We want you to have all the facts when it comes to Help & Advice, that's why we want to do some myth-busting over some of the most common misconceptions around Help & Advice. Keep reading to find out more.
Myth: My Turnitin score is green, so I can't have committed any Academic Misconduct
Reality: Instead of checking for direct plagiarism in your work, Turnitin scans for similarities. It's common for assignments to have some matches, especially if you've properly quoted and referenced your sources. There is no 'perfect' score in Turnitin. A high score is fine if reference properly and a low score with incorrect or missing referencing can still be academic misconduct.
Myth: I already submitted my work so it's okay to share it with my course mates. They won't copy it, it's just to help them.
Reality: There's a fine line between working collaboratively and collusion. Collusion is where students work together to complete an assessment that should be taken independently. If you share your work with another student and they copy it, everyone involved can be accused of academic misconduct. This is even the case if you're the original author and still counts when paraphrasing is used.
Myth: If I give someone my ideas and only pay for them to write it for me, it's still my work. The company told me they were legitimate and that it was okay.
Reality: Contract cheating is when you get someone else to do your academic work and is considered a form of academic misconduct. Contract cheating involves directly contacting external parties to complete tasks for you. While these services may offer different packages and guarantees that you won't be caught, the quality of these essays and their references are frequently poor.
Myth: I was struggling during the assessment period and just wanted to submit something, rather than nothing. I didn't commit academic misconduct.
Reality: Even if you submit an incomplete assessment just to meet the deadline, it must still be properly referenced. If your ability to submit assessments has been impacted by an event outside of your control, reach out for support from academic staff, your PAT, Firstpoint, or the SU. You could also apply for mitigating circumstances, which will give you an extension or reassessment opportunity.
Myth: All my bills are included in my rent, I don't need to worry about how much energy I use.
Reality: Due to the cost-of-living crisis and the increase in energy prices, many landlords have begun capping the amount of energy included in rent payments. If you breach this limit, you are legally entitled to pay it. We advise taking regular meter reading, once a month on the day your rent is paid, to keep track of your energy usage.
Myth: It's just student housing. If I don't like it, want to leave university, or just want to move, I can leave whenever I want.
Reality: Once you've signed your contract, it can be incredibly difficult to get out of it before the end of the fixed term. This means that even if you're not living at the property, you're legally resonsible for paying rent until the end of term. Most of the time, the only way to leave a tenancy agreement early, is to find a suitable tenant to replace you.
Myth: All the student houses in Worceser are fillingup fast. I need to sort my accommodation for next year as soon as possible or I won't have anywhere to live.
Reality: There are lots of options for housing for the next academic year. Landlords can sometimes encourage you to sign contracts as soon as possible. This can make some students sign documents out of fear of rooms/houses being filled quickly. Make sure you read your contract as it is a legally binding contract. Our Help & Advice service can also check your contract for you.
Myth: Quillbot is being advertised on UNIDAYS, that means I can use it as a paraphrasing tool. It can't be academic misconduct if it's advertised on UNIDAYS.
Reality: You must not submit work for assessment that has been generated by a chatbot or AI tool, unless given permission to do so. All work that you submit must be your own and your own words, unless quoting directly. Using Quillbot is academic misconduct, as with any other form of contract cheating or plagiarism, because the words and ideas generated are not your own.
Myth: I can't get into trouble for my actions outside of the University. My personal life doesn't relate to my studies and I can act how I want.
Reality: Each student at the University has agreed to abide by the terms of the Student Charter. The University expects the highest standard of conduct from its students, whether on or off campus. The University will have the right to investigate any allegation of misconduct against a student and may take disciplinary action where it decides that an act of misconduct has been committed.
Myth: I'm signing a tenancy agreement for my housing next year. It's probably just the same as last year, so I don't need to read it.
Reality: Once you've signed your contract, it can be incredibly difficult to get out of it before the end of the fixed term. Contracts do change and you need to know exactly what your are agreeing to. If you're not sure, our Help & Advice service can check your contract for you.
Myth: I've seen a really easy job advertised online. I get paid commission to sell things on behalf of another company. It sounds like easy money and I can fit it around my studies.
Reality: If it feels too good to be true, it probably is. There are lots of scams around and some of them target students looking for easy ways to make money. Some scams ask students to purchase products and sell them on with the promise of commission-based payments. In this type of scam, they will take your money and either the products will never arrive, or you might sell the product but won’t get the commission/money in return. Make sure you do your research into potential jobs to make sure they are legitimate.
Myth: I bought an essay online from an online essay mill. I know I shouldn't have done it, but now they are pressuring me to pay more and get my friends to use them. They're being really nasty and threatening, and I can't tell anyone or I'll get in trouble.
Reality: Buying essays from an essay mill is a form of contract cheating, which is academic misconduct. However, we know that sometimes essay mills can become very nasty and threatening and you don't have to keep this to yourself. If you need support, you can book a free, confidential, and impartial advice appointment with the Help & Advice service. If you need mental health support, you can access this through Firstpoint at the University.
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Confidentiality
The Help & Advice service is confidential - nothing you tell us will be shared with the University of Worcester or any other organisation or individual without your permission. There are rare occasions where a breach of confidentiality may be deemed necessary. A breach of confidentiality will only occur if staff have evidence to believe that someone is at risk of harm and abuse. Further details can be found in our Confidentiality Policy. If a decision is made to breach confidentiality, the client will be informed in advance of the breach.
Disclaimer
Every effort has been made to ensure that all information contained on the Help & Advice webpages is both current and accurate. However, information within these pages is subject to change without prior notice. Please seek professional guidance for the latest information. Any advice given by members of staff is based on the information available and to the best of their knowledge. No liability can be accepted for any errors or misleading information. Please note the Help & Advice service is a member of AdviceUK.