I think a 'course mate' has copied my entire essay.
For the end of this term, my class was set 2 essay's which are due in this friday. The essays go towards the final grade of our 1st year.
Since ive been slacking off a little, i decided now was a good time to step up and try my best to see what i was capable of, so i finished my first essay a week earlier than most of my class.
i worked for hours and really hard on the essay, and when a course mate asked me for help on the there own essay, i offered to help. i went through my notes with them, and showed them my essay. thinking they'd get a round about idea of what i thought should/shouldnt be in there.
The only issue is, i think they copied the majority of my notes down, and only changed a few words. So our essays are now pretty much similar. Ive asked them if i could check their essay to make sure theres isn't similar enough for us to get done for copying, but im worried if it is. What do i do?
Im friends with the person, so i obviously dont want to get them in trouble, but im a little annoyed i put a lot of work in, and all they did was copy me. (even using same references) im not sure how to go about fixing the issue if they have literally copied my essay word for word.
The worst thing is, they want to do the next essay 'together'.
Since ive been slacking off a little, i decided now was a good time to step up and try my best to see what i was capable of, so i finished my first essay a week earlier than most of my class.
i worked for hours and really hard on the essay, and when a course mate asked me for help on the there own essay, i offered to help. i went through my notes with them, and showed them my essay. thinking they'd get a round about idea of what i thought should/shouldnt be in there.
The only issue is, i think they copied the majority of my notes down, and only changed a few words. So our essays are now pretty much similar. Ive asked them if i could check their essay to make sure theres isn't similar enough for us to get done for copying, but im worried if it is. What do i do?
Im friends with the person, so i obviously dont want to get them in trouble, but im a little annoyed i put a lot of work in, and all they did was copy me. (even using same references) im not sure how to go about fixing the issue if they have literally copied my essay word for word.
The worst thing is, they want to do the next essay 'together'.
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Tip: Never show your work to a course mate! Even though they're your friends even by reading your introduction they can sub-consciously (or even purposely) write what you have written/your ideas instead of their own ideas and thoughts.
In my opinion, you shouldn't do your essay 'together' - sure knock a few ideas around with them (preferably not written down) but you shouldn't really be doing group work unless it's specified to do so. I'm sure if you explained this to your course mate he/she would understand.
The lecturer is going to know that there are only a select number of references you could use for the question and that there may be similar ideas on what to say, but if the essay is literally word for word with exactly the same references then your lecturer is obviously going to realise that you've collaborated or some copying has been done. If their essay is similar to yours, ask them to change it? and if they won't then unfortunately you'll have to change yours, which is a shame seeing as you put so much effort into it!
You could try talking to your tutor about it but if your course mate gets there first, or tries denying that they've copied you it could end up not only making you look bad but also making it seem as though you have copied your friend as you have no proof to say otherwise really.
I'm really sorry this has happened to you but all you can do really is read their essay, see how similar it is and talk to them about it - if your friends it shouldn't be too bad and they probably already realise (deep down if not on the surface) that if they have copied your essay it was wrong to do so and you can both get into trouble for it. It's better talking to him/her about it and have your feelings out in the open than hold it against them and bottle it up inside, which could ruin your friendship.
Good luck! Hope everything works out for you
In my opinion, you shouldn't do your essay 'together' - sure knock a few ideas around with them (preferably not written down) but you shouldn't really be doing group work unless it's specified to do so. I'm sure if you explained this to your course mate he/she would understand.
The lecturer is going to know that there are only a select number of references you could use for the question and that there may be similar ideas on what to say, but if the essay is literally word for word with exactly the same references then your lecturer is obviously going to realise that you've collaborated or some copying has been done. If their essay is similar to yours, ask them to change it? and if they won't then unfortunately you'll have to change yours, which is a shame seeing as you put so much effort into it!
You could try talking to your tutor about it but if your course mate gets there first, or tries denying that they've copied you it could end up not only making you look bad but also making it seem as though you have copied your friend as you have no proof to say otherwise really.
I'm really sorry this has happened to you but all you can do really is read their essay, see how similar it is and talk to them about it - if your friends it shouldn't be too bad and they probably already realise (deep down if not on the surface) that if they have copied your essay it was wrong to do so and you can both get into trouble for it. It's better talking to him/her about it and have your feelings out in the open than hold it against them and bottle it up inside, which could ruin your friendship.
Good luck! Hope everything works out for you
Original post by natalieann1993
The essays go towards the final grade of our 1st year...so i finished my first essay a week earlier than most of my class... i went through my notes with them, and showed them my essay. The only issue is, i think they copied the majority of my notes down, and only changed a few words. So our essays are now pretty much similar. Ive asked them if i could check their essay to make sure theres isn't similar enough for us to get done for copying, but im worried if it is. ...The worst thing is, they want to do the next essay 'together'.
1. So I'm assuming you both only need 40% to pass the year.
2. Have you handed it in yet? Then they will see who has been copying who if there is a difference of ~ a week hand in dates. Still, most universities use plagiarism software that flags up similarities between your work and others (including university students) and gives it a % score.
3. If you do show someone your essay, only let them read it, not copy from it i.e. so they can see the ideas rather than the minutae. This gets easier as you get further up as you often work on your own project and just want to read some ones essay to get inspiration.
4.There is a difference between copying and rewriting something in your own way. Sometimes however, there are only a few ways in how an idea can be expressed.
5. Go talk to whoever is responsible for marking - you don't need to mention who it is, but that you helped a friend and are worried it might come to bite you back - they might help allay your fears.
6. Next time, it might be better to have a look at what they've done and suggest improvements aka have you thought about this area...
Yeah, I see where other commentors are coming from when they say tell the tutor. Maybe speak to them before Friday?
It's a really tricky situation but a friend who takes you for granted isn't really a good person to be close to.
It's a really tricky situation but a friend who takes you for granted isn't really a good person to be close to.
thanks guys,
they've agreed to let me look at their essay tomorrow, so ill see if they've copied me or not then
i also plan if they refuse to change it and let me see evidence of it being changed to report it to the course tutor we have to hand them into before friday.
i dont want to risk being downgraded for something like this.
they've agreed to let me look at their essay tomorrow, so ill see if they've copied me or not then
i also plan if they refuse to change it and let me see evidence of it being changed to report it to the course tutor we have to hand them into before friday.
i dont want to risk being downgraded for something like this.
Original post by Rain.
To be honest if any tutor asks you just tell them the truth '' I let them copy my notes down and look at my essay, but I didn't know what they were writing and I didn't know they copied of me literally'' It is not my fault.
Original post by sb123303
Dont worry, if anyone gets into trouble it will be them. If the person marking them asks why they're similar, say you helped the other person with notes, but didn't realise the copied the entire thing.
Nope, wont wash with the board of moderators who will have seen it all before and heard it all before.
You will be punished and get a 0. the only exception is if the other person stole the work and you can prove it.
I agree with talking to your tutor about it but still be aware that it is possible that you both get done for plagiarism (simply because there's no way for the tutor to know who's telling the truth). Although if that does happen, don't worry too much about it - with a little more investigation, it'll soon become clear who plagiarised whom.
Next time, don't work with anyone unless it's actually group work. Don't be so trusting!
Next time, don't work with anyone unless it's actually group work. Don't be so trusting!
My friend let their course mate "have a look" at their course work. During the holidays, the course mate and the friend were called in to be questioned for who copied who. Turns out there were very large chunks of similar (not same but reworded) pieces of writing from my friends work. They didn't get punished were warned not to share their workas next time, if it isn't clear then they could get in trouble as well.
Take the general advice of this thread, speak to your tutor, you don't have to give names away but the tutor may help alay your fears and also speak to our 'course mate' as they should be wary of this as well.
Take the general advice of this thread, speak to your tutor, you don't have to give names away but the tutor may help alay your fears and also speak to our 'course mate' as they should be wary of this as well.
Original post by HP15
Original post by HP15
Nope, wont wash with the board of moderators who will have seen it all before and heard it all before.
You will be punished and get a 0. the only exception is if the other person stole the work and you can prove it.
You will be punished and get a 0. the only exception is if the other person stole the work and you can prove it.
Hmm I don't really understanding what you are trying to say.
Original post by Rain.
Hmm I don't really understanding what you are trying to say.
That it will probably still be treated as collusion, regardless of what the OP says (unless she submitted her essay before showing it to her friend, but from her initial post it sounded as though she didn't).
Original post by Rain.
Hmm I don't really understanding what you are trying to say.
Well, where I go the general routine for copied work is that you have to explain yourself to a panel of monitors who have seen it all before.
Should you not convince them, they will fail you on the module regardless of someone copying your work unless there is no way they could have copied without them stealing it.
The way it's seen at my Uni is that both the original author and the person who plagiarised is at fault, we're constantly told not to let anyone see our work.
I hope you learn from this never show your essay to anyone even your friend, were you never told this when you started? It has been hammered into everyone on my course. If what you think is true then your friend sounds incredibly stupid by not changing it much.
So i spoke to my friend after reading the essay,
an entire paragraph of my work has been copied and slightly changed.
this includes references i'd used, even how i'd structured my sentences and the points i was making, which lead to other points, which lead to other points, so on so forth.
i showed another course mate who'd completed the essay, and showed him my essay and essay of the other person, who agreed the work was too similar.
Tomorrow I'm going to my course tutor to explain my situation, and im HOPING to god i don't fail after all the days/hours i'd working spent on it.
Even after speaking to the so called friend, they refused to take certain aspects out as
'it worked for their essay', even though this of course isn't there work. its MY WORK!?
The only thing i have for evidence is chat logs of me telling him he's copied, and him refusing to change it. So i'm hoping that'll be enough. I cant believe i've been so stupid.
an entire paragraph of my work has been copied and slightly changed.
this includes references i'd used, even how i'd structured my sentences and the points i was making, which lead to other points, which lead to other points, so on so forth.
i showed another course mate who'd completed the essay, and showed him my essay and essay of the other person, who agreed the work was too similar.
Tomorrow I'm going to my course tutor to explain my situation, and im HOPING to god i don't fail after all the days/hours i'd working spent on it.
Even after speaking to the so called friend, they refused to take certain aspects out as
'it worked for their essay', even though this of course isn't there work. its MY WORK!?
The only thing i have for evidence is chat logs of me telling him he's copied, and him refusing to change it. So i'm hoping that'll be enough. I cant believe i've been so stupid.
Original post by natalieann1993
So i spoke to my friend after reading the essay,
an entire paragraph of my work has been copied and slightly changed.
this includes references i'd used, even how i'd structured my sentences and the points i was making, which lead to other points, which lead to other points, so on so forth.
i showed another course mate who'd completed the essay, and showed him my essay and essay of the other person, who agreed the work was too similar.
Tomorrow I'm going to my course tutor to explain my situation, and im HOPING to god i don't fail after all the days/hours i'd working spent on it.
Even after speaking to the so called friend, they refused to take certain aspects out as
'it worked for their essay', even though this of course isn't there work. its MY WORK!?
The only thing i have for evidence is chat logs of me telling him he's copied, and him refusing to change it. So i'm hoping that'll be enough. I cant believe i've been so stupid.
an entire paragraph of my work has been copied and slightly changed.
this includes references i'd used, even how i'd structured my sentences and the points i was making, which lead to other points, which lead to other points, so on so forth.
i showed another course mate who'd completed the essay, and showed him my essay and essay of the other person, who agreed the work was too similar.
Tomorrow I'm going to my course tutor to explain my situation, and im HOPING to god i don't fail after all the days/hours i'd working spent on it.
Even after speaking to the so called friend, they refused to take certain aspects out as
'it worked for their essay', even though this of course isn't there work. its MY WORK!?
The only thing i have for evidence is chat logs of me telling him he's copied, and him refusing to change it. So i'm hoping that'll be enough. I cant believe i've been so stupid.
Because what this situation needed was more people seeing these essays?
This is why my housemate and I do our lab reports completely separately. If we have a quick question then we ask but we avoid actually looking at each others work as much as possible.
It's fine to offer help and advice, but that's as far as it should go. Sitting down and writing it together (which is in effect what happened) doesn't really help either of you
It's fine to offer help and advice, but that's as far as it should go. Sitting down and writing it together (which is in effect what happened) doesn't really help either of you
Original post by HP15
Original post by HP15
Well, where I go the general routine for copied work is that you have to explain yourself to a panel of monitors who have seen it all before.
Should you not convince them, they will fail you on the module regardless of someone copying your work unless there is no way they could have copied without them stealing it.
Should you not convince them, they will fail you on the module regardless of someone copying your work unless there is no way they could have copied without them stealing it.
Orrite
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