[shinjuu]

I attend a prestigious high school and I altered my responses on a science exam after it was marked, and resubmitted it for the teacher to remark it and add extra marks which I did not deserve.

I stupidly changed the multiple choice answers to give me a perfect multiple choice score, which led to initial suspicion. Since I wrote the exam in pencil, it was easy for me to alter it, but there was a clear trace of where the previous cross was on the altered multiple choice.

The teacher pointed this out and now they suspect the entire exam had been altered, which isn't far from the truth as I managed to wrangle 7 extra marks from cheating. I was taken to the principals office, where I was questioned on the exam. Even though obvious evidence suggested my guilt, I continued to retaliate and argued that I did not cheat. I broke though, and admitted to altering one question, but only one of the many.

I think this may have caused the principal to be even more convinced of my crimes as I have claimed innocence before begrudgingly admitting I had cheated, hinting that I am lying and there are more questions that I have altered and that I have just not admitted (which is true).

My science teacher is going to question me next, and I am scared that they might contact my parents. This is the worst case scenario for me, because if my parents find out I may as well slit my wrists as I do not know what sort of physical or verbal abuse I may receive (I'm Asian, just think about that).

Please help, I will be questioned again in the next week and I don't know whether to tell the truth and bear the severe consequences, as it is not as simple as forgiving and light punishment, but rather suspension, notice to parents and 0 on the exam score, or to cover up the lie and have the best possible outcome.

I don't know what to do but I'm too young to want to die.

[joypulv]

Continuing to lie will have two possible outcomes: they don't believe you but decide they have to let it go, or punish you anyway. I can't imagine that anyone believes you.
Telling the truth could mean suspension, according to you. Are you sure about that? Because that's what I would do. I would rather face those consequences. I wouldn't want to continue knowing that I will be suspected every move I make from now on.

Yes, some schools all over the world have zero tolerance for cheating. I was one of the top two students in my class, and I was caught cheating with a French play that was translated into English by my older sister. Maybe not as serious as telling one lie after another, because I only had one weak excuse that I lost my book so used hers. I also cheated in another class by handing in a paper that was missing the last few pages, which I had actually not written, but I said the teacher must have lost them. I don't think he believed me, but I got away with it.

People can see right through all these lies, so ethics aside for the moment, what's the point of continuing to lie? Say you are sorry over and over, and have learned your lesson and will never do it again, and have no excuses, but that you did it because of parental pressure to succeed (which sounds true, although you don't really know what your parents will do). Hope for the best and accept the consequences. If they kick you out, you go to another school. This is called taking responsibility for your actions. Life will be full of turns this way and that, based on what you do. This won't be the last one. We all make mistakes and poor judgments, and do our best to make amends.

I'm sympathetic because I had some parental pressure to succeed, and tons of self-inflicted pressure. I wanted to make my parents happy, not realizing that they were miserable with each other, and nothing I did would make them happy.

Good luck.