Colleges are impacted and some students will do whatever it takes to  increase their chances of getting into the college of their choice.

Students may look for ways to cheat or plagiarize to improve their grades. Some students may think that cheating is nothing, but the consequence of getting caught involves having a stamp on their academic record for the rest of their life.

According to dictionary.com, plagiarism means using someone’s work without permission or citing the author or source, and using it as one’s own work.

If a student is caught, there could be major consequences.

“The instructor will apply a failing grade to that assignment, and then notify their dean,” Rebecca Cobb, director of student development said. “Most students think it just happens in English classes, but it happens in all classes that have writing.”

Students cheat sometimes because they feel stressed and have bad time management, some do it on accident by not citing a source, and some just do it blatantly.

“Sometimes it’s cultural,” Matt Cheung, English professor, said. ” Kids outside of the United States don’t think it’s bad because they are not punished in their home country, and they think its another way of consulting an expert.”

Cheung also said if the student needs help, they need to get help. There are many tools on campus that help students, including the Writing Center.

“A lot of students are too scared to ask their teachers for help,” Cobb said. “The teachers are there for you, and almost all teachers on this campus are friendly, so ask for their help.”

This plagiarism charge does stay in a student’s academic file forever, but students with it can still transfer.

“Schools can find out if you did or did not plagiarize, but most schools have thousands of applicants per year so they don’t check,” Cobb said. “But on the application, it does ask if you have ever plagiarized before and got caught. If you lie and the school finds out, they don’t have to accept you.”

In the end, it’s up the student to make the right choice about their academic futures.

“I think teachers know when you’re cheating,” Edith Paritda,19, Sociology Major said. “If it doesn’t sound like you, they are just going to know.”