There is no doubt you have come across an essay writing service at some point, and maybe considered using one. But they really aren’t worth the hassle, so read on to find out why…
You’re hungover, you’ve left your essay until the last minute and you’re about to start an all-nighter in the library or you’ve lost your (read: didn’t write any) notes. We know it’s tempting to enlist the help of an essay writing service.
But this is a pretty sure way to be caught by your university and be accused of academic misconduct, jeopardising your whole university experience. It’s not worth the trouble, no matter how good it sounds.
Still not convinced? Well, here are the top reasons why you should never use an essay writing service…
1. Severe Penalties
Your university accepted you into their institution because they thought you were going to succeed. They want to ensure that there is fair playing field for all students, therefore they discourage the use of essay writing services.
As mentioned above, using one could result in you being accused of academic misconduct. This is because using such services is against university policy. You could be expelled from your university, receive a hefty fine or have legal action taken against you. It will vary by university, but the penalties will be harsh.
2. Career Impact
Gaining good marks through cheating misleads your university and future employers. It also means you won’t develop valuable skills that potential employers are looking for, from writing skills to research skills and meeting deadlines. If you are graduating from university with a first-class degree, employers will expect that you have certain skills, and it might lead you to not performing as expected in the real world.
Additionally, if you are not caught straight away, it doesn’t mean you are safe forever. Degrees can be revoked in the future once you have left university. If your data is still on file and gets picked up as plagiarised, then your degree might be in jeopardy.
It can also negatively affect a university’s reputation if it is found out that people have given degrees based on plagiarised work, which could negatively impact your future career too.
3. They Are a Waste of Money
Essay writing services aren’t cheap, and for £60+, are there not better things you could be spending your money on? And if they are cheap, it’s likely that they aren’t going to be written by professionals.
Additionally, many of these essay writing services fabricate their reviews. So, if they look like they have 5 stars, it’s probably not legitimate. Therefore, is it worth wasting your money…?
4. You Might Get Scammed
Many of these website’s services don’t actually exist. Some of these websites will take your money and disappear, and there’s nothing you can do about it. Even if you do get an essay, how they advertise their services will be very vague and their refund policy will be very robust, so it’s not guaranteed you’ll receive what you expected to receive.
5. They Defeat the Point of Going to University
We are sure you decided to go to university for more than just the nights out, right? You chose a subject you are interested in or a subject you want to pursue a career in, so why don’t you want to read into your subject more and complete your essay?
If you don’t want to complete the work, maybe you should consider an apprenticeship where you can learn on the job whilst completing academic modules alongside.
6. Improvements in Plagiarism Technology
As with everything, technology is advancing and improving, and this means plagiarism software too. You have probably agreed that your university can store your essays and data forever. That means as software improves, your essays might be systematically checked. This can mean writing and linguistic style too.
As mentioned previously, your degree can be revoked at any time if you are found to be guilty of academic misconduct, so it’s really not worth it.
7. Longstanding Consequences
Alongside academic misconduct and impacts on your career, you will always know that you didn’t quire deserve that degree if you don’t do any of the work. You might not think it, but you will feel guilty if you get a good mark knowing it wasn’t your own hard work that has got you there.
8. There’s No Guarantee it’s Anonymous
You can’t guarantee your anonymity to shadow authors and the individuals behind these websites, so it could come back to bite you in the future. Apparently, many shadow writers are lecturers, academics or part-time university staff!
9. You Are Not Guaranteed a Good Mark
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. There is no guarantee you are going to end up with a first-class grade and, if you do, this might seem suspicious to your lecturers if you’re not usually churning out first-class work.
No matter what these services claim to be able to do, they won’t know as well as you what your lecturer is expecting, the formatting of your essay and where you need to cite and reference sources. But hey, don’t take my word for it, listen to some of the individuals who have tested out these essay writing services.
Still Struggling with Your Essay and Considering an Essay Writing Service?
University isn’t supposed to be easy, so it’s guaranteed that you will find one essay that you struggle with. But there are lots of other ways to support your essay writing which won’t end in academic misconduct!
Chat to your tutors, your course mates or the academic help services offered at university. You can also look at example essays and dissertations through your university library or get a family member who has been to university to help you.
If you have any top tips on how to write a first-class essay, let us know in the comments below.
