Every sphere has its sore spots, and when it comes to the academic environment, one cannot but mention plagiarism. Even though educational institutions arrange special lectures devoted to the severe consequences of such a misstep, students continue to break the law and find themselves in trouble. Professors cannot stop being amazed at every new case of plagiarism. Is it worth jeopardizing further education and career prospects? The chances are high that most young people don’t realize what outcome they may face if things go wrong or believe that they are lucky enough not to get caught cheating. Youth is a period of wildness, rash decisions, and hopes for the best. Every college assignment is aimed at improving critical and analytical thinking, problem-solving, etc. When students plagiarize, they don’t get the required experience. So, it becomes unclear why students cheat on themselves in the first place?
Main Causes of Plagiarism in College
Many teachers ask themselves one single question, “Why do students plagiarize, being aware of the dreadful consequences?” Well, one should elaborate on this point and clarify that not all young people realize that they cross the line with their actions. Plagiarism can be accidental and deliberate. As you might have guessed, these are completely different concepts. While some students are aware of the danger of getting caught, others believe that they act within the law. In general, the following reasons are the most commonplace:
- pursuit of high grades;
- lack of confidence;
- poor time management for college students;
- lack of interest in the topic;
- pursuit of the thrill;
- misunderstanding of plagiarism.
None of these points can become an excuse to cheat, and students must understand that ignorance is no defense. If a student has decided on such a step, they should be ready for the consequences.
Accidental Plagiarism
Considering the fact that not all plagiarism has the same background, it is worth focusing on each case more precisely. It will help sort things out and eliminate the appearance of such situations. Why do college students plagiarize? Some of them are sure that they do everything right, even not realizing what they will face after handing in the papers.
Poor Research
The basis for further cheating is created on the stage when a student takes notes and does research. They can use numerous books and study dozens of articles to reveal the essence of the essay topic. However, the problem is that they don’t mention where they’ve taken this or that idea. The same goes for missed quotation marks.
Misunderstanding of Plagiarism
Some young people believe that plagiarism is only about cases when you copy-paste a part of someone’s paperwork. However, it is far from the truth. Citations work well for direct quotations and paraphrased statements that haven’t got any new thought. Ignorance may result in big problems and a destroyed career.
Deliberate Plagiarism
Many young people are too desperate and rebel to follow the rules created by others. They believe that only nerds do everything that teachers say, so they cross the line here and there, looking for numerous excuses for their actions. This category is well aware of what they are doing, but they still cheat despite the likelihood of an awful outcome.
Poor Time-Management Skills
Modern students often feel overwhelmed with assignments and plagiarize instead of turning to a reliable homework writing service that can help clear up their schedule. Besides, one shouldn’t forget about procrastination. When the deadline is already around the corner, young people cannot resist the temptation to ‘borrow’ some great ideas.
Lack of Interest in the Topic
Even though students can be completely satisfied with their future occupations, certain subjects may not fall into the range of their biggest interests in college. Thus, when it comes to prioritizing, some topics may stay neglected. The likelihood of cheating goes up dramatically because they cannot force themselves to focus on things they are not interested in.
Rat Race for High Grades
You might have noticed the current cult of success. Students are afraid to lose scores, disappoint their parents, and look like losers in the background of straight-A peers. This constant competition turns studying into a rat race for high grades, so students turn a blind eye to the fact that they can be expelled.
