When’s the last time you went “rogue and original” with your writing skills?
The overwhelming time pressure and work-load may have made you lose your mojo. Right? However, that doesn’t mean you go stray and plagiarize your way through assignments.
Since childhood, we’ve been taught that stealing is moral wrongdoing. Plagiarism is no different. It is as illicit as stealing something concrete. It not only brings up a moral tight spot but also signifies the character of the writer. That’s right – WE’RE JUDGING!
It’s a massive deal to get caught plagiarizing. Most students see copy-pasting as a methodical shortcut for writing extensive papers, but it’s more like a shortcut to:
- Getting kicked out of a class
- Failing the assignment
- Receiving a formal reprimand
- Getting expelled from college
- Ending your academic reputation
So if plagiarism is wrong and can lead to terrible consequences, why do you give yourself the benefit of the doubt?
For one, you’re lazy. Other than that, plagiarism shows a lack of confidence, and it validates the fact that you are not empowered with the knowledge to thrive in that particular subject.
Since plagiarism is undoubtedly wrong – pin it to your brain. Here are six good reasons students must lock the urge to “steal ideas” in a box and never open it again.
- It’s Stealing from Another
First off, and we can’t stress this enough, plagiarism is like robbing someone of their greatness. You don’t want to be the bad guy, do you?
It is immoral to plagiarize because someone else has driven hard and should receive credit. Just think about it: you searched highs and lows to write the perfect essay, and later on, you find the exact same words written on someone else’s paper. How would you feel? Robbed of your thunder, of course!
- It Will Hurt You
Your most essential investment is what you do to improve yourself. If you plagiarize, you will be cheating yourself.
It doesn’t take much to spot the difference between right and wrong. Therefore, your professor will instantly detect.
When you plagiarize your work, you don’t just take the artificial path to creation; you prevent yourself from establishing your own opinions and ideas on a topic. You simply cannot expect to plagiarize and cheat forever because you will get caught, and the penalties will hurt.
Furthermore, if you feel like your lack of research skills is getting in the way of being unique, opting for an English degree online will be an excellent path to recovery. You can increase your understanding of historical knowledge, textual analysis, and cultural context and transfer these skills to any environment. Also, you can create A-Grade college essays!
- You Lose Your Writing Abilities
Writing assignments teach two things: first, the course’s purpose, and second, improving your writing skills. If stealing content becomes a habit, you lose your ability to be unique. Consider your writing skills; you really need them. Jobs that don’t require you to produce a decent amount of written content are few. So stop plagiarizing!
- Professors Are Spiteful
“This term paper’s pretty rough. Eh, let me just copy-paste the whole thing from the internet. If not good grades, at least I’ll pass.”
Errr, NO! You’re headed in the wrong direction, buddy!
Remember: Professors have gut-feelings too!
If a professor catches a solid clue that a student has cheated – even without physical evidence – the professor’s opinion about the student will go down the drain. Keep in mind that professors see plagiarism as a personal insult since it shows a barefaced disrespect for the class and the mentor. So when it comes down to giving that student a grade for other assignments, unexpected things happen!
- Anxiety Becomes Your Shadow
You think waiting for test scores is harrowing? Wait till your professor shows up at your desk and humiliates you in front of the class for plagiarizing!
The thing about Gen Z is that we love to take risks. We know it’s going to be bad, but we do it anyway, just for the hell of it. However, that’s not the kind of attitude anyone should have when it comes to college assignments.
If you have the slightest conscience, you will feel bad about what you did. You’ll be sitting in class waiting for your professor to give feedback or lose sleep because you worry that you will get caught. Face it; it’s not worth it!
- Alternatives Exist
It’s safe to say that most people cheat because they are distressed. They’re falling behind on deadlines, so they find another option.
You can avoid this through efficient time management or by asking the professor for a short leeway. Or, if you’re really in a pickle, many professors will agree to take an assignment late for a specific number of days with a tardiness penalty. Trust us; the lateness penalty is much better than cheating. If anything, a sincere “Apologies, I just didn’t have enough time to finish the paper” will be much appreciated than a plagiarized paper.
Lesson Learned
Plagiarism leads to nowhere.
As a thriving student who’s under the deep ends of college debt, you shouldn’t insult those who believe in you by copying content. There is a thin line between intellectual thievery and educational innovation. It’s easy to move past plagiarism. Make it a habit to begin your research early, incorporate information using paraphrases and quotations, and give credit where it is necessary.
And when you’re done with everything, you can always check plagiarism through various tools. Lastly, don’t let complex subjects get the best of you!
