This year, English teachers decided to have students write all essays in class because artificial intelligence (AI) makes it easy for students to cheat.

“AI has made it way too easy and tempting for students to plagiarize,” said English teacher Jordan Gutlerner. “It’s very difficult for us to know whether anyone’s plagiarizing or not, and it takes way too much time to try to figure it out.”

In previous years, students were provided with in-class writing time but could also work on essays at home. The new system requires students to adapt to the limited time that teachers designate.

Gutlerner has observed that only writing in class has increased productivity.

“When I would have students write essays in the past, I would usually give them several class periods to work on it,” said Gutlerner. “I think that was often wasted time, [but] now nobody’s wasting time… Everyone is working really hard to get the essay done because they know they don’t have time outside of class.”

Students have mixed opinions on whether this change has been beneficial.

Junior Avaneesh Sistla appreciates how this new method encourages students to enter class more prepared.

“Now that I have to do it in class, I feel like it forces me to make a proper structure and actually prepare beforehand and think about what I’m going to say,” said Avaneesh. “I feel like [my essays have] gotten better, and it’s nicer than having to do it at home. I don’t want to waste like an hour and a half doing it at home when I can do that at school.”

However, other students find that the shorter amount of time to write adds stress and prevents them from creating work that satisfies them.

“It’s really hard to submit [when you have a time limit], basically, because you have one shot to get it right and maybe a couple of periods to revise,” said junior Isabella Tolba. “It feels like what I’m submitting is not my best work.”