How to avoid plagiarism in your college writing

According do www.dictionary.com, plagiarism is defined as; the unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one's own original work. Many college students either do not take plagiarism seriously, or do not know enough about how to research and write a paper to avoid plagiarism. This article will help college students understand when sources need to be cited.

Learn when to cite in your academic writing. What needs to be cited? Anytime you use a word-for-word quote, the source needs to be given credit. If you are paraphrasing another persons' ideas, or any ideas that are not your own, even if they are from a class lecture or a website they need to be properly cited. What does not need to be cited? Anything that would be considered common knowledge, like scientific or historical facts. There is no need to site your own research or writing.

If you are asked to work in a group, ask your professor ahead of time what their expectation are. If your group is assignment is to answer 6 essay questions, is it appropriate to each answer 2 of the questions individually then combine all 6 answers and turn it in as a group project? Not only is it not appropriate, its Plagiarism.

Be careful turning in the same work in more than one class. Is it ok to write a paper for one class, make a few changes to it and turn it in for a different class? It's your work right? This is a grey area that is ok at some colleges and universities and not others. Check with your schools' handbook and more importantly check with your professors before you do it.

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Differences Between High School and College

If you have been accepted to a college or university, chances are you were at least a C+ student in high school. The majority of 4 year colleges and universities require a 2.5 or better GPA and a certain score on either the ACT or SAT.

In order to be successful in college, you will need to adjust your study habits to meet the more rigorous demands of your college professors.

Differences between high school and college include:

More freedom - No one will be making sure you go to class or do your homework anymore.. It will be up to you whether or not you get up on time for class and organize your day so that you have time to study.

Less time in class / More time out of class - You might think because you only have class 12-15 hours a week that you have a lot of free time. In reality, for every hour you spend in class you are expected to spend 2-3 hours outside of class studying.

Lower Grades - Students who received A's and B's in high school may be receiving C's and D's in college. This is not necessarily a reflection on the students abilities, but a sign that their study skills and habits need some work.