While an optimist might say that people go to college to learn, that does not encompass all of the reasons one decides to spend an average of $38,270 per year on a university education.
People go to college for all sorts of reasons. For example, many say that their top reason for going to university is to land a better job.
Consequently, if actually learning isn’t important to a student, and they simply want a degree, it’s understandable that a student may decide to cheat. That’s why it’s not particularly surprising that between 50 and 70 percent of college students admit to cheating during their academic career.
One cheating method is currently going viral on TikTok. But does it actually work?
In a video with over 725 thousand views, TikTok user Tony (@scarfacetrades_) explains how he “cheated on every single test possible” when he was in college.
“If there was a lockdown browser, I was using the HDMI method. So were all my friends,” he states. “We all cheated. We never studied. And it was so, so simple.”
While some may say this goes against the spirit of college, Tony counters that college is “all about critical thinking” — and by using this cheating method, he demonstrated critical thinking skills.
“Why would I waste time studying for a test when the HDMI method was so clear?” he asks. “All I needed was one monitor, one HDMI cable, and one friend.”
“I never studied for a single test, and I had honor roll the whole time, and I could do things that I actually wanted,” he concludes.
To determine whether the HDMI method works, we first have to explain the method itself.
In short, many university tests now employ browsers that make cheating more difficult. “LockDown Browser,” which Tony references, prevents cheating by full-screening the browser and preventing potential cheating apps, such as messaging, screen-sharing, virtual machines, and remote desktops.
The HDMI method posits that one can circumvent this by mirroring their screen with an HDMI cable, then having someone with access to the other screen assist you by actually looking up the answers.
That said, most companies offering anti-cheat browsers have figured out ways to circumvent this. They may automatically disable second monitors or require one to do a 360-degree scan of their testing environment to ensure no one else, and no cheating devices, are present.
While cheating may sound appealing in the short term, Tony himself admits that he worries revealing this information could have negative consequences.
This is a valid fear. Academic misconduct is one of the most common reasons that one can have their degree revoked.
In most cases, there isn’t a statute of limitations on this behavior. If one graduates, and then the university finds out they committed academic misconduct several years later, the university can decide to revoke their degree.
Cases like this have happened before. In 2013, the University of Colorado revoked a student’s master’s degree after he was accused of plagiarism.
In the comments section, users said that, while this method may have allegedly helped Tony pass his classes, it is either presently ineffective or won’t help his life long-term.
“We notice yall in the professional world,” stated a user about cheating students.
“I graduated college too and i used the study hard method,” offered another.
“Some of yall don’t understand the actual purpose of college,” shared a third.
“College was expensive. There is no way in h — I was going to cheat through it. That would be such a waste of money,” declared a further TikToker.
BroBible reached out to Tony via Instagram and TikTok direct message.
