Should I continue letting my friend copy my math homework?

[Anonymous]

I already suspect the only reason she hangs out with me and my other 2 friends is because I've been letting her copy my math homework since this school year began. I get A's in math meanwhile she struggles with low B's and C's. Math isn't for everyone. Understandable.

Though it's getting kind of tiring always having to hand her my homework. I took my time and energy on those exercises (not my fault I had natural skills for numbers) and she just copies from me every single time we got algebra II.

Or for the sake of keeping her friendship, should I continue letting her copy? I don't have too many friends anyways.

Updates

5 mo

I already have a hunch she won't hang out with me anymore if I don't let her copy my homework.

[Oliverlogan263]

Hmm that's a tough call. On one hand, you're right that it's annoying having her copy your work all the time without putting in any effort herself. Like, math ain't my fave subject either but you still gotta try yanno?

But at the same time, losing a friend never feels good. And she does still hang out with your group other times too right? So maybe she likes y'all for more than just the homework connect.

I say try having an honest chat with her. Tell her you'll still be her pal no matter what, but that you can't keep just letting her copy - it's not fair to you and she ain't really learning that way. See if she'd be open to studying together sometimes instead, so you can help explain things but she has to do her own work.

If she refuses to put in any work and just expects you to give her the answers still, then maybe it's not really a friendship of mutual respect. But give her a chance to prove she values you beyond homework first before you drop her ya know? At least you tried to make it work.

[Asker]

I'll try to talk to her about and see if she can at least agree to me helping her with math. I have no problems with that. But she hates math and finds the class exhausting. She'll likely just want to copy the homework and will then stop hanging out with me. If so then yeah it means she's a fake friend.

[Oliverlogan263]

Yeah that's a bummer situation. But honestly if she stops hanging just cause you won't let her copy homework anymore then she wasn't much of a real friend to begin with.

Maybe give her a chance to study with you like I said first before you totally cut her off. Be like "look, I can help explain stuff but you gotta try the homework on your own, that's the only way you'll actually learn." If she still refuses then you'll know where you stand.

Really though, her hating math is no excuse. We all gotta take classes we don't like sometimes, that's just how school works. Dropping a friend over homework is pretty lame on her part.

I'd say give it one more shot of being cool about helping out, but stick to your guns if she won't stop copying everything. You ain't her homework slave! She needs to put in the effort too if she wants to pass. You’ve got better things to do with your time, like building sweet robots with me and the guys after school lol! Let me know what happens.

[ChicoFromThe305]

That's up to you, you can one day sacrifice a homework assignment to see what she does, tell her you didn't do it and put an excuse on why and see if she treats you any different

[Asker]

I get the feeling that if I do that, she won't hang out with me anymore nor even speak to me. The first thing she ever tells me when school starts is always an ''do you have the homework''?
So yeah I dont' think she's a real friend. But I guess I could try that. If I'm right and she does that... it'll suck to lose a friend.

[ChicoFromThe305]

It will but no friends is better than fake friends, I know now you are trying to have as much friends possible but I can assure you fake friends aren't worth keeping around.

[PBandJ_Nerd]

If you keep letting her copy, then she really isn't learning how to do the algebra (which is bad). If she fails a test, then the teacher is going to wonder why when she has As on her homework. Not just that, but you could also get in trouble just for letting her copy your work, especially once your teacher finds out.

[Asker]

I get the hunch, the feeling that she's using me for that... that she doesn't care too much about me. Every single time we see each other at school, the first thing she asks is ''do you have the homework'' and then says ''I need it''.

[Asker]

I get the feeling that as soon as I stop giving her my homework, she won't hang out with me anymore nor speak to me. I'll lose her friendship.

[PBandJ_Nerd]

If your feeling ends up being correct, then she really isn't a friend.

[Cutegirl06]

If she only hangs out with you because you let her copy your homework, she doesn't sound like a good friend anyway. You say you don't have many friends? Someone like this "friend " is not a real friend. She's just using you.

[Asker]

I'll have a talk with her and see if I can get her to at least learn. I have no problem with helping her with math. If she leaves as I think it's going to happen... then yes she was a fake friend.

[slatyb]

How does she imagine this is going to work for her? Is she going to take further math classes?

[Asker]

Algebra II is our last math. In the next school year (our Senior year) math isn't required anymore so nope she won't take further math classes.

[slatyb]

"She won't hang out with me if I don't let her copy my homework" -- she's not much of a friend. Suit yourself. No matter what you do or don't do, she's not going to learn algebra. What are her plans after high school?