Plagiarism is a serious academic offense that can have serious consequences for high school students. The specific consequences of plagiarism will vary depending on the school's policies and the severity of the offense. However, some common consequences of plagiarism include:
1. Failing grade: Teachers may give a failing grade for any assignment that is plagiarized. This can be particularly damaging if the assignment is worth a significant portion of the student's final grade.
2. Academic probation or suspension: In cases of repeated plagiarism, a student may be placed on academic probation or suspension. This means that they will be required to take additional steps to demonstrate their academic integrity before they are allowed to continue their studies.
3. Loss of scholarship or financial aid: Students may lose scholarships or other financial aid if they plagiarize.
4. Expulsion: In extreme cases, a student may be expelled from school for plagiarism.
In addition to these academic consequences, plagiarism can also have other negative consequences for students. For example, it can damage their reputation and make it difficult for them to get into college or graduate school. It can also lead to legal problems if the plagiarized material is copyrighted.
How to avoid plagiarism
There are a number of things that you can do to avoid plagiarizing in your work:
1. Read and understand your school's plagiarism policy. This policy will lay out your rights and responsibilities and will define plagiarism.
2. Always cite your sources. This means giving credit to the original author for any information that you use in your work. You can do this by including a citation in the text of your paper and by creating a reference list at the end of your paper.
3. Be careful when paraphrasing. Paraphrasing means restating information in your own words. When you paraphrase, you must still cite the original author.
4. Always get permission before using copyrighted material. If you want to use copyrighted material in your work, you must first get permission from the copyright holder. This is usually done by contacting the publisher of the material.
5. Plagiarism checkers. Many word processing programs have built-in plagiarism checkers. These checkers can help you to identify potential plagiarism in your work before you submit it.
If you are ever unsure about whether or not something is plagiarism, always err on the side of caution and cite your sources. Plagiarism is a serious offense, but it is one that you can easily avoid by taking a few simple precautions.