I am so upset, please help me.

BabyLady, BSN, RN · Mar 13, 2009

I personally think the plagerism software is a bunch of BS.

I can understand when you are trying to "bust" a student from purchasing papers off the internet, etc. It is very understandable and I agree with that practice.

However, there are only so many ways to word certain things...I have personally written down words to describe things, on my own, and went back and read sources that did it exactly like I did...that isn't plagerism, that is just writing.

If a student has a whole paragraph verbatim, then that is one issue. But I think the software has gone too far and it seems if you write about the same subject matter that it comes back as a "hit".

afranklin · Mar 13, 2009

BabyLady,

I had no idea that this could happen. I have simply cannot go on with this; I mean, it's like you said, maybe it was written just like I was thinking about it and it

came back like it was plaigarism.

Thank you for being there.

flightnurse2b, LPN · Mar 13, 2009

i had a instructor in english like this. he was mr. plagerism software himself and it was awful writing papers for him! everyone in the class had "hits" from the computer!

i eventually withdrew and took a W, as did most of my classmates. it's better than a F.

micro is a complicated course and it takes a good instructor to help you understand the important concepts. this instructor doesn't sound like she's doing that. if she is threatening to kick you out of school, i would take a W anyday. you can restart the course with a new professor who isn't from hades, and hopefully make an A!

best of luck.

BabyLady, BSN, RN · Mar 13, 2009

Writing about the same idea or subject matter by someone else is not plagiarism.

Quoting exact, word for word passages, statistics, etc...IS, but only if you copied it directly from the source.

This is where instructors can't be lazy. If I was grading a paper, and saw a single sentence worded exact or close...if it's the only one, then you can chalk it up to coincidence (as long as the information wasn't ridiculously specific).

However, if an instructor finds a whole paragraph, then up, she's "got 'em"..but to blindly run a paper through, it gets a "hit", then investigate no further..that is just lazy grading.

...and if it were me defending myself, you can bet that an honor council would make the instructor find the source and prove it.

The software is a good tool, but it is NOT a substitute for an instructor's eye and own research.

tfleuter, BSN, RN · Mar 14, 2009

Any chance of talking to someone from your school (besides your teacher that is)? Does your school have a tutoring or English Lab you can take advantage of? Heck, I would even be sending random emails to any english professors begging for help or direction (which I normally would not do) if I were in your shoes and the instructor herself was not helpful. Is there anyone above this instrctor you can take your concerns to? I think it would be really important to point out to a dean or otherwise that you are in no way attemping to plaigerize and would rather drop the class than risk being kicked out of school, BUT that you shouldn't have to. It's unreasonable, IMO.

Can you find out if anyone else in your class is having any success? There must be people passing this woman's courses or I'm sure something would be done if EVERYONE failed. I would try to buddy up with someone who has a passing score and see if they can part any wisdom to you on how to pass.

tfleuter, BSN, RN · Mar 14, 2009

I should point out that I realize this is a microbiology class, but your teacher seems really focused on the research side of it, which I think should be the role of english classes, hence help from english profs, tutors or labs. If they can't help you cover your butt (with advise that is) then the mirco teach is out of line.

Either way I would still take my concerns to someone above the teacher. If this teacher is really as bad as you say, then I'm sure there are others in your class who feel the same way and probably considering dropping as well. Administration should be concerned with a teacher who is more focused to "thinning out the herd" than helping her students learn and succeed in the course.

afranklin · Mar 14, 2009

BabyLady, flightnurse2b, tfleuter,

When I say that I am literally sitting here, crying my eyes out, believe me.

You are all on point; I have talked to several people who feel the exact same way.

I have been going over and over the decision to just go ahead and drop and start over with a teacher who really is focused on teaching and not bullying.

I cannot thank you enough for your responses; you will never know how much I

needed them.

I am leaning more and more towards dropping this class and just starting over.

I just need to be able to sleep at night and stop worrying about every detail in

her standards because my APII is suffering because of this class.

I am so blessed to know that you guys are here; thank you from my heart's bottom. See, I re-wrote from the bottom of my heart; trying to stop crying.

HeartsOpenWide, RN · Mar 14, 2009

Okay, I'm back, with the same old problem.
I read my information, CHANGED IT into My own words and tried to do a plaigarism check and it came back showing
that parts were from original books or something to that effect. I changed the words and changed the words!!!!

Paraphrasing is still plagiarism unless you site a source after it. As long as you sight your sources you should be ok, but don't just take a paragraph and use a thesaurus...use as many sources as possible so that you can combine info from many sources, it will be a lot easier to really use your own words; not just "change" things into your own word

tfleuter, BSN, RN · Mar 14, 2009

I just need to be able to sleep at night and stop worrying about every detail in
her standards because my APII is suffering because of this class.

It is bad enough that this class is not working for you and that your grades are suffering from it, but certainly don't let it affect your other classes as well. If you do drop (and I really think you should for your sanity) find others who are also considering it and go to the administration of your school and voice your concerns! You are paying them so that they will provide you with teachers who will help you learn the subject, not some eogmaniac who gets her jollies from seeing students squirm (sorry if that's a bit too graphic )

afranklin · Mar 14, 2009

HeartsOpenWide, tfleuter,

I did use my own words; that's why this is scaring me so badly. AFA using a lot of

sources, we can only use 1 from a book, 1 from a '.org or edu and 1 from a science or some other kind of 'journal.'

I think describing her as an egomaniac was too kind:)

Deep C · Mar 14, 2009

Ok, from a former prof who's about to start in Nursing.

Take a breath. As Sam Shem recommends in The House of God, take your pulse (the book "The House of God", about medical internship--google up "Laws of the House of God").

Rewriting someone else's words in your own is plagiarism. Your goal is to coalesce other's ideas into original thought of your own. You use these references to support a thesis or idea that you have, not to simply restate something that other's have already said in different prose.

Take your work into your instructor and ask for help in how to get past this, this is absolutely the first thing you must do. No instructor worth anything will throw a student out for asking for help. The instructor can provide guidance and direction and help you get through this experience.

Your goal is to learn something, and to perhaps contribute something from your knowledge to the course. It's not to simply prove that you read something and can regurgitate it in different words.