Student Blog: Academics, Let's Be Honest

Academic integrity has been a big topic lately, especially with the rise of AI software like ChatGPT. I believe that software can have a lot of benefits and can be useful in many areas. At the same time, though, it is a potential enabler for students to break their academic integrity. As we're nearing the end of the semester and approaching finals season, students are becoming more and more stressed, meaning they may be more inclined to take shortcuts and break their academic integrity out of fear they won't succeed. This is a big issue in the world of education right now, and definitely needs to be addressed.

First of all, what does academic integrity even look like? To me, academic integrity means being authentic with your work. It means being truthful about where your inspiration, sources, and ideas are coming from and not taking advantage of programs that will complete your assignments for you. It means that if you are struggling, know when to ask for help instead of taking unethical shortcuts. Having academic integrity means not necessarily always taking the easy route, but instead taking the time to give your best effort, even if you won't end up with a perfect grade. Academic integrity looks like having pride in your work-having integrity-and recognizing that you are capable of accomplishing your tasks in an ethical way.

I maintain academic integrity by reminding myself of why I am in college: to learn and grow as both a student and a person. I came to college and decided to take more difficult classes because I wanted to be challenged and step outside of my comfort zone. At the end of the day, the effort I put in and the skills I gain are more important and will get me farther than necessarily always getting a perfect grade. Also, I am a big believer that cheating or plagiarizing only hurts the person who did it in the end. By cheating on an assignment, you are really only cheating yourself, as you are denying yourself the opportunity to grow and gain skills.

I also think it is a lot easier to resist the temptation to break academic integrity by setting yourself up for success. I try to budget my time well and space out assignments so I don't feel like I am running out of time and, and a result, feel the need to take unethical shortcuts. If you have read any of my other articles, you know by now that I am my planner's biggest fan. I love using my planner to break down assignments into manageable steps and make sure I start them early enough to finish them on time.

Although it may be tempting, the cons of breaking academic integrity far outweigh the pros. Believe in yourself and know that you are capable of doing anything you put your mind to. The end of the semester is a stressful time, but keep pushing through and keep your academic integrity intact!

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