Julie J. C. Ryan's Student Plagiarism In An Online World

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Plagiarism, as defined by the Merriam Webster digital dictionary, is “the act of using another person’s words or ideas without giving credit to that person”. Julie J.C.H. Ryan explains in her essay “Student Plagiarism in an Online World” that plagiarizing and cheating is a serious violation in academia and in life. Plagiarism and cheating are considered fraud and those who actually do their own work and challenge themselves are rewarded much more in the long run than those who do not.
Cheating matters because it is a dishonest act, and one that should never be attempted in the world of academia. Throughout the years, cheating has evolved from copying homework from other students to using cell phones to take pictures of tests to study. According
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Ryan says “plagiarists have a rich library of material from which to gather information” (160). College students attempt all efforts of plagiarizing even though they know the cost “failed assignments, suspension or expulsion” (158). Not everyone is aware of plagiarism though; like Ryan says when the students were caught, many were in “denial and defiance” (163). Plagiarism is a new type of cheating that some are still unfamiliar with. An article on PT Plagiarism Today How Schools Are Hurting the Fight Against Plagiarism explains how “currently, in many schools, the “education” about plagiarism is limited to a few paragraphs in a student handbook”. Teachers in middle and high schools are not explaining to their students the dangers of plagiarism, how to cite properly, how to step away from paraphrasing and if not, paraphrase in a correct manner. And now that their students are in college they are struggling to survive. If these students planned out their schedules wisely, they would not be in this situation of having to plagiarize. Instead they would be as successful as their other counterparts in college that do not partake in the dangerous world of …show more content…
Their morals and standards are valued by all the teachers they encompass throughout their lifetime.They, as Ryan says, “do legitimate research and write their own papers… They work harder (and learn more) than the plagiarists” (164). Although these students believe that they are out of the loop for not cheating to get good grades, they will be noticed for their hard work and effort. Like the Proverb 13:4 “Those who work hard will prosper”. Lazy students never get what they want as compared to hardworking students, and as Ryan says “The Internet is a useful resource for plagiarists, it is also an excellent tool to use against them”. These students are awarded through their work ethic. By doing their homework on their own and in a timely fashion they understand that nothing is given to them easily.
In conclusion, it is crucial for students to understand that cheating and plagiarism is no joke. There should be stricter rules regarding frauds like that in school, and kids should be condemned for thinking of ways to cut time out of their assignments just so that it can ease their schedules. Students who put in the time and effort are always rewarded one way or another. There are no shortcuts in life otherwise it would not be worth

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