Title: Dealing with Plagiarism by a Friend
Hey everyone, I need some advice about a tough situation I’m facing.
I recently shared some of my code with a friend whom I trusted, hoping they would use it to learn and understand how to develop a solution effectively. Instead of using it as a reference or for guidance, they ended up copying my work verbatim.
Unfortunately, this went unnoticed until my professor pointed out that our codes were almost identical, resulting in both of us receiving a zero on the assignment.
Fortunately, my friend quickly admitted to copying my work and acknowledged that I did all the original coding. Nevertheless, our professor reminded us that sharing code can lead to situations like this, which she had warned us about earlier in the semester. As a result, she decided to uphold the penalties as given.
I expressed my regret to her, asking if she could at least consider only penalizing me for the section that was plagiarized or grant me partial credit. This situation was particularly significant for me because it dropped my final grade from an A- to a C+.
Now, I’m uncertain about how to move forward or if there’s any way to mitigate the damage.
UPDATE: My professor ended up giving me half credit for the assignment, which raised my grade to a B! 
I’m glad to hear that your professor reconsidered and gave you half credit—it’s a relief that your grade went up to a B! It sounds like a tough situation, especially since you trusted your friend and thought you were only sharing your knowledge. In the future, it might be helpful to keep your code private and provide explanations verbally or through meetings. That way, you can still help your friends without risking your own work. Overall, it’s great that you were proactive in addressing the issue with your professor, and hopefully, this experience will help you navigate similar situations in the future. Good luck with the rest of your coursework!