I Plagiarised, what punishment can I expect? I am a university student, doing a scientific bachelor study. I plagiarised multiple exercises from multiple homework sets for three different classes, all in all about 50% of all the homework for those three classes. I passed the final exams of those three classes. Realizing what I have done, I am considering turning myself in, unless the punishment would be too severe. What do you think?

Edit: I actually got caught once before for plagiarising on a single homework set. 

Edit2: I calculated that redoing the courses would cost me at least $7000, this is also a consideration for me personally.

Edit3: I actually copied the homework of a friend who gave it to me because he trusted me. I broke this trust, and now he terminated our friendship. I asked him about it and turning myself in is the only way to earn back his respect.

I'd like to know from more people what kind of punishment I could expect. If I turn myself in, I would find it fair to only have to redo the three classes.
I am considering turning myself in, unless the punishment would be too severe.


You are describing an extremely serious violation of most university's academic integrity policies.  The most likely punishment is that your credit for those classes would be revoked, your grades would be changed to Fs on your transcript, and you would be suspended or expelled.  (That would certainly be the most likely result at my university.)

Nevertheless, I believe you should turn yourself in.  

Ari gives a good summary of the ethical argument, but there is also a selfish practical argument.  Since you mention being caught once, there is good reason to believe that your work will face additional scrutiny.  If you get caught before turning yourself in, the result is much more likely to be permanent expulsion.  If you admit your plagiarism, the punishment will be slightly less severe; in particular, even if they decide on expulsion, the university will be much more likely to readmit you after 2-3 years.

Even if you decide not to turn yourself in, I recommend taking a short break from university, if you can afford it.  The amount of cheating you describe indicates that something is very wrong — maybe you were overwhelmed, maybe you were scared, maybe you were lazy, maybe the homework were insultingly stupid, maybe you just didn't want to be there — but something was preventing you from engaging in those classes as a responsible student.  You need to figure out what that something is and address it, or you'll just fall into the same pattern again.