To think I've messed everything up? Plagiarised my post graduate personal statement...

[changeitatanytime]

I've name changed for obvious reasons. I'm in my last year of uni and in the process of applying for postgraduate courses. I've done something really stupid and I really don't know the right thing to do to rectify it.

Yeah I’ve really messed up. I copied some sentences from someone else’s personal statement on Google in relation to the course I’ve applied for. The sentences I copied were related to the field and they sounded good so I wrote my personal statement around them and meant to go back and change them into my own words (I know even that isn’t acceptable) and totally forgot until today. I submitted the application a couple weeks ago. It was only when I was reading it back that I remembered I hadn’t changed the sentences and when I copy and paste my statement into Google it comes up with the site I copied from.

I have went from feeling elated and excited about potentially getting an interview for this post grad to feeling really sick to my stomach and I’m not quite sure how I’m going to get through the next few months. Even if I do get an interview and/or place on the course I really don’t feel like I deserve it now. I’ve proper messed up and feel awful. I haven’t told anyone in real life so had to write it here. I am a 32 year old woman who should know better!

How do I handle this? My family and friends will be so disappointed in me.

Do I contact the university and tell them? Do I withdraw my application? I don’t know how I would explain that to my family. Do I sit and hope they don’t check for plagiarism? If so, and they don’t how can I morally live with myself.

I’ve totally messed everything up and feel so disappointed in myself, I’ve let everyone down.

I applied to the uni directly so I'm not sure if they put it through a plagiarism test or not. But even if not, I don't really deserve a place now.

It’s about 4/5 sentences out of a 1000 word personal statement. I am just praying they either don’t put it through a system or it’s not enough % for them to take too much notice. I’m so mad at myself, so stupid!

I'm so angry and disappointed in myself, I will never do this again.

Have I ruined my chances completely? What should I do?

If you needed to copy and “build your entire” application around someone else’s work

Perhaps this is not the course for you

What you did shows:

1. You lacked the imagination to write your own statement, or you are too lazy, or both.
2. You are dishonest.

None of it bodes well for post graduate study.

@Wimblingwombling

They won’t pick it up! Don’t worry!

And decent admissions is shit-hot on plagiarism off Google

@OnlyAFleshWound

You sound really familiar with the processes and rules around plagiarism.

Have you been caught out this way before?

Most people who have studied at uni will be familiar with processes and rules around plagiarism 🙄. OP will be no different to any of these . Don’t see the point of your post .....unless it’s just to stir 💩

@Happy1982ish. Not for post grad courses

I hate personal statements.....

If the university says anything, personally I would say I feel uncomfortable with doing personal statements and get stumped on them and was looking for inspiration. But that does not apply to my work

Bleeding hell, some people are harsh today!

Mistakes happen during application. I'm currently applying for an international Msc in Germany and the only reason I saved myself half my monthly wage in a useless application was because the payment was refused at first - while it processed, I noticed that the course would start one semester before I actually graduated!

As for googling a personal statement, well, haven't you all heard of templates? It's great to get an idea of what's expected, especially when one doesn't have someone guiding them through the steps.

OP's mistake was a lack of attention, and doesn't say anything about her academic abilities.

@Polmuggle

Honestly I don't even think this is something 'wrong'. A lot of academic study is about taking someone else's arguments and building on them, so your approach is right (yes of course you would normally quote or change language, and reference).

@Polmuggle

Going to hazards a guess that you don’t have experience in academic study

It’s simple

You use quotation marks to distinguish the other of others

And then credit them in your footnotes

Personal statements are largely BS anyway, not sure why they make you include one. Like a PP said they won’t use plagiarism software for a statement or anything non academic so it’s incredibly unlikely it’s going to get picked up. To be perfectly honest with you, I doubt your personal statement will be read, especially if you’re applying for a fee paying course x

* OP's mistake was a lack of attention, and doesn't say anything about her academic abilities.*

I can’t conceive of ANY subject where “lack of attention” was not a negative

Oh and my experience in this is, I have an undergrad, mphil and PhD and worked for 3 years as a teaching fellow at a redbrick Uni.

I work at a uni (not in admissions but have knowledge of processes). I’m not aware we put personal statements through turnitin but I wonder what discipline you’re studying? For medicine or law for instance, if this was ever noticed you could be in hot water around personal integrity/fitness to practice. Regardless of your academic prowess could cause some issues. I’ve no suggestion as to what you should do about this but in general with things like this my personal view is the sooner you come clean the better.

Take a breath, OP. Don't panic. I've applied for lots of Uni courses so I know how stressful the process can be. Chances are they will not check. You've got this! x

It is a personal statement, not coursework. I highly doubt that they will run it through plagiarism software.

How did you get through 3 years of study without realising what you've done goes against everything you have been taught.

Plagiarism is considered a serious academic offence. Year 1 they expect mishaps as referencing is often a new concept but years 2 onwards you'd be expected to know how to and the consequences if you don't. We can't even re-use own work with out citing it and highlighting it as something we've written before. I quoted a section of my ucas personal statement in my PDP for year 1 and it had to be within quotes and cited as my own words preciously used.
You also know they check everything and will run a check on it.
Might be an idea to refresh your academic skills and etiquette.

Mistakes happen during application

Just out of interest, how is choosing to use someone else's statement rather than doing your own a mistake?

@GreenFingersWouldBeHandy

If you're copying and pasting stuff for the application, are you sure you should be doing a postgraduate degree?

I'm afraid I was just trying to work out a gentle way to say the same thing, but am plagiarising this instead.

Jesus some of the twattish answers on here, mumsnet snobbery at its finest!

God some people are harsh.

Uni admissions tutor here, I doubt they will check tbh. As othered said, Turnitin not used for applications and no one has time to Goodge sentences from an application form.

I think you should just wait and see. I’m sure it’ll be fine. I also think you saying you don’t deserve a place now etc etc is waaaaaay over the top. Just calm down. It’s not likely to cause any problems, and it’s hardly the crime of the century. It’s 4 sentences

@chesteroo

How did you get through 3 years of study without realising what you've done goes against everything you have been taught.

Plagiarism is considered a serious academic offence. Year 1 they expect mishaps as referencing is often a new concept but years 2 onwards you'd be expected to know how to and the consequences if you don't. We can't even re-use own work with out citing it and highlighting it as something we've written before. I quoted a section of my ucas personal statement in my PDP for year 1 and it had to be within quotes and cited as my own words preciously used.
You also know they check everything and will run a check on it.
Might be an idea to refresh your academic skills and etiquette.

Bloody hell your pious! I can’t imagine a reality in which a personal statement gets ran through turnitin? I mean come on.

Obviously universities take legit plagiarism seriously but they also recognise that accidents happen especially in large bodies of work, it’s not the right off ‘ you’re not destined for academia’ sentence that a lot of people on this thread are claiming. My mate is the head of philosophy at a redbrick Uni and he was telling me that he’d sent a manuscript to a publisher and completely forgot to reference and cite and rephrase about 1000 words in his intro. It was picked up and sorted, he wasn’t shot at dawn and his book contract destroyed. Bloke is still the head of philosophy and they all laugh about it because it’s really common, yeah it’s ‘poor academic practice’ but there is discretion for genuine oversights.

*you’re

Why not put it through Turnitin and see what happens- Just put it through on an essay that’s already been marked and don’t send it and it should give you a percentage so that at least will set your mind at rest.

@covilha

Why not put it through Turnitin and see what happens- Just put it through on an essay that’s already been marked and don’t send it and it should give you a percentage so that at least will set your mind at rest.

I've put it through an online checker and it was 9%, don't think they're very accurate though.

Do you know what?

This is one of those mistakes that it is SO much better to make now, than down the line.

You’ve made the mistake when it doesn’t really matter, and now you won’t do it again when it does.

Take it as a learning experience and move on.