Personal Responsibility and College Success
Tommorra Shelton
Gen/200
May 14, 2012
Dr. Rosalind Williams

As I began to do this assignment, I had to do some critical thinking about what personal responsibility means to me and how could I develop a plan to correlate it to my education. The more I thought about it, the only thing I could relate the idea to was the movie Forrest Gump. The correlation of his shoes was used to contrast how personal responsibility supported his choices, adversity, and communication; as his sneakers supported him as he ran.
Personal responsibility is not something as simple as putting on a pair of sneakers when necessary. It cannot be used when it is handy to a certain ordeal. Just like clothes, personal responsibility something that must be worn at all times. One will either accept the responsibility or they will not.
Personal responsibility has been defined as being accountable to oneself and the needs and well-being of others. Simply taking care of your own business, i.e. doing what you say, saying what you mean, and being accountable for what you have said or done. There are times when we want to point the finger at others, rather than pointing the finger at ourselves, which is also known as the blame game. Everyone should live his or her life by accepting responsibility for their own actions, staying true to their own word, and placing no blame or accusation on the people around them. Wanting to blame, justify, and depend on others for our personal needs are forms of personal killers. There will always be some form of a scapegoat but using that strategy will not take long to unwind.
Responsibility is a word that will be said so often, that it can be a permanent etching on the brain. Jim Rohn stated, “You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of.” (Mackay, 2012) Likewise, Denis Waitley, who is a writer and who also gives individual lectures on multiple levels of financial success, says, “A sign of wisdom and maturity is when you come to terms with the realization that your decisions cause your rewards and consequences. You are responsible for your life, and your ultimate success depends on the choices you make.” (Mackay, 2012). With every decision made, responsibility comes with it. People shy away from responsibility for numerous of underlining reasons; rather it is by being lazy or from the apprehension of disappointment, to a sense of being weighed down by the core of the problem or situation. Whatever that reason may be, if one fails to take responsibility, they may fail themselves, and their ability to grow as an individual. One great reward that comes along with accepting responsibility is the learning lesson with the decision made. Those who accept responsibility for their mishaps and attitudes and have an act to change will resort to positive results from life. When given the opportunity to make important decisions, those decisions can have a huge impact on your success in all areas in your life.
Responsibility goes along with college success. Going to college is a huge step for some. By deciding to go to college, you must be willing to accept the responsibility of getting to class on time, completing assignments, and know how to manage time for studying. Being able to manage time with family, friends, and school, can be stressful. You must be ready to make sacrifices because those are some huge hurdles to cross. According to Dave Ellis, Being a Master Student (2011), “Time is an equal opportunity resource. All of us, regardless of gender, race, creed, or national origin, have exactly the same amount of hours in a week. No matter how famous we are, no matter how rich or poor, we get 168 hours to spend each week-no more, no less.
While attending college, I will learn to balance my time by creating and following a daily schedule which will include priority time for reading and writing assignments, class time, spending time with friends and family, and social activities. I will also include plans to learn and practice good study behaviors, such as setting goals; learning useful reading habits, note taking, strategies on effective test taking; getting to class on time; as well as completing assignments on time. I will also utilize the online campus resource center, counselors and advisors, faculty, tutors, and classmates to help me advance further in college. Plans to make rational goals will also become part of my college success. Those plans will include writing down realistic goals, which will increase my chances of meeting those goals. Also making a to-do list will be another factor that I will include in my college plans. Keeping a to-do list will help keep my day-to-day life organized. With it being easy to forget important tasks, by writing my tasks down, I won’t have to rely on my memory.
I will do my best to be honest with myself. Think about what I really need to accomplish, rather than what others would want for me. Taking time to set goals and looking at my progress will be a life-long task. As I move along in my college year, I will take time to reevaluate my goals and the steps I have taken to make sure I am doing what is necessary to accomplish the goals I have set out to achieve.
Throughout my adulthood, I have avoided situations that do not feel right. Maybe I have an inner right and an erroneous antenna. By following it, I usually act in a humane manner. If I do not, I will likely be walking on pins and needles, with no general knowledge. I have learned to talk with others on how to respond in certain situations. I learned to be open, listen, and reflect on the challenges that I may or may not face. Sometimes making a rapid decision seems logical, but other times a simple reflection can be an important part in staying true to your ethics. By involving people in my life who can give me a variety of ethical perspectives on having a successful college experience, I know that no obstacle will be hard to overcome. Although undefined, everyone must take accountability for their personal responsibility for two main reasons; first and foremost, responsibility goes along with college success. But most importantly, accepting responsibility can make you successful.

Reference

Ellis, D. (2010, November 24). Not for Sale-Higher Education. Retrieved May 14, 2012, from Cengage Sites: cengagesites.com/academic/assets/sites/5052/BecomingaMasterStudentConcise13e_ch02.pdf
Mackay, H. (2012, Januray 26). Be Responsible For Yourself. Retrieved May 14, 2012, from Harvey Mackay Website: harveymackay.com/column/be-responsible-for-yourself/