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Are cheaters better off for having cheated? Why or why not?
It depends on what you mean by “better off.” Many students who struggle mightily in their math and science courses in college are in that position because they passed without actually learning the math and science they should have in high school and earlier college courses.
In most cases, accountability and counter measures against cheating are significantly increased in college, so the odds are greater if one habitually cheats, one will get caught. It is very difficult to cheat ones way through an entire engineering or science major. Many students realize the likelihood of getting caught cheating, yet they are too far behind in their studies to catch up honestly.
More than half of students admitted to college with the expressed intent of majoring in science or engineering drop out or change their majors.
Cheating on MCAT, LSAT, GRE, and other exams for grad school, med school, law school, professional certifications is also very hard. Cheating in that calc, physics, or chemistry class is going to bite students when they are unable to realize their future dreams.
Success in later courses requires actually learning and retaining material from earlier courses, especially in math, science, and engineering. Cheating sets oneself up for failure downstream. Students are seldom better off for having cheated.
“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" - The Messiah
