I could not interview the person I wanted so I sort of plagiarized and got caught. Now I feel terrible?

Question

I really didn't think this was such a big deal because the professor did not say we actually HAD to interview anyone...what she basically said was find someone that you think you could interview...and the person I chose is somebody that I would really love to interview and I know I could if I wanted to. I mean I could not actually go to where he is, but he has myspace and I am sure he would not mind answering questions if I asked him on there. I just really did not want to bother him like that because I know he must be very busy. So I sort of just found an interview someone else had done with him online, and paraphrased some of that...but I did not think the professor would notice if I put a few phrases directly from the interview...plus I was not sure if she wanted us to list sources because with this type of assignment it just didn't seem like we were supposed to. So I didn't even think twice about asking. But today she returned the assignment to me with an F

and she had printed out the online interview and stapled it to my paper and underlined where I had plagiarized, and wrote please see me after class. After class we went to the department chair's office, and he said the issue had been discussed and they decided to let me off the hook that time, but if I was caught doing it again I would be in trouble. The only thing is I also turned in another assignment today, and a little of that may be plagiarized. I know most of it is my own words, but like 2 sentences are not. And what if the professor is looking through my paper trying to find something plagiarized? And what if she notices it? I have the class again Wednesday and am terrified to go back. The worst part is I have 2 classes with that same professor. I feel so terrible about what I did that I can't even stand to look at myself. I can barely eat, I can't sleep, and I can't even think about the guy I was supposed to interview without feeling sick. I even had to throw the paper away.

I feel like I don't even deserve to be here at this college, or even to be living anymore. I feel guilty about still being alive right now after what I did. That is really how bad I feel. I just keep thinking about it, and I keep thinking about how ashamed the professor must be of me every time I come to class. I am going crazy and I don't know what to do. Can someone please tell me what I can do so that I don't keep feeling so bad about it? I know what I did, and I didn't think it was such a big deal...but now it turns out that it is. I understand that, but I can't stop feeling so bad about it. I don't know why. Maybe it is because I have always gotten such good grades, and not that this has happened I can't help but feel terrible. Isn't there anything I can do to feel better? And I don't want to make my situation any worse, but is there anything I could say to the professor? And hasn't anything like this happened to anyone else before?

Answer 1

good, serves you right... so even after they called you on it you did it again? stupid or what?

Answer 2

First plagiarizing is wrong, pure and simple. You've done wrong. Second is your feeling terrible and ashamed. That's about self worth. What you can do is act as an adult and take responsibility to be honest in the future and eventually re-earn trust. To get there, understand that shame is a childish and selfish emotion. All that means is that while in shame you undoubtedly feel like a child and you pay attention only to yourself. The best solution I've found is to take some time to affirm the child within you. It seems counterintuitive but to become your adult first address your child. I found that playing game of pattycake, or bouncing a ball on a wall until I am laughing like a little child is the best way to get past shame. At that point you can acknowledge that you did wrong by plagiarizing and you can plan to never do it again. There's nothing to say to undo it. You could do something honest without anybody else knowing to ba balance karma. But only after acknowledging your child.

Answer 3

Yes, this has happened to people before. However, each time I kicked cheaters out of my college, I was entirely justified in doing so. You see, honesty is honesty and you either have it or you don't. Colleges make their position on cheating clear enough ... and if you want to cheat, we will happily give you the grade you earn.

Let's be clear -- you did not "sort of" plagiarize. You simply did it. You knew what you were doing and thought there was no way you could get caught. Tough. It doesn't bother you that you did it, it only bothers you that you got caught. You need to be up front and honest not just about all the "sort of" things you did (there's no "sort of" about it) ... and inform the department chair that a 2nd paper was plagiarized as well. You will deserve the expulsion, but at least you will have finally told the truth.

Answer 4

You should be ashamed! Ha! Well, not really, I guess many times when we do this type of assignments we can have a tendency to Plagiarize, but, listing your sources would have been a good idea. A Sharp Teacher will catch you. What you may do, is ask to speak with her after class. Explain you messed up and ask if you can redo the assignment, with a certain, possible high score, say a 70 tops. Then try to do what you should have done. Maybe she give in to your request, and, maybe not, but, it worth a try and then do a "Kick As*" work that she know your true ability.

Answer 5

So what's the question here?

You plagiarized. You stole someone else's work and claimed it as your own. You are guilty. You know you did it. And you say you even did it multiple times. You even make up excuses for your plagiarizing, claiming you didn't know you had to cite sources. Who are you trying to fool exactly?

The point of school is not to pass, it is to improve yourself. You can cheat your way through and end up with a nice piece of paper. But if you haven't learned anything, you've wasted your time and money. And most importantly, you've taken up a seat that could have been filled by someone who desperately wants to learn.

Answer 6

If all you got was an F, you should consider yourself fortunate. Some of the other possibilities would include: a meeting with the Dean and a mark on your record....an F for not just the assignment but the entire course....and worst of all, expulsion. So, you got off lucky. Now - don't do it again, because word travels fast through the faculty and other teachers will be watching you in the future until you prove yourself.

Answer 7

Why are you plagiarizing in the first place?

It might be good to talk to your prof about this situation and ask what to do about it. Perhaps you should choose a secondary interviewee that you can meet in person as needed. Your prof DOES NOT want to see you fail out becuase of plagiarism, and neither do you, so just stop doing it.

As for not wanting to live, that's pretty extreme for doing something as mild as plagiarism. You aren't even kicked out of college yet. Just get your act together and everything will turn out all right in the end.

Answer 8

WHY PLAGIARIZE? that's what you get for. =(