Personal Responsibility William H. Hill Jr. GEN/200 31 January, 2012 Sherell Ellis I believe that personal responsibility is to be accountable for one’s actions and an individual obligation to personal success. College diplomas are not given to teams. These special certificates are presented as an acknowledgement of individual accomplishment and a testament to a student’s hard work, personal dedication and commitment in achieving academic success. In an educational environment a person can and should give credit to those who have provided them with instruction and by imparting some of their wisdom upon them. However, once someone has been provided with the tools and resources to assist them along the way, ultimately it is up to the individual on how to use those tools correctly. Instructors only have a limited amount of time during which they can provide direction, guidance, and encouragement. After that, students on their own to control the amount of time and effort that is necessary to be successful in reaching their personal educational goals. Once out of the classroom, a student must take upon themself to manage their time wisely and to make the correct decision of how much effort you should personally dedicate to their studies. Although a group of people can perform as a team in order to reach a common goal, and the pooled resources of a group increase the probabilities of successful completion of a project or assignment, personal responsibility is not a group effort and a group cannot be required to be responsible for an individual’s academic success. The obligation lies with the individual student to dedicate the sufficient amount of time and effort required to complete all course work. Personal responsibility is not something that can be delegated to group or another single member of the group. An individual is personally responsible for their academic achievements because they are the only ones who can be held accountable for their own academic success or failures. In order to ensure my own personal success as a college student, I will take the following steps to demonstrate my own personal responsibility to achieving my educational goals: I will attend all of my classes; I will finish all assignments on time and to complete them far enough in advance so that I will not end up crunched or pressed for time. I will use all available resources at my disposal and ask for assistance when needed and for clarification if confused by instructions. I will take constructive criticism in a positive manner. I will be appreciative of all feedback (positive and otherwise). I will become my organized at home by creating a schedule which will help me in achieving a harmonious balance between my studies and my obligations as a provider, husband, and father. After all, I am the one who someday wants to be wearing my cap and gown and accepting a degree I have worked so hard to earn. I am solely responsible for my own success in college.
