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Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the act of copying or unauthorized use of thoughts, works, and data without
acknowledging the original author. Plagiarism has become a major threat to the entire higher
education society which needs to be addressed with high priority. It not only damages the
reputation of the university but also damages the career of a student who is involved in
plagiarism. It is the responsibility of a student to guard the reputation of the school and take it to
higher levels with his creative and genuine works. However, lack of moral values and abundance
of resources in various forms attracts a student to plagiarize.
A student deliberately plagiarizing may gain short term benefits but this extenuates the
situation by self sabotaging. Most assignments are carefully designed keeping in mind with some
objectives, which a student needs to research and formulate the findings to fulfill those
objectives. However, whether you get caught or not the consequences of plagiarism are
inevitable. It not only reduces the chances of a students academic growth, it also damages the
relationship with students professor and peers as well. Besides this, it causes major damage to
the student who honestly works hard to complete the assignment. He may not receive the credit
he deserves for his genuine work, which discourages him to take up further assignments.
Plagiarism limits ones creativity to come up with a unique solution to a challenging problem.
Paraphrasing in their own words, adding citations and including references are some of
the effective ways to avoid plagiarism. Paraphrasing someone elses ideas in their own words
will help students to understand the idea clearly. If any idea is borrowed from someone elses
work it should be cited to acknowledge the original source. It is important to add a reference

page at the end of the research paper. Reference page includes title, authors, publication dates
and source which help the professor to find out the authenticity of the research.
According to me, the only solution for this is that a student should inculcate the culture of
thinking creative and never attempt the act of plagiarism from first day he enters the school. A
student should take a vow against plagiarism, only then he can climb high ladders in academics.
Students should insist on high standards in order to excel in academics and achieve a successful
life.
As the problem is created by the student, the solution should also come from the creator
of the problem. Some students may argue that the assignment given is beyond their skill set, but
they should realize that the idea behind any assignment is not finding the most accurate answers,
rather the objective is: inclusive growth of the student. In an attempt of finding the answers a
student is expected to do some research, analyze the findings, and skillfully document the
outcomes. This is how most college assignments are designed, and they have yielded significant
results so far. Students should take inspiration from great leaders of the past and cultivate high
values, which not only will help them in academics but also in their entire career.

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