What’s more important, the ends or the means? Philosophers have grappled with this problem for centuries but, perhaps, nobody experiences this issue in daily life more than the average high schooler.

Seemingly unreasonable deadlines are all too common at PHS and students, overwhelmed by the combination of academic commitments, extracurricular activities, and family obligations, turn to shortcuts to complete their work. While working on homework with friends or using John Green videos can help with difficult assignments, this is still too much to do for some students. As a result, people turn to cheating—copying down math answers from online, asking previous classes for test questions, and more. Yet what unifies all of these actions is the motivation behind them: an effort to get the end result instead of focusing on the means of arriving there.

Before jumping into solutions, let’s first diagnose the problem. To be clear, students aren’t trying to take shortcuts because they’re unethical and emotionless creatures who will do anything to get ahead in life (at least, most aren’t). Rather, their time is being allocated elsewhere. Spending their effort on extracurriculars and after-school jobs, students often lose sleep trying to cram for a test the next day. Students are largely focusing on results because of an incentive to do so; exams and projects make up a large portion of nearly every class’ grades, so failing those leads to an unimpressive transcript, which can harm someone’s chances of achieving their future aspirations. Cheating seems like an easy way out with minimal work and effort. For students who have less time to spend on academics, after-school obligations can cost them important grades on longterm assignments. When a student has to work hours a day to help supplement their family’s income, copying that biology lab from a friend doesn’t seem like such a big deal any more. Instead of emphasizing the process, many classes are designed with a score in mind (AP classes, anyone?). In chasing good grades, high schoolers often sacrifice the lessons learned through the process.

Addressing this pervasive issue isn’t easy, but it’s certainly achievable. In addition to de-emphasizing tests and major projects, teachers can instead focus on participation or effort, which can be equally, if not more, representative of a student’s ability. A letter or number can identify who needs help with taking tests or writing essays, but a more wellrounded evaluation, especially one focused on a student’s thought and work processes, can better help students and teachers identify specific areas of help. Many classes are already moving toward this model, and entire districts are beginning to adopt a holistic mindset. College and university admissions offices, in turn, can decrease emphasis on grades and achievements. While they emphasize extracurricular involvement and personal statements, some prestigious institutions still fixate on yearly grades. Both high schools and colleges nationwide are slowly but surely adopting a more comprehensive understanding of education and student life. Finally, students are not without blame either. For one, we all need to recognize that university is not the end-all be-all of life. Many find successful careers in fields that don’t require an undergraduate degree. Yet even more importantly, results don’t define us as people. A trophy or a 95 isn’t representative of the work we do in a club or in a class, and it doesn’t define our self-worth. The process and the struggle toward these goals, however, is a testament to our resilience and strength. Then, when we’ve finally ended the year with a better grade or well-received essays, we’ll know that we’ve earned it.

Not taking shortcuts sounds easier said than done, and for now, the culture of cheating in the name of “efficiency” will remain at PHS. Through little steps, and compromises from teachers, administration, colleges, students, and others, we’ll slowly reach the end of prioritizing means. One day, we’ll better realize, as the Odyssey taught to those of us who read it (instead of Sparknoting it), that