why he told his story, he said: "I want others to know that the quick fix only fixes nothing. It steals your chance to grow." He volunteered at the youth centre to tutor other students and spoke in small parent meetings about what pressure had pushed him toward.

5. Lessons & Practical Advice

For students — a short survival & success kit

• Start early: Break topics into short daily blocks and use past papers once a week under timed conditions.
• Use small wins: Track progress — seeing steady improvement beats a panic-solution.
• Ask for help: Seek tutors, teachers or peer study groups — vulnerability beats secrecy.
• Reject "guarantees": Anyone promising a sure-pass or "arranged" result is selling risk and shame.

For parents & guardians — how to support without pushing toward harm

• Value learning over marks: Ask what your child understands, not just what score they got.
• Provide practical support: Cover quiet study time, transport, and honest tutors rather than short-term bribes.
• Model integrity: Say no to leaked papers and impersonation services — the short gain is not worth the long cost.

For teachers & schools — protect and strengthen the centre

• Insist on transparency: Publish invigilation rosters; rotate staff; report suspicious offers.
• Run frequent mocks: Familiarity reduces panic-based cheating and reveals gaps early.
• Support students: Make low-cost extra tutorials available to struggling candidates.

6. Resources & Where to Practice

Use honest practice to build skill and confidence. Start here:

• English & Mathematics Practice — Edwin Ogie Library
• Physics & Chemistry Practice — Edwin Ogie Library
• Practice past papers under timed conditions — this is the single most effective habit.

7. Key Takeaway & Reflection

Key takeaway: Cheating may look like a shortcut, but it steals preparedness, trust and future opportunity. The harder path — disciplined study and honest support — pays back with durable confidence and real opportunity.

Questions to discuss (use in a study group or PTA meeting):

1. What pressures in our homes or schools push students toward quick fixes?
2. What practical, affordable supports can local schools provide to reduce that pressure?
3. How can parents model integrity and still help their children succeed?

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