Personal Responsibility Essay Free Essays

Students are Responsible for Their Own Educational Future John Doe Eng/215 01/01/01 Jane Doe Students are Responsible for Their Own Educational Future A student is personally responsible for the integrity, dedication, and attitude committed to furthering their education. Personal responsibility is defined as taking responsibility for one’s actions and accepting the consequences of those actions. In the area of education, it means students are the ones that will be held accountable for their schoolwork. We will write a custom essay sample on Personal Responsibility Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now Blaming circumstance or other people for failure to obtain a degree will not change the fact they did not live up to the standards agreed upon before enrollment. Personal responsibility is about the integrity to make the choice to do our own work. Therefore, shortcuts that cheat us and take away from the learning experience should be avoided. The reward of hard work and an honest effort is a better understanding and greater appreciation for the subject. Schools should work to create a culture of academic honesty. Professors, staff, and students must understand that integrity and honesty are valued qualities to be nurtured and maintained. Those who truly value learning, never even consider cheating. That is academic integrity (ASCCC, 2007). A student must have the courage to own both the good that is accomplished and the mistakes made along the way. The mark of a mature student is to learn from these mistakes and continue to improve. A positive attitude displayed towards constructive criticism is essential in order to achieve the necessary improvements. Personal responsibility is a virtue that should apply to a student’s thoughts, feelings, and actions. Ultimately, with sufficient resources available, the time and effort a student contributes will determine their amount of success. Members of the School of Education and Human Development at George Washington University wrote Recent scholarship has emphasized the importance of student effort and involvement in their academic and co-curricular activities as the decisive elements in promoting positive college outcomes. As colleges have struggled to extend opportunities, an accompanying expectation for students to assume esponsibility for their own education often has been lacking. Institutions must work to create a climate in which all students feel welcome and able to fully participate. It is equally important to nurture an ethic that demands student commitment and promotes student responsibility. Students can contribute to their own learning and to the development of a campus climate in which all can grow and learn (Davis Murrell, 1993). Some classes will be more stimulating to a student than others. Often there are required courses in a subject of less personal interest. The responsible student will display the same attitude and dedication to these classes as in the ones enjoyed the most. For example, subjects such as math may not seem as relevant to an English degree as 20th century English literature, but they should receive the same level of commitment. A student must set aside both resources and time to complete assignments. For example: An on-line student can have the best computer with all the right software and it won’t do a bit of good if they begin working on their thesis two hours before the due date. At the same time, a student can have a week to dedicate to writing their thesis and it won’t do them any good if they cannot get to a computer to submit it to the Professor. Before students begin a course they should ensure they have both the time and resources necessary to succeed. When assignments are too difficult, or grades are lower than expected, some students look for others to blame. To quote from California State University, Chico’s recent guidelines for new students â€Å"DO NOT BLAME OTHERS FOR YOUR ACADEMIC PROBLEMS. A large number of students blame others for their failure. This is a cop-out for ineptitude† (CSUC, 2011-2012). Students who have accepted personal responsibility will look into themselves to find the motivation to achieve their academic goals. For those who want to get the most from their university experience blaming the lack of time, work, family obligations, the instructor, or the university, is not an option. In order to practice personal responsibility in my education I will do my best to follow the five guidelines outlined by members of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Five Key Dimensions of Personal and Social Responsibility (Colby Sullivan 2009) 1. Strive for excellence: I must do my best at all times. If at the end of the day I can say I have done everything possible with what I have, I can accept the outcome with my head held high. 2. Cultivate personal and academic integrity: I will get what I put into my education. If I cheat and plagiarize from others it hurts me and my team members. In order to be truly proud at the end of this long hard process I have to be able to say I DID IT. I copied it doesn’t have the same ring to it. 3. Contribute to a larger community: Working within my team is important. Together we can achieve a better outcome than we could separately. Working with diverse people we can learn from and strengthen each other. 4. Take seriously the perspectives of others: We are all different and look at the world through our own experiences. Nobody has all the answers and everyone has strengths and weaknesses. The trick is to use our strengths to help others while accepting help to strengthen our weaknesses. 5. Develop competence in ethical and moral reasoning: I need to gain confidence in my ability to think things through using all available information. I must hold myself to the highest moral and ethical standards both in the academic world and life in general. In conclusion, although some may blame others for their failure to obtain a degree, students that truly want to learn must take personal responsibility for their education. The amount of effort they devote to the education process has a direct correlation to the success achieved. Committing the resources and time necessary to achieve your educational goals will pay off in the end. References California State University, Chico. (2011-2012). How to Succeed in College. Retrieved from http://www. csuchico. edu/aap/top-nav/transfers/succeed_college. shtml Colby, A. , Sullivan, W. (2009). Strengthening the Foundations of Students’ Excellence, Integrity, and Social Contribution. Retrieved from http://ehis. ebscohost. com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer? sid=a83f0f2d-f775-4da9-85e2-b9fa7d9e3dc8%40sessionmgr14vid=6;hid=5 Davis, T. , ; Murrell, P. (1993). Turning Teaching Into Learning: The Role of Student Responsibility in the Collegiate Experience. Retrieved from http://ntlf. com/html/lib/93-8dig. htm The Academic Senate For California Community Colleges. (Spring 2007). Promoting And Sustaining An Institutional Climate Of Academic Integrity. Retrieved from http://www. eric. ed. gov. PDFS/ED510583. pdf How to cite Personal Responsibility Essay, Essays Personal Responsibility Essay Free Essays Personal Responsibility Julie Torbert Gen 200 August 13, 2012 Ben McCollum Personal Responsibility Personal responsibility includes taking accountability for one’s actions, responsibilities, and goals that will improve performance and relationships in one’s life. Personal responsibility means that one is responsible for his or her actions and any consequences they may cause. People are solely responsible for their attitude; how they feel and think about things will determine if they will be successful in life. We will write a custom essay sample on Personal Responsibility Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now Persons are also accountable for their goals in life, first they need to set goals and determine what steps they will need to take to accomplish the goals they have in life. One should set short-term goals to help build up to long-term goals; doing this will allow you to feel accomplished each time a short-term goal is reached and will keep you motivated. A person can write down their short-term goals that lead up to their long-term goals so that every time that person checks off a short-term goal it will help them to feel a sense of accomplishment. Another way to build a person’s identity is to broaden experiences, knowledge, and insight. Doing this helps a person gain social and moral character which develops social and personal accountability (Braskamp Chickering, 2009). Personal responsibility will help oneself to achieve college success. As they hold their self accountable for their success, they will gain control over their lives, which will in turn, build their self-esteem. People who develop a sense of purpose will commit to being personally and socially responsible. Developing purpose is a way to think broadly and to view one’s life in a manner that encompasses career plans and aspirations as well as personal interests and interpersonal and family commitments and responsibilities† (Braskamp Chickering, 2009, p. 28). A person should learn what their weaknesses are and work on turning them into their strengths; this will help them to become a better person and student. Experience is one of the best w ays to learn, so surrounding oneself with virtuous leaders will help to define and strengthen one’s character (Osiemo, 2012). Improving one’s weaknesses will help to increase their performance, leaving them with more time for other things. Holding one personally responsible for their actions will help them stop procrastinating and get their work done in a systematic manner. A person will need to learn to manage their time to accomplish getting their work done without feeling stressed and overwhelmed. Managing one’s time includes work, school, health, and also finding the extra time to do things they enjoy. A calendar is a good way to keep a person on track by organizing a daily and weekly schedule. A smartphone is another good way to keep track of appointments or deadlines by setting alerts up on the calendar in the telephone. Having an organized schedule helps a person feel a sense of direction and relief from stress. When a student is in a time crunch they should delegate tasks to others if possible. Doing this with one’s children can relieve stress off of the student while also teaching their children responsibility. Learning to manage time will help adults with their relationships they have with their loved ones and also set an example for others to follow. The more one holds themselves accountable, the more respect they will earn from others. People are not born destined to become leaders; they must obtain values, morals, and ethics and live by them. (Osiemo, 2012) Managing emotions are a huge part of developing one’s personal and social responsibility. When a person learns their temperament and how to focus their emotions into positive results they have attained a huge goal that will lead to their success. Anger is an emotion most people deal with at an early age but often have problems controlling. To gain control over one’s emotions a person must first recognize the emotion they are feeling. Then a person can learn effective ways to deal with the emotion that they are feeling. Some effective ways of dealing with one’s emotions are to write down their feelings or talk to others about them. Other people use activities such as sports to channel their emotions; furthermore others find doing physical work helps while also producing positive results. The ability to manage emotions becomes critical to effectively tackle social problems as we bring diverse backgrounds and perspectives to a variety of hot topics† (Braskamp Chickering, 2009, p. 28). My plan for personal responsibility is first to manage my time better. I have found that if I take my lunch to work with me that I can use my hour lunch break for reading and studying. This way, I gain five hours of study time a week that does not take from the time I have with my family. I have written down my short-term and long-term goals and am currently planning on checking my first short term goal off of my list which is finishing this class. I use my calendar at work to schedule my work assignments as well as my school assignments. I use my smart phone calendar to remind me of personal appointments and my children’s activities. I have a plan to incorporate my workout time in the evenings with my family at a local track where we can walk and run while we catch up on the day’s events. This likewise helps to relieve my stress and elevate my mood. I have also set aside study time on the weekend mornings while my family is asleep. This allows me to spend most of my evening and weekend nights free for family time and to socialize. Another way I have learned to use my time in an efficient manner was to buy a headset that way on my hour and a half commute to work I can talk to my children. In conclusion, personal responsibility includes managing ones actions, goals, time and emotions. Learning to do this is not easy but well worth it, one will gain a sense of self accomplishment, as well as respect from others. A person must learn values and ethics as well as how to manage their time and responsibility if they want to become a leader in society. Eleanor Roosevelt once said â€Å"In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility† (Goodreads Inc. , 2012). Bibliography Braskamp, L. A. , Chickering, A. (2009). Developing a Global Perspective for Personal and Social Responsibility. Peer Review, 11(4), 27-30. Goodreads Inc. (2012). goodreads. com. Retrieved August 24, 2012, from Goodreads: How to cite Personal Responsibility Essay, Essay examples