Butler
New member
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2026
- Messages
- 14
I want to have an actual discussion about this, not just the usual "cheating is bad" lecture. I'm a philosophy minor, so I think about ethics maybe more than the average person. And I genuinely want to explore the morality of using the cheapest essay writing service, especially when you're a broke, overwhelmed student. Is it really the same as cheating on an exam? Is it always wrong? Let's talk about it.
Here's my perspective. College is expensive. Like, cripplingly expensive. I work two jobs just to pay rent and tuition, and I still have to take out loans. My time is not my own. I'm constantly exhausted. And yet, I'm expected to produce the same quality of work as the kid whose parents pay for everything and who doesn't have to work. Is that fair?
When I use a service to help with a paper, I'm not trying to get out of learning. I'm trying to survive. I'm trying to keep my GPA high enough to keep my scholarship so I can stay in school. Isn't that, in a weird way, a form of self-preservation?
On the other hand, I get the arguments against it. It's academically dishonest. You're submitting work that isn't yours. You're not developing the skills you're supposed to be developing. And if you're in a field where writing matters, you're cheating your future self. Plus, there's the whole "slippery slope" argument. If you do it once, it gets easier to do it again. I've thought about all of that. But here's where I land, at least for now: college, as it's currently structured, is not a level playing field.
Some students have advantages that others don't. Using a writing service, especially a cheap one, can be a way for struggling students to level that field just a tiny bit. It's not ideal. It's not something to be proud of. But in a system that's already stacked against you, is it really the worst thing in the world? I'm genuinely curious what other people think.
Is this just me rationalizing something I want to do, or is there a real ethical gray area here?
Here's my perspective. College is expensive. Like, cripplingly expensive. I work two jobs just to pay rent and tuition, and I still have to take out loans. My time is not my own. I'm constantly exhausted. And yet, I'm expected to produce the same quality of work as the kid whose parents pay for everything and who doesn't have to work. Is that fair?
When I use a service to help with a paper, I'm not trying to get out of learning. I'm trying to survive. I'm trying to keep my GPA high enough to keep my scholarship so I can stay in school. Isn't that, in a weird way, a form of self-preservation?
On the other hand, I get the arguments against it. It's academically dishonest. You're submitting work that isn't yours. You're not developing the skills you're supposed to be developing. And if you're in a field where writing matters, you're cheating your future self. Plus, there's the whole "slippery slope" argument. If you do it once, it gets easier to do it again. I've thought about all of that. But here's where I land, at least for now: college, as it's currently structured, is not a level playing field.
Some students have advantages that others don't. Using a writing service, especially a cheap one, can be a way for struggling students to level that field just a tiny bit. It's not ideal. It's not something to be proud of. But in a system that's already stacked against you, is it really the worst thing in the world? I'm genuinely curious what other people think.
Is this just me rationalizing something I want to do, or is there a real ethical gray area here?