Personal Responsibility For College Success

Personal Responsibility for College Success The average college student spends roughly half the amount of time in a classroom as their high school counterpart (University at Buffalo
[UB], 2011), which means they have to take it upon themselves to learn and study the material gone over in class. Even though there are many forms of academic assistance, personal responsibility is necessary for college success because it requires students to accept the consequences of their actions and the choices they make affect all aspects of success in their lives. Personal responsibility is necessary for college success. Students have to learn to take responsibility for their education. There is a larger emphasis placed on out of class work and studying. With this emphasis, the student needs to organize their time and activities to be able to accomplish their goals. Students have to learn to manage their own time. (UB,2011) Something that makes time management difficult is the class schedule. Unlike high school the class times differ from day to day, and often there are time gaps between classes. “The
student would benefit from using organizational tools, such as planners, calendars, to-do lists, folders, binders, and dividers.” (Prevatt, Huijun, Welles, Festa-Dreher, Yelland, & Jiyoon, 2011) The student must be responsible to manage the sometimes challenging college schedule. The choices made at a university can affect all aspects of a student’s life.
Habits that he or she starts in the first semester of their college career extend until graduation. (Harackiewicz, Barron, Tauer, & Elliot, 2002) Students that do not attain a college degree have less career opportunities and make less money than their peers who have graduated (Prevatt, Huijun, Welles, Festa-Dreher, Yelland, & Jiyoon, 2011). They must balance their responsibilities and set priorities. The development of discipline is an “important indicator of success in education.” (Harackiewicz, Barron, Tauer, & Elliot, 2002) By doing this they will set themselves up for success not only in college, but in their careers and lives. These strategies can be applied to their careers. Personal responsibility and time management are two skills that are essential for a successful
person. Another way personal responsibility can be responsible for success is by teaching the students to accept the consequences of their actions. By choosing to put assignments off to the last minute they can cause themselves to receive a lower grade. One must take responsibility and not shift the blame to others. For example it would have been the student’s fault for the low grade; not that the assignment or class was too difficult. However, the student is not alone in their academic endeavors. There is a plethora of programs for academic assistance provided. “Academic advisors at the college level are a valuable resource for assisting students in the attainment of their educational goals and the adjustment to the academic rigors of university life.”(UB, 2011) Yet, all the academic assistance won’t help a student succeed if they don’t take on the responsibility to use it. In conclusion, although there are many forms of academic assistance, personal responsibility is necessary for college success for two main reasons. First, the choices they make affect all aspects of success in their lives. But most importantly, personal responsibility requires students to accept the consequences of their actions.