Degrees For Sale: Inside The Essay Writing Industry: Students On The Edge

Summary

A recent graduate reflects on their experience working for an essay writing service and the consequences of using such services as a student. They describe the pressure to succeed that drives students to purchase essays and share a personal story of being blackmailed by a service after buying an essay due to a crisis. The essay was eventually sent to their university, leading to academic consequences. The speaker warns others against making the same mistake, highlighting the emotional, financial, and academic risks of engaging with essay mills.

Takeaways

• 😀 Students often turn to essay mills due to the overwhelming pressure to succeed academically, which can lead them to purchase essays to avoid failure.
• 😀 Essay mills market their services as 'advisory essays', but many students use them to submit as their own work, blurring ethical lines.
• 😀 The speaker initially worked for an essay-writing service, where they would write essays based on student requirements, often with tight deadlines and decent pay.
• 😀 The cost of these services can be high. For example, the speaker was paid £350 for a 3,000-word essay due the next day.
• 😀 Many students rack up significant debt while at university, which contributes to the pressure to perform and use services like essay mills.
• 😀 Despite the stigma, many students, including friends of the speaker, have admitted to using essay mills at some point during their academic careers.
• 😀 The speaker experienced a personal crisis when they lost their work while traveling, which led them to purchase an essay for £130.
• 😀 The essay service quickly escalated into a scam, with the speaker being blackmailed for additional payments, including £70 for a plagiarism check.
• 😀 The blackmailing and threats of plagiarism accusations caused the speaker significant stress, leading to a final total payment of £400 instead of the initially promised £130.
• 😀 Eventually, the essay was sent directly to the university, leading to a serious consequence: the speaker received an urgent meeting request due to plagiarism accusations.
• 😀 The speaker reflects on their experience with shame and embarrassment, highlighting how easy it is to make poor decisions under academic pressure, and they strongly advise against using essay mills.

Q & A

Why did the speaker initially decide to work for the essay-writing service?

The speaker decided to work for the essay-writing service primarily for the financial gain. The service offered a way to earn money by writing essays for students, and the speaker found it profitable, with assignments paying significant amounts, such as £350 for a 3,000-word essay.

How does the speaker describe the ethical implications of writing essays for the service?

The speaker acknowledges that the service markets the essays as 'advisory,' but they suggest that this claim is misleading. The speaker admits that writing essays for students, without direct contact with them and in such a way that the work could be submitted as their own, crosses ethical boundaries.

What is the core reason students resort to essay-writing services according to the speaker?

The speaker believes that the core reason students resort to essay-writing services is the immense pressure to succeed academically. High tuition fees and the need to secure a future lead students to feel they cannot afford to fail, prompting some to turn to such services.

What happened when the speaker lost their laptop during a trip to London?

When the speaker lost their laptop, which contained their essays, they panicked and resorted to paying for an essay from an online service. This decision was made in haste due to fear of missing deadlines, despite knowing it was a risky choice.

What type of scam did the speaker experience after paying for the essay?

After paying for the essay, the speaker was blackmailed by the service. They were charged additional fees for a plagiarism check and threatened with escalating costs if they didn't comply. Eventually, the service sent the essay directly to the university, leading to a plagiarism accusation.

What emotional reaction did the speaker have to the blackmail and plagiarism accusations?

The speaker felt a mix of anger, frustration, embarrassment, and stress. They were embarrassed about their involvement in the situation and ashamed of their decision to use the essay service. The added pressure of academic consequences worsened their emotional state.

How did the speaker attempt to handle the situation when they realized they were being scammed?

The speaker initially refused to pay additional charges, expressing their intention to block the service after paying the original £130. However, despite their attempts to disengage, the service continued to demand money and eventually took further actions to ruin their academic standing.

What lesson does the speaker want others to learn from their experience?

The speaker urges others not to make the same mistake of using essay-writing services. They emphasize that while the pressures of academic life can be overwhelming, resorting to dishonesty and cheating is not the solution. The speaker hopes others can avoid the negative consequences they faced.

How does the speaker perceive the academic system's role in the pressure students face?

The speaker views the academic system as flawed because it imposes high financial pressures on students, making them feel as though they must succeed at all costs. This, they believe, contributes to students resorting to dishonest practices like purchasing essays.

What is the speaker’s stance on the taboo surrounding essay-writing services?

The speaker acknowledges that there is a strong taboo against admitting to using essay-writing services, but they also point out that many students secretly use such services due to the intense pressure to succeed. The stigma surrounding the issue prevents open discussion, making it harder for students to seek help.