I wasn't truthful and now I regret it, please help!

Hi there, Here is my situation and I would appreciate any pragmatic advice or useful perspectives. The last two years I have been at a higher education institution in the states, pursuing a NCAA basketball career. Things didn't work out and the bottom line is that I ended up getting kicked out for plagiarism this May. Obviously not a great place to be but luckily being a Brit and having good A levels (A*,A,B), I decided to apply late through UCAS. The only thing is that in the heat of the moment I decided to lie on personal statement and excluded the fact that I had already been in university abroad for the last two years saying instead that I had been working. This is an undeniable dishonest comment which I knowingly wrote. I ended receiving an unconditional offer for my first choice university which I was obviously extremely lucky given the circumstances. But now I really wish I had given the full truth from the beginning. Firstly because, the idea of starting from scratch after working so hard for 2 years, despite making some silly mistakes during that time, makes me feel ill and secondly because I don't want to feel like I'm living a lie when I go out there. Do you think there is any chance that my university will forgive my lack of honesty if I come clean now? I know that they have the right to kick me off the course if they find out something wasn't true on my application. Should I take that risk? Is it even worth it, since I'm not sure if they will even accept what I had during my time in the states to allow me to go straight into the 2nd year. My ideal outcome would be to start in the second year of my course. Looking at the course modules and comparing them to the modules I have completed already, I know that I have a solid enough foundation to do so. But is this too much to ask given how I screwed up and should I just be happy to be going to a top uni and keep my mouth shut? The thing is that I don't want to think of the last two years as a waste and sweep it under the rug as it never happened. If I ended up getting kicked off the course, do you think any other university will look at me during clearing? Really would appreciate any comments, thank you

Hi there, Here is my situation and I would appreciate any pragmatic advice or useful perspectives. The last two years I have been at a higher education institution in the states, pursuing a NCAA basketball career. Things didn't work out and the bottom line is that I ended up getting kicked out for plagiarism this May. Obviously not a great place to be but luckily being a Brit and having good A levels (A*,A,B), I decided to apply late through UCAS. The only thing is that in the heat of the moment I decided to lie on personal statement and excluded the fact that I had already been in university abroad for the last two years saying instead that I had been working. This is an undeniable dishonest comment which I knowingly wrote. I ended receiving an unconditional offer for my first choice university which I was obviously extremely lucky given the circumstances. But now I really wish I had given the full truth from the beginning. Firstly because, the idea of starting from scratch after working so hard for 2 years, despite making some silly mistakes during that time, makes me feel ill and secondly because I don't want to feel like I'm living a lie when I go out there. Do you think there is any chance that my university will forgive my lack of honesty if I come clean now? I know that they have the right to kick me off the course if they find out something wasn't true on my application. Should I take that risk? Is it even worth it, since I'm not sure if they will even accept what I had during my time in the states to allow me to go straight into the 2nd year. My ideal outcome would be to start in the second year of my course. Looking at the course modules and comparing them to the modules I have completed already, I know that I have a solid enough foundation to do so. But is this too much to ask given how I screwed up and should I just be happy to be going to a top uni and keep my mouth shut? The thing is that I don't want to think of the last two years as a waste and sweep it under the rug as it never happened. If I ended up getting kicked off the course, do you think any other university will look at me during clearing? Really would appreciate any comments, thank you

Much better to tell them now than to waste their time and yours by sorting application, enrolling and starting the course. I think they'll take it much more kindly, even if they still reject your application, if you tell them now as opposed to living a lie and waiting for them to find out (as, chances are, they will find out).

Can't say for sure if anyone will accept you through Clearing, but what option do you have? Just go in there and be completely honest. Why did you lie?

To be honest, I lied because my mother thought I should. Obviously some more moral advice would have been useful at that point. I appreciate your sentiment but I really don't see how they will find out about it unless I tell them directly. I mean that's the advantage of the incident happening thousands of miles away. But yeah its the fact that I don't want to live a lie. I feel as if I'm better than that.

If the uni finds out and you get kicked off the course then the uni will inform all others and chances are you won't get another shot. My advice would be start at this top uni. Seeing as you've already done 2 years, you should be able to get high marks in the exams and therefore end up with a very good degree by the end of it. We all make mistakes.

** that's not to say that the uni WILL kick you out if it found out, it may appreciate your honesty and still let you on the course.

I really agree with you on a logical standpoint. That path definitely has the least risk involved. But it just doesn't feel right. The thing is I don't want to mess up my future by allowing my conscience to get in the way.

Thank you for all the comments. Perhaps I could reach a middle ground, where I plead with my former university to not disclose the fact that I was dismissed for plagiarism. In that case I could just tell my current university that I left for personal reasons or something and sorry but I wasn't sure if I should mention it or not. Do you think at that point they would call up my former uni to ask for details. At which point the whole truth will come out and it would have just been better to tell them in the first place .

Do what you gotta do to get where you want to be man. Morals and honesty don't pay the bills and get you ahead, getting results whatever the cost do.
Keep hustling cuz, we're all going to make it.

Just be quiet and dont tell anyone. It wont help anyone, especially you. What do you have to gain from this?

It's not hurting anyone and that's the important thing to remember. Live your life and dont stress yourself out.

White Lies are best kept as secrets.