Personal responsibility means being accountable for one’s own actions, not blaming others, whether it is a positive or negative outcome. You are in control of the outcome of your actions, and only you will have to deal with the consequences of that decision. Personal responsibility defines who you are and makes you aware of your decision making. As an adult, accepting personal responsibility is the key to success in any situation.
Purpose for taking Personal Responsibility Academically
Personal responsibility is motivation towards succeeding in college. “A common layperson’s definition of motivation is that it involves a strong personal interest in a particular subject or activity. Students who are interested are motivated and they learn and achieve because of this strong interest.” (Linnenbrink, E.A. & Pintrich, P.R. 2002) A student could improve and maintain his or her college grades when accepting personal responsibility. Using excuses and blaming others can reduce personal responsibility when trying to achieve a goal.
I hold myself accountable for every decision I make. I think long and hard and weigh the pros and cons before I come to a conclusion because my outcome will not only affect me, but everyone around me. It is my personal responsibility to do the best to obtain my degree. It is also my personal responsibility to turn in all my assignments, study for tests, and put in the correct amount of time and participation each week in order to pass the course. My preliminary plan to practice personal responsibility in my education includes, time management, self-discipline, and adopting good study skills. Personal responsibility, as it relates to academics is the taking charge of one’s own learning. ”Goals and self-responsibility represent the foundation upon which personal and academic success are built and all other academic and life skills are based.” (Hughes, L.D., & Marsh, B.A. 2000). Personal responsibility recognizes the importance of completing assignments on time, studying for tests, and performing to the best of one’s ability. I accept responsibility for my own education and I am an active participant. Having a positive sense of responsibility will increase my chance of academic success. The most important ways to improve academic success is to focus on improving the areas of my personal responsibility.
Skills for Academic Success
It takes a combination of skills to achieve academic success. Most students say they want to do well in school, yet many still fail to complete the level of work necessary to succeed academically. The reason is often motivation. Tapping into your interest is a great way to get geared to do well in school.
Time Management
Learning to schedule enough time to complete an assignment might be difficult as a student. A few suggestions to keep in mind for effectively managing your time include:
BEING ORGANIZED- Having an organized workplace and using time saving tools.
PLAN AHEAD- Determine how long the task will take to complete and consider whether any of the activities can be combined.
PRIORITIZE THE TASKS- Set goals for both short and long term as to what you want to accomplish.
AVOID OVERLOAD- Do not put everything of until the last minute ”procrastination”. Take short breaks between study and work periods. Allow time for rest, relaxation, eating, exercise, sleep, and socializing into your schedule. Learn to say “NO” and negotiate better deadlines when appropriate.
BE FLEXIBLE- Unexpected things happen; you need to be able to fit it into your schedule.
Self-Discipline
No matter what kind of student you are, college takes some discipline. Some tips for being self-disciplined while attending college include:
MAKE A SCHEDULE- Schedule your readings, assignments, studying and tests each week, determining which day you will do what. Doing this, you will