Based on 161 community votes, the most popular answer to “Should I Report My Best Friend for Plagiarism?” is “Report her plagiarism to the professor” — chosen by 51% of voters.
Category: education • Theme: Loyalty to a Friend vs Fairness in Education
I’m a senior in college, and I’ve shared almost every big moment of the past four years with my best friend. Last week, as we sat in our dorm working on a critical essay that counts for nearly half our final grade, she broke down. She confessed she’d copied most of her essay from an old paper she found online, panicking because her part-time job and family issues left her with zero time. The problem is, if the school finds out, she’ll lose her scholarship and maybe even get expelled. Part of me aches for her—she’s always been there for me. On the other hand, I know what she did isn’t fair to those of us who followed the rules, and I worked so hard to finish my own paper the right way. I keep thinking about the college’s honor code and what my professors expect. If I stay quiet, I’d be helping her—even if it means living with the secret. If I report her, I could ruin her future. Every time I look at her now, I feel sick with stress and guilt. We’re so close to graduation. Should I risk our friendship—and her future—or is it wrong to ignore such a big breach of trust? What would YOU do?
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