Plagiarism is an intriguing topic with many avenues for exploration. Students' perceptions of plagiarism certainly differ from their professors' and it is valuable to attempt to listen in some small measure to what those perceptions are. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of some of the ways first- and second-year university students understand the phenomenon of plagiarism. Because the question involves a subjective state of knowing--an exploration of the meaning of these students' experiences as they interpreted them--a qualitative study was the most appropriate choice. It is hoped that this study will provide the literature on university plagiarism with a new perspective: one from within the student's own understanding and experience. The findings of this study indicated that students did not seem to care about plagiarism intrinsically, as a matter of concern stemming from themselves. It was almost always a function of their professors and what they cared about. This author suggests that teachers and university faculty should consider that their current methods of prevention are no longer working for every student, and that there is a need to improve their strategies for helping their students to discover the importance of intellectual property and the sharing and ownership of ideas. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)