Researchers at UCD Medical School fear that this seasonal disease has been lying undetected for years and could have detrimental effects on students across the university.
‘Leeching’ mainly affects the desperate, sloth-like students but can also negatively affect students who are spineless and tend to people-please. Often, the ‘leech’ student will prey on the vulnerable to obtain lecture notes, reading summaries or sometimes entire assignment submissions!
Although no definitive cause has been found for this disease, it is speculated that a high number of unopened Brightspace readings, overdue assignments, and low lecture attendance are contributing factors.
Like the flu, this illness is seasonal and highly contagious. It is commonly found during the last three weeks of the semester but can be identified as early as Week 4.
The Turbine spoke to the UCD Plagiarism Board who are particularly concerned about the rising case numbers “What upsets us most is that anyone can fall victim to this disease and can catch it more than once. A student can fall victim to a leech one week and is a leech themselves the next. It is escalating at an alarming rate.”
Miraculously students recover during the Christmas and summer holidays, however, ‘long-leeching’ can result in students not being trusted or helped by their fears in the future.
Stay safe.
Little Miss O’Hanraha-Hanrahan – Studying While in Quarantine
