You are having a long week. To make the most of your University experience, you said yes to many things and now it is starting to catch up to you. You are exhausted and it is only a Tuesday. You cannot wait to have some time off to be able to rest properly.
You feel like you have been coming down with some illness. At first it was your neighbour who was complaining about a fever and body aches. Then, some of your friends have shared feeling really fatigued.
Now, you too are feeling extreme fatigue, body ache, and have most recently got a fever. You know you are not in your best shape, but the deadline is due soon.
To make matters worse, it seems all your deadlines are due at similar times. You think to yourself: did my lecturers plot together to make my life harder?
You want to make your life easier, and just do not have the energy to write an entire 3000 word research paper.
Then, you remember about this service where you can pay people to do your work for you. This is something you do not like, but at this point, this is something that would make your life easier.
No one will know, you think. It will just be a one time thing. You have heard rumors that people have gotten away with this. Feeling slightly guilty but reassuring yourself it is just a one time thing, you pay someone to do your work.
However, the fear that was in the back of your mind ended up coming true.
A few weeks after the work was submitted, your lecturers pulled you aside for a meeting. You were told that your writing style has changed drastically, and are being questioned about the thought process behind the writing. You do not know what to say to defend yourself, to explain the inconsistency in your writing process. To make matters worse, part of the essay has also been plagiarized.
There is no browning history to support your evidence of having done the work yourself. There is no evidence to explain how your writing process came to be.
You get a zero on the assignment and have to repeat the entire course again.
You now have a permanent record of this on your transcript.
Although you knew about the Student Union, you were scared to tell anyone that you had paid someone to do your work for you. However, when you spoke to your Student Union Adviser you realised what you could have done differently.
What you could have done differently:
Because you were ill at the time, you could have applied for an extenuating circumstances claim. By speaking to someone from your course team or your personal tutor, you could have received some support. Sometimes things that are outside of your control take place, and you do have a good network of support available to you. It is important to try to make the most of it.
This is an opportunity for you to build a better future for yourself, by making good choices. University is a time to build academic integrity. This means building honesty, referencing knowledge and ideas well, and allowing yourself a fair chance to understand new concepts and findings.
To book an appointment with the SU advice team, fill out their advice registration form here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdiziC0bhL-nJ_2isUMIvDdzxp05rwlsGKzXFHjomksJVC0nA/viewform
For any questions or concerns, you can also email suadvice@lsbsu.org
To find out more about the workshops with the library and learning team, use this link: https://lsbu-uk.libcal.com/calendar/llr?cid=6613&t=d&d=0000-00-00&cal=6613&ct=36100&inc=0
For any Mental Health and Wellbeing Support, use this link: https://myaccount.lsbu.ac.uk/s/article/How-do-I-book-an-appointment-with-the-Mental-Health-and-Wellbeing-team-1622407591756
Alternatively, you can email: studentwellbeing@lsbu.ac.uk