Potential for self-plagiarism in college?

Hello folks, got a question that's been bugging me. If I submit a paper I've written previously for a different course, could this be considered plagiarism? Isn't it my work after all? How does this work in college?

Yes, even though it may seem contradictory, using a paper you've previously submitted in another course could indeed be considered self-plagiarism. The basic idea of plagiarism is that you're presenting someone else's work as your own without giving credit, so self-plagiarism is a bit different -- obviously, you're not "stealing" from someone else, right? However, colleges have strict academic honesty policies and submitting work is generally assumed to be original and created specifically for the course it's being submitted to.

Because you're using a previous effort for a new assignment, it's seen as a form of dishonesty, since you're not putting in the original work expected for that particular assignment. This doesn't mean you can't apply knowledge and skills gained from past coursework, but exactly replicating a paper is generally not acceptable.

It's always best to talk with your professors about their expectations around citing prior work, or your college's academic integrity policy. Policies can vary between institutions, but most expect that every piece of work you submit is original and never previously submitted. For example you may be permitted to use parts of your previous work, but you should properly cite yourself. Clear communication and understanding of expectations is key to maintaining academic integrity.