Not Doing Your Own Work
Have you ever been given an assignment that did not spark your interest? Perhaps you just did not have time to complete it between your social life, work, and school. Have you ever decided to copy a paper from another student, or online and turning it in as your own? That would be performing plagiarism. Plagiarism is something that is not respected, condoned, or accepted in the education process. Nor is it tolerated in any type of assignment. Plagiarism, as defined in Random House Compact Unabridged Dictionary is “the use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one's own original work.” Even though the practice of plagiarism is unethical, a study by The Center of Academic Integrity found that almost 80% of college students admit to cheating at least once. In doing this, a student lacks sense of creativity, responsibility, and knowledge.
Students that plagiarize other people’s work are hurting themselves. When doing this, students are losing their creativity. Once a student loses their ability to be creative it becomes harder for them to gain the skills needed to be successful in the workplace. Unfortunately, most students begin to plagiarize while in high school due to many other commitments such as after school jobs, sports, and friends. Plagiarism no longer seems to be top priority in high schools. Teachers have begun to let students slide due to the high school’s demanding curriculum. Overlooking of plagiarism allows students to begin forming bad habits that will carry into the work environment. This behavior invites future employers to question your integrity and performance.
In addition, students are losing their sense of responsibility when they plagiarize other’s work. Teachers not punishing this behavior allow students to believe they do not have to put forth an effort in their classes. This begins to form the sense that everything in life will be...