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In Fall of 2012, I enrolled at Florida State University, and registered for 16 credits. I didn't take school seriously and slacked off. I ended the semester with 3C’s, 1D, 1B, as well as an academic dishonesty blemish on my record, landing me at a 2.0 GPA.

In the nearing of the end of the semester, I had missed a couple classes and was unclear of the topic of the last paper. It was a class without a textbook, so a few nights before the due date I googled information about the allegory of the cave to no success. I later found a blog on myspace which provided detailed information on the allegory of the cave and related it to a novel. I naively used the information and transplanted it into my own essay, I submitted it without citation thinking that because it was just a personal blog, not an academic source, it needed no citation.

I ended up receiving a 50% on the paper, and a D in the class, I knew that I had committed plagiarism, so against others suggestions I signed an AHP form acknowledging my mistake and accepting the appropriated sanction. I realize I took the easy way out, and have since made grades more representative of my academic capabilities and ensured to always follow the academic honor policy.

Not really sure how I should be wording this, any tips? This happened my freshman year 1st semester

I think this sounds like you are not accepting full responsibility - "naively" "not an academic source" etc. All high school students know what plagiarism is, and you did too. Plus, acknowledging that you were so tuned out of the class you didn't even know what the paper topic was referring to? Makes you sound all shades of shady. I'd rewrite, make it shorter, simpler, and accept full responsibility.

bretby wrote:I think this sounds like you are not accepting full responsibility - "naively" "not an academic source" etc. All high school students know what plagiarism is, and you did too. Plus, acknowledging that you were so tuned out of the class you didn't even know what the paper topic was referring to? Makes you sound all shades of shady. I'd rewrite, make it shorter, simpler, and accept full responsibility.

I'm assuming the OP was not the addendum right? Just a description that we got so we could help her?

Anyway I would omit any frivolous details that make you look bad and aren't needed, i.e. "didn't take school seriously and slacked off" and "naively used the information" and "missed a couple of classes and was unclear on paper topic". All you need to do is describe the incident clearly and concisely and, in your case since plagiarism is pretty bad, throw in something about how you've learned from this and how it hasn't happened and won't happen again.

ChemEng1642 wrote:

bretby wrote:I think this sounds like you are not accepting full responsibility - "naively" "not an academic source" etc. All high school students know what plagiarism is, and you did too. Plus, acknowledging that you were so tuned out of the class you didn't even know what the paper topic was referring to? Makes you sound all shades of shady. I'd rewrite, make it shorter, simpler, and accept full responsibility.

I'm assuming the OP was not the addendum right? Just a description that we got so we could help her?

Anyway I would omit any frivolous details that make you look bad and aren't needed, i.e. "didn't take school seriously and slacked off" and "naively used the information" and "missed a couple of classes and was unclear on paper topic". All you need to do is describe the incident clearly and concisely and, in your case since plagiarism is pretty bad, throw in something about how you've learned from this and how it hasn't happened and won't happen again.

Oh my bad - I misunderstood the original post. I agree with your advice.

Jameis is that you

Mack.Hambleton wrote:Jameis is that you

If we gon' do it then, we gon' do it BIG then.

-Aristotle