If I change some words in my notes to make it easier, is this still plagiarism or is it okay for my essay?

Simply swapping a few words for synonyms—a practice often called "patchwriting"—is generally considered plagiarism in academic settings because it mimics the original author's structure and logic without providing proper attribution. Even if you change the vocabulary, the underlying intellectual property remains the original writer’s. Universities look for your ability to synthesize information, not your ability to rearrange existing sentences. If you rely on this technique, you risk being flagged for academic dishonesty, as instructors can easily identify when the sentence structure doesn't match a student's typical writing style. To paraphrase correctly, you need to step away from the source material entirely. Read the paragraph you want to use, close the book or tab, and then write down the core idea in your own words as if you were explaining it to a friend. This process forces you to internalize the concept rather than just manipulating the text. Once you have captured the meaning, you must still provide a citation for the original source. Paraphrasing is about restating the meaning, not just changing the labels, so your final sentence should sound like something you would naturally write in your own voice. If you are struggling with the language barrier, focus on capturing the main argument rather than translating every single technical term. It is far safer to use a direct quote with quotation marks and a clear citation than to attempt a clumsy paraphrase that might accidentally misrepresent the author's intent. If you remain unsure about your university's specific policies, reach out to your department’s writing center or your professor during office hours; they are usually happy to clarify the difference between acceptable synthesis and academic misconduct. Developing your own academic voice takes time, but learning to integrate sources ethically now will save you from significant stress later in your degree.