by Amanda S.

Created on: March 29, 2009

Using an academic ghost writer is completely dishonest. As a first-year composition instructor for a state university, I am aware of the repercussions that a student would face if s/he were to turn in work that is not his/her own. Academic ghost writing is plagiarism, plain and simple. If a student is found to have plagiarized his/her work, s/he would at the very least fail the course in which s/he has plagiarized, and s/he may face a disciplinary committee, the members of which could decide to expel the student from the university. It would be especially dishonest for a student in one of my classes to commit this dishonest act because I am teaching my students how to write. If a student elicits the services of a ghost writer instead of writing his/her own paper, how does s/he expect to get any better at writing? The best way to improve as a writer is by practicing...writing as much and as often as you can!

Most universities require students to take composition courses in their freshman year to improve their academic writing. It is up to the student to make the most of his/her education, which includes applying himself/herself to his/her studies if s/he is enrolled in a university. If a student does not want to put forth the work that is required to earn a college degree, that person should not attend a university. There are plenty of different options besides a four year college, including technical schools, two-year college certificate programs, apprenticeships, or searching for jobs that don't require a degree (including retail, police jobs, or military careers). There is nothing wrong with exploring alternate avenues if someone doesn't feel that a four year university is the right place for him/her, but there is no excuse for someone in this or any situation to misrepresent his/her academic abilities in order to remain at an academic institution that might not be right for him/her.

The main problem I have faced as a composition instructor is that some of my students are resistant to putting forth any effort in my class. They seem to want to do just what they need to do to pass the class, despite my best efforts to engage them. At this point, they are 18-19 years old and have been in school for 12 years. It is amazing how some of them (not many, but more than you would think) do not even have a grasp of basic grammar skills. I do my best, but they should have been learning a lot of what I have to go over in grammar school and high school, before they reach me at the college level. The problem is not that they cannot succeed in a composition class but that they do not apply themselves. I have had students who are at the same level at the beginning of the semester, but by the end, they are worlds apart in terms of improvement because of their individual levels of effort and commitment to their coursework. Therefore, a student who does not do his/her own work, either because s/he does not put forth any effort or because s/he employs a ghost writer, is doing himself/herself a great disservice. It is wrong to present someone else's work as one's own, regardless of the situation but especially in an academic environment.

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