One of the worst possible things happened to me yesterday. I was penalized for plagarism. It's like "?!?!?!?!?!" right??? The truth is that i DID plagarize -- albeit COMPLETELY uninentionally. I thought I had done a good job on my assignment. But then my prof told me to go talk to him. I've never EVER gotten in trouble of academic misconduct of any kind. So this came as a complete shock and of course, I cried. a lot. i even entertained thoughts of dropping the class although that would do absolutely no good.
I have to admit, it was completely stupid of me to not realize that I was plagarizing because i was using ideas from the ABSTRACT of an article and i thought it was ok to just reword it considering i was not copying from the article itself. i really did not realize....but at least i know for next time.
But what makes me mad is that i had emailed my prof to ask what kind of implications this would have on my academic career and although as of right now (as long as it doesn't happen again) it's pretty under wraps. BUT...he wrote, and i QUOTE, "I was shocked and disappointed because i had identified you as a serious student." Boy I OUGHTTA.....(insert violent verb). But that wouldn't be very loving of me and loving people is something that i really need to work on. But i'm just mad cause i guess not everyone is as forgiving or as understanding as the people i normally associate myself with. which makes me a naiive fart, but still, i hadn't expected that people in the world were such cynics and so judgemental. Well take this, mr. prof, i AM a serious student, and just you wait. Just because i messed up once doesn't make me a turd or a cheater. I'LL SHOW YOU. and then at the end of the term you'll be like (to yourself), "i misjudged that student. and i'll hold my tongue (or in that case my fingers) from now. i am stupid. " Well, i guess it's not nice to call him stupid. but it certainly wasn't a very nice idea to call me an unserious student.
people screw up. that's what makes us people.
