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Does Copying Answers from the Internet Land Students in Trouble?


— December 3, 2019

Plagiarism or copying answers is writing another person’s words, answers, or other academic research paper ideas without acknowledging the source.


Copying answers is one of the disdainful attitudes where the students are ready to do anything to get their job done to take the lead in the academic race. In academia, securing the top rank is the driving factor for students to get involved in this heinous act. Though some parents consider copying answers is just a ‘peccadillo,’ the casual attitude of the students about academic integrity raises many questions about their nature.

Plagiarism or copying answers is writing another person’s words, answers, or other academic research paper ideas without acknowledging the source. Committing this, the students may land in trouble and face far-reaching consequences that can knock down their career goals. 

Getting trapped into the Temptation

An educational degree from a reputed university no longer comes with a guarantee of a rewarding career. This is because the vast numbers of applicants have the same required qualification to claim those jobs. As a result, only obtaining the highest marks can somehow ensure a high-paying job.

As directed by the natural human instinct, students want to reach their aim in the quickest way possible. There comes the temptation of plagiarism. Moreover, the over-availability of cheap and high-speed Internet prompts them to copy the data from the pool of websites. Often poor work-life balance is another prominent reason for which the students steal an essay or copy an answer from the Internet.

Academic Consequences

The professors and the college authorities do not tolerate the lazy habit of copying from the Internet as they want their students to learn and qualify honestly. Academic sanctions imposed upon students come in the form of poor grades and dismissal from their respective academic majors.

The instructors refuse to reference you for an abroad study program, scholarship applications, internship assistantship. Once a student is stamped as a plagiarist, his relationship with the instructors also goes through a rollercoaster ride. Instead of mentors, it turns the professors into detectives, breeding suspicion, and hatred. This pollutes the whole teaching/learning environment.

The students add their names to take my online class programs to gain knowledge about that subject or master some answer cracking techniques. But, if they depend upon copying answers from external resources, the real reason for their study seems valueless.

The plagiarism weapons make them weak by depriving them of the practical as well as theoretical knowledge which they can achieve by doing their academic tasks on their own.

Ravage University Reputation

Plagiarism not only creates a perilous threat to the student’s career but also puts the university’s reputation into great jeopardy. The plagiarism hits further when it stigmatizes the university’s brand value. Consequently, it damages the reputation in the global market, which affects the admission process of international students.

Woman using laptop sitting beside woman holding smartphone; image by Mometrix Test Prep, via Unsplash.com.
Woman using laptop sitting beside woman holding smartphone; image by Mometrix Test Prep, via Unsplash.com.

Plagiarism charges uproot the public trust in an educational institute where the students are allowed to qualify in the class and obtain their degrees without preparing their homework.

Legal Repercussions

One should not use another person’s material without references and citations. If the author finds the copied content, he has the right to file a complaint against the plagiarist. Those who write about the biography or the career paths of the authors and the journalists are susceptible to engaging in plagiarism issues.

When students violate copyright laws by submitting a paper with copied information, they are accused of copyright infringement. The legal consequences sometimes fall heavy on the students who are caught.

However, in the worst case, the act of plagiarism can turn into a criminal offence. Those students who belong to the journalism, publishing, and media industries, have more chances to confront the legal enforcement of this academic crime.

Hence, students should strictly avoid plagiarizing the work of other creative person’s in their respective fields. Otherwise, they may land in court facing serious allegations.

Trouble Getting Recruited for Jobs

Copying answers from the Internet is a severe crime that lands you some serious penalties like suspension or expulsion from the institutes. Not only in an academic context, but the plagiarists also have to deal with the repercussions in their professional life.

Employers never want to recruit an employee who holds a past record of cheating and dishonesty. The job aspirants must have a clean, disciplinary and academic record to enlist in military service or to apply to jobs with the federal government or law enforcement.

Furthermore, potential employers also contact the college authorities and instructors for cross verifications. In this competitive era, they often consider the reference letter from the instructors to shortlist the applications. If a student is marked as a plagiarist, there is no question of the instructors referencing your name attesting to your character and scholarship.

Stigmatize Professional Reputation

Plagiarism charges in the college question the students’ integrity, ethics, and honesty. The management may nullify the employment of the candidates if this charge questions the suitability for a profession.

Even the plagiarism charge can damage their entire careers. The management may fire you or ask you to step down from your position. As a consequence, you cannot find another respectable job. The offence ruins one’s name and reputation. Hence, it makes it difficult for job aspirants to make a steady career.

Disciplinary Sanctions

The university management places an academic misconduct notation on the plagiarist’s academic transcript. They cannot transfer to the medical, law, or any graduate school smoothly for these several faulty tags. The college authority is not responsible for refunding any exam fees and tuition fees when a student is expelled for committing an academic crime. 

Furthermore, expulsion from a foreign college results in deportation and embarrassment to the offender and his family.

Same Penalty for Accidental and Deliberate Plagiarism

The penalties that are thrown upon intentional plagiarists are justified. The problem arises when the punishments seem similar for both deliberate and unintentional plagiarism. Employers do not want to focus on the story and judge the circumstances while recruiting the candidates.

They simply avoid employing the candidates who have past plagiarism records. Eventually, the deliberate plagiarists and the accidental plagiarists see the same adverse effect.

Speaking to a Lawyer

If any student is accused of copying answers or cheating, he can speak to a lawyer. An unfair charge of plagiarism may restrict one’s admission to his dream college. In that case, an attorney in education law will guide the student with legal remedies to revamp his rights in disciplinary proceedings. 

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