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Pros and cons of academic writing services

Student use of academic writing services has grown exponentially in recent years, as the demand for essays and papers has increased in their coursework. There is a lot of discussion about the ethics of this practice on the part of students, but there are certainly times in every student’s life when the options are either to find a good writing service of take failing grades. And, to be certain, there are definitely pros and cons regarding the use of writing services – things to think about as you decide whether their use is a good option for you.

Pros

1. For ESL students, and for others whose writing skills are just not well developed, a writing service can certainly “save the day.” ESL students are at an unfair disadvantage when the expectations are the same for them as they are for native English-speaking students. And, for the math or science student whose English composition skills are not good, to have to take lower grades in non-math or science courses means that his/her GPA takes a serious “hit.”
2. A writing service can also be a “life saver” for the student who must take on a part-time job to meet expenses and whose time is very limited. Deadlines come up with no way to meet them, so it is either take the failing grade or order that essay or paper from a service.
3. Getting essays and papers that have been produced by expert writers can be a valuable learning experience for students who struggle with their writing. They are able to see and to study examples of well-written pieces and can begin to learn how to write their own in the future.
4. Students are forced to take general education courses in which they have no interest and which take lots of time away from their coursework in their major fields of study. They have no interest in these courses, so using a writing service to produce the essays and papers that they really don’t want to produce themselves often makes sense.

Cons

1. One of the biggest “cons” of using a writing service is that there are so many scams in this industry. Finding a company that truly provides original, custom essay writing can be a long and arduous task, and can involve spending money only to get something that is really poorly written. Students may not know how to separate the scams from the “good guys.”
2. Some students believe that it is unethical to use a writing service, because they should always produce their own written assignments. This belief is ingrained from the time they are very young, and it is difficult to overcome, even though, in the real adult world, ghost writers are commonly used.
3. There is a cost involved in using an academic writing service, and, if a good, professional one is found, that cost will be more than the cheap services that only deliver plagiarized or badly written stuff.
4. There is a fear of getting plagiarized writing, and if it is caught, there are usually pretty severe consequences. And it does take some research to find a service that can be trusted not to engage in plagiarism.

Certainly, students will continue to use academic writing services as the need arises. And, yes, there are certainly pros and cons of this practice. The decision to use one or not is, ultimately, a personal one, and both pros and cons must be weighed as that decision is made.