So my professor wants us to write a type of essay I've written last semester. Since the topic is fairly broad, I feel like I can "recycle" my old essay.

Could this action lead to a serious consequence? I know it's unethical and whatnot (in the sense that I'm not starting for scratch unlike my classmates), but it is in fact my writing and I may edit a few things here and there.

EDIT: I had a different prof when I wrote the essay.

Sleight

2471 Posts

February 28 2011 02:06 GMT

Where I went to school, that counts as violation of the honor code. Now I am not sure exactly why. But I remember being told that.

That said, do it, if it's good. Ethics should be reserved for things that matter. If it was someone else's old paper, I'd might bat at an eye. Your work is your work is your work.

Cheers.

motbob

United States12546 Posts

February 28 2011 02:11 GMT

Mmm. Just spend a lot of time rewriting and improving it. Make it unrecognizable from its previous state. Then, if you get caught/in trouble, you can point out that you spent a lot of time on it.

mikeymoo

Canada7170 Posts

February 28 2011 02:12 GMT

I'm pretty sure this is illegal first, then unethical. Why not just ask your prof if you can edit some previous work of yours?

emperorchampion

Canada9496 Posts

February 28 2011 02:15 GMT

On February 28 2011 11:11 motbob wrote:
Mmm. Just spend a lot of time rewriting and improving it. Make it unrecognizable from its previous state. Then, if you get caught/in trouble, you can point out that you spent a lot of time on it.

I don't think that pointing out that you "spent a lot of time on it" will fly. If you spend a lot of time on it (ie. re-write it, using the same ideas) then you should be ok, I'm not really sure where they draw the line. It would be best to contact your student affairs office or the prof first.

edit:

But yeah, that is illegal. Depending on the school, consequences could range from an F in the course to expulsion/suspension.

3clipse

Canada2555 Posts

February 28 2011 02:20 GMT

If you've already submitted a paper for a class, you generally can't use it again. It doesn't count as being original. I think the justification our Office of Student Conduct gave was that you had an unfair advantage above the other students since the essay has already been marked with constructive feedback possibly given.

Pengu1n

United States552 Posts

February 28 2011 02:22 GMT

i once reused a 10 page paper i wrote junior year in highschool for a college course. not sure if its a good idea to reuse one in the same college department though..teachers could talk.

billy5000

United States865 Posts

February 28 2011 02:29 GMT

Thanks for the suggestions/warnings everyone. Time for an all-nighter and less SC2, I guess

MuffinFTW

United States235 Posts

February 28 2011 02:36 GMT

I think you can recycle it to be honest, I recycled one of my old essays from previous years before. It's not plagiarism if it's your own paper and writing. :3

billy5000

United States865 Posts

February 28 2011 02:41 GMT

#10

On February 28 2011 11:36 MuffinFTW wrote:
I think you can recycle it to be honest, I recycled one of my old essays from previous years before. It's not plagiarism if it's your own paper and writing. :3

There's a possibility that you're right, but because of the ambiguity in this topic, I'd rather not take my chances--unfortunately.

KurtistheTurtle

United States1966 Posts

February 28 2011 02:43 GMT

#11

you could do that, but wouldnt it be better not to worry? and you could just do something youre genuinely interested in

emperorchampion

Canada9496 Posts

February 28 2011 02:48 GMT

#12

From our school's policy:

A student is taking a course this semester that is related to a previous course he took. His ﬁnal paper for the previous course was on a topic that is central to the present one. Due to the overlap, he decides to hand in the paper as one of his assignments for the current course. Is this permitted?

-NO

The justification:

One of the objectives of your studies is to build on your education by applying concepts and knowledge acquired in previous courses to current ones. But the work
produced for each course must be original, and the resubmission of an old paper
does not build on previous knowledge; it recycles it.

No student shall:
Submit in any course or program of study, without both the knowledge and approval of the person
to whom it is submitted, all or a substantial portion of any academic writing, essay, thesis, research
report, project or assignment for which credit has previously been obtained or which has been or
is being submitted in another course or program of study in the University or elsewhere

ToFu.

331 Posts

February 28 2011 02:49 GMT

#13

i know it sounds stupid, but one of my professors said that doing what you just described constitutes plagiarism because you're presenting something derived from something else as an original production.

jpditri

United States86 Posts

February 28 2011 02:49 GMT

#14

I wouldn't do it-- even if it isn't blatantly against the rules. On the off chance you were found out, your prof would probably see it in a negative light regardless. You'd basically be sending the message that you don't take their class and their assignments seriously.

Instead, I'd recommend writing a new paper with an expanded thesis with citations to your older paper. You get the all the benefits of writing an essay on a topic you are familiar with, and you get to be a self-referential baller.

munchmunch

Canada789 Posts

February 28 2011 03:03 GMT

#15

Believe it or not, this is considered a type of plagiarism called self-plagiarism. It would be against "rules" (honor code, code of conduct, whatever) at almost any school.

OpAndroid

United States84 Posts

February 28 2011 03:18 GMT

#16

As many have said, this is against many school's code of conduct, and considered an act of plagiarism. Is anyone likely to find out? No. If you do could you be in really big trouble. Yes. You should probably ask the professor, worst case scenario they say no, best case, yes, middle, you have to write a fresh version, but shouldn't be too bad.

mizU

United States12125 Posts

February 28 2011 03:22 GMT

#17

I don't know why hardly anyone said this, but really, just ask your prof.

Torte de Lini

Germany38463 Posts

February 28 2011 05:03 GMT

#18

Take it and reiterate it differently and switch up the order.

New Intro
New Conclusion
Reiterated arguments
Jumble Sources.

You're done.

I've done the same essay/topic 3 times in a row in about 3 different classes (so that's 9 times), teachers love it.

Then again, political science, sociological and psychological professors just eat up anything about the corporation and society. Gotta love how liberal and skeptic they are :3

emperorchampion

Canada9496 Posts

February 28 2011 05:14 GMT

#19

On February 28 2011 14:03 Torte de Lini wrote:
Take it and reiterate it differently and switch up the order.

New Intro
New Conclusion
Reiterated arguments
Jumble Sources.

You're done.

I've done the same essay/topic 3 times in a row in about 3 different classes (so that's 9 times), teachers love it.

Then again, political science, sociological and psychological professors just eat up anything about the corporation and society. Gotta love how liberal and skeptic they are :3

Well, you could probably hand in a piece of toilet paper and get an A at Concordia.

Trololololol :p

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