Sharing a Project

Student Lounge College Life
1

Good morning CC,

I am currently in microelectronics II, one of the hardest EE classes here at my university. We recently had a project and my good friend and I worked on it together. I managed to get most of the hand work done (calculations, etc) and he asked how I got the answer and I referenced an equation and he said it’s wrong (keep in mind, he never agrees, he only thinks he is correct) and so when I was attempting to explain to him, he kept saying “No” and so I was like okay fair, you do yours.

Fast forward to end of the day, (the project is due the next) and he texts me asking to see my whole project and calculations since I solved for certain variables (like voltages at certain points) when earlier he told me no, I am not supposed to. I didn’t give him my project and he got upset.

I didn’t want him to copy me because last year, he copied my MATLAB project and he got 100% with me but I felt like it wasn’t deserved because I wrote code that he refused to accept was right and when he couldn’t get his to work, he asked to see mine and he will change it but thank goodness there wasn’t any suspect because everything was the same besides variable name.

So now I am here and he is angry at me because he couldn’t finish his project because didn’t give him my stuff. I know I should help him but he always questions my work and says its wrong whenever I give it to him but to me, it seems right and it looks right.

I just don’t know if I did the right thing by ignoring his request for my project.

2

Is this a group project or do you each hand in your own assignments?

If they are your own assignments, you have done the right thing.

If it is a group assignement (you only hand in one write up) then share.

3

It was an individual assignment. I just didn’t want to be caught for plagiarism, even if he is my friend.

4

Do not give someone your assignment when it is a individual assignment. It is academically dishonest and you could both get in trouble. If he can’t understand that, he isn’t being much of a friend. If he gets mad, oh well, it’s your academic integrity on the line.

5

Then you did the right thing.

  1. He isn’t learning if he copies your work
  2. You would get in as much trouble as he would if he gets caught

All you can say is “I helped you in MATLAB that time because I thought you needed help. Now I realize this is a pattern and I am not risking a plagiarism charge because you didn’t do the project. I showed you how I figured out the equation and you disagreed with me. Go talk to the TA or go to Professor’s Office hours if you need more help.”