I have been a ghost writer for over a month now and I already completed 14 ordered papers for the clients. Being a ghost writer on this context means that I write academic essays or research papers for customers who buy term papers from a paper mill online. I actually don't like the idea of writing for students who cheat on their professors by submitting papers that they claim to have been written themselves. Of course, what they do is a clear manifestation of plagiarism. Knowing myself, I hate students and even teachers who plagiarize. In fact, I'm currently planning to have an Plagiarism Awareness Month in this university. I want all the students and teachers to learn how not to plagiarize.
But writing for those students gives me several thoughts that are worth pondering on, since I am also in the academe.
First, I wonder if their teachers are aware of what they do. Some clients order several papers throughout a semester. There are clients who, after getting the paper I've written for them, would ask me to write another paper for them to be submitted to the same teacher. This means that all the papers they submit are from a term paper mill, and the teachers seem not to have any clue. Now, I don't know who is more pathetic, the student who plagiarizes or the professor who doesn't have any idea. Even if the students' papers are submitted to a plagiarism-detection site, they won't find any plagiarized parts on the papers I write because I protect my papers with proper citation and referencing.
Second, I wonder what the students are thinking. Why are they purchasing papers, instead of writing them? If they have the money to buy term papers, why don't they just hire a writing tutor who can teach them to write effectively? What kind of student do they want to be? What kind of learning will they get from the school where they are enrolled?
Third, I've noticed that most of the clients, as far as I am concerned, are non-native English speakers. I know because they put a note on their order slip saying that the writer should not use difficult-to-understand words because English is not their first language. This implies that the language barrier can make them commit plagiarism. And i'm not surprised. In some research articles I've read about plagiarism, there are findings saying that the most vulnerable to plagiarism are the non-native English speakers. Obviously, it's because they find it hard to articulate using a language which seems to be foreign to them.
Fourth, I was surprised to know that even high school students are ordering papers. A high school student has a credit card and he uses it to cheat on his professors. This makes me think that teachers these days have to be vigilant in checking papers. If high school students graduate because of cheating, he would surely do the same even when he reaches the tertiary level. And what kind of professional would that student become in the future if they survive through cheating?
Fifth, I've noticed that there are orders (i. e. three of four orders) with the same title and same instructions. This implies that sometimes, not only one student from a class orders a paper. At times, customers are actually classmates. And the teacher might still not have any idea that they are cheating. Oh my God. I'm thankful I'm not teaching in the US or Australia or Canada where most of the clients study.
Lastly, at the back of my mind, I know that this is not the kind of work that I would be proud of. Although, just like what i already mentioned in my previous entry, there are few reasons why I, for a time, enjoyed what I have been doing.
The question now is whether I would get paid or not. I haven't got any payment since I started writing. I think it's so stupid of me to trust an online company that may just actually ask me to write without them paying.
The next thing I will do is to conduct a research on this topic. I am really interested to know why students do this and why their teachers have no clue...
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