Plagiarism is becoming an increasingly complex and common problem in schools, especially in universities. It’s becoming more difficult for professors to find out when students are plagiarizing. If a student is suspected of plagiarizing, professors have usually relied on copying and pasting a piece of plagiarized work into the Google search engine or using plagiarism detection services, such as Turnitin.
In universities, being caught for plagiarism is grounds for losing financial aid, suspension and expulsion. Plagiarism is becoming much larger than stealing a couple of quotes or failing to cite sources. Plagiarized essay services are making it easier for students to submit unoriginal work, while making it harder to get caught.
Recently, while scrolling through my Instagram feed, I saw an advertisement for a website called Unemployed Professors. The website was started by an unemployed professor that wanted to “help” students with essays, and is full of unemployed professors who have M.A.s and Ph.D.s from Ivy League Colleges.
These professors name their prices and write original essays for students. They just ask for you to submit the prompt, then it is promised to be delivered by the deadline. They even encourage students to party or sleep while they do their work.
Customers for these services aren’t just lazy students or people who aren’t considered smart enough to write their own essays. Many students are from Ivy League universities, such as Harvard, Yale and Stanford. Also, many foreign students who know English as their second language are common users for these services.
Some students say that some assignments are too complex, while others say they just do not have the time to do it. Because they have work, other difficult classes and internships or jobs, they just find it easier to spend $50 on an essay and get a good grade rather than write their own essay.
Students who go to prestigious universities are expected to be extraordinary writers. English is one of the most difficult subjects for university students. Plagiarized essay writing services are becoming more popular, because the expectations for students are becoming higher.
Some people are arguing that plagiarizing essays are not wrong. Since the hired professors write original essays that are properly researched and cited, it is okay for the student to submit this work as their own. There is also an argument that professors are stressing out students so much, that they are actually taking the risk of plagiarism and the consequences of cheating, rather than ask for help. I find it shocking that students are finding professors this unapproachable.
As students, we know that plagiarism is wrong. Not only is it morally wrong, but academic dishonesty is almost like a crime in university. It’s not fair that many students have to work hard and dedicate a lot of time into their essays, while students with money can just hire a professional writer to write their assignments.
Whether someone is “too busy” or it’s a one-time thing, plagiarism promotes academic laziness. No one should be able to get away with it, no matter the circumstances.
