Friend keeps copying my work

My Friend Keeps Copying My Work

I’ve got a frustrating situation with a friend. We have an assignment due tomorrow, but the teacher’s instructions were pretty vague, and to make matters worse, I wasn’t even in school when they were given out.

One of my close friends, let’s call her Suzy, texted me to fill me in on what the teacher said. She explained it fairly simply: we needed to find basic explanations for the topics given, jot them down, and come up with our own examples. It was intended to be a self-assignment to assess our understanding so far.

As the name suggests, this assignment was meant to be done individually. Yet, due to the unclear guidelines, everyone is trying to make sense of it—except for Suzy, who seems to think it’s my responsibility to do the work for her.

Yesterday, she messaged me asking for my assignment so she could copy it. I told her I hadn’t even started, as I wasn’t sure what to write. You’d think that would stop her, but no. Today, she texted again asking for my work. No “please,” no effort to take ownership, just an expectation that I’d do the work for her to copy.

I responded again, reiterating that I hadn’t started because I didn’t know what to write, especially since I missed the class. Rather than taking the hint, she asked if I was coming to school tomorrow, likely hoping to copy my work in person before class. When I responded vaguely, unsure if I would be there, she insisted, “Even then, just send it.” I made it clear once more that I didn’t have anything to share, but she continued to push, saying, “Just send it once you write it.” I just don’t get it—does she really not understand my refusal?

This isn’t the first time she’s done this. She frequently asks to copy my homework, and it’s always the exact same submission, verbatim, without any changes.

As a business student, accounting is one of my core subjects, and while it can be tricky, once you grasp the concepts, it becomes straightforward with practice. My teacher usually assigns us 2-4 questions for practice, which is essential since it’s my final year. Every time this happens, Suzy messages me, expecting my answers. I’m genuinely willing to help if she doesn’t understand, but it’s clear that’s not the issue here.

This pattern continues in other subjects too. For example, we often have creative writing assignments in English, and once Suzy asked for my piece as a “reference.” I sent it, and the next day, I noticed she had copied it word for word. What’s worse is that she shares it with the whole class, resulting in everyone submitting identical assignments.

I tried to be understanding, thinking maybe I was overreacting. But it’s maddening to invest so much time into perfecting my work only for lazy students to take it in a matter of minutes.

Finally, I told Suzy to do the assignment herself and suggested she use resources like Google to help with her research. She seemed offended, responding with a curt “Ok, bye.”

Now I’m looking for advice on how to handle this situation. I have a feeling she might be telling our classmates about my response and spinning it into something else. Any thoughts? 🤦🏻‍♀️