<p>Current UCSD student, Long story short, I had a lapse in judgment and used someone's lab report to help me write mine. I am now being accused of academic dishonesty. :( I know I shouldn't have done it, despite the hell week I was going through, I know no excuses. </p>
<p>What's going to happen, how will this affect me after graduation? Am I just doomed for life? Do I just talk to the dean?</p>
<p>Dude. EVERYONE and their dog uses old lab reports to write their own. I’m not even a science major and I know this. How come everyone isn’t getting in trouble?</p>
<p>Yea, I know that too. Guy in my lab even blatantly always boast about looking at his girlfriend’s material (gf already took it previous quarter). In front of the TA and all. I even used to get mad that everyone and their mom uses old lab reports. </p>
<p>The one time I do… I get caught. Not that I should ever have done it, but the temptation when I had it given to me was too great… Man… I don’t know what to do.</p>
<p>In my opinion, you need to accept responsibility for your actions. I would tell them how remorseful you are and that you realize you made a tremendous mistake. I would mention what you learned from the situation and I would offer to do whatever it takes to rectify the mistake. College is about growing up and part of growing up is making mistakes. As long as you learn from your mistakes, all is not lost. Welcome to the first major life lesson of your adult life. What you do with it will be up to you, but half the battle is realizing you did wrong. Now, go and rectify the situation. Good luck.</p>
<p>It really depends on how much time the professor has on his/her hands and how far they’re willing to take you through it.</p>
<p>When we had two students in the same section copy off the same lab report and wound up with 70% identical papers, all the professor did was give them a zero on the sections they copied. Another student used an old lab report that was from a similar (but not the correct) experiment, and he just got a zero on that lab. Another student got caught via turnitin.com and all the professor did was give him a zero on that lab as well.</p>
<p>It’s generally not as bad getting caught cheating on an exam, but the downside is that they have very clear proof of what you did. Don’t beat around the bush, just make everyone’s life easier and fess up to it.</p>
<p>Yes, I am planning on going to the dean and talking to her about what I did. For sure, I’m never ever ever going to ever even think about doing anything academically dishonest in the future. 
Worst mistake of my life.</p>
<p>What I want to know is what kind of longterm impact this will have. Does this effectively remove all post-undergrad schooling plans? Will this carry into work place? Does anyone know in specific UCSD’s policy on this?
My professor said that he will be filing a report with the Academic Integrity office.</p>
<p>I believe that is something you would discuss and clarify with the Dean during your meeting.</p>
<p>^^ yeah. Depends what you plan to do. Hopefully you can find a way to learn from it and show any potential admissions people that you are better than that and moved on? Not sure though</p>
<p>Just curious, how’d you get found out? Did they have a copy of the “template” lab report or something?</p>
<p>Yeah which professor was this? Berniolles?<– you’d really be screwed.</p>
<p>Turnitin.com</p>
<p>Coleman</p>
<p>Yeah turnitin.com is so intense! I’ve watched one of my teachers use it before. It literally shows you the exact places where the assignment was copied, the original source, the percentage copied…</p>
<p>Future freshmen beware! That system is crazy.</p>
<p>im a senior in high school and our school has been making us use turnitin.com since freshman year…that site
can get very scary sometimes…</p>
<p>Well. I’m talking to the Dean today. Hoping I don’t falter with my words too much… and get my apology in straight.</p>