Personal Responsibility Free Essays

Personal Responsibility Elizabeth Mwewa Gen/200 03/09/2013 Personal Responsibility Personal Responsibility is important to one’s education success. This means been responsible and taking accountability towards one’s goals to achieve academic excellence. It requires commitment, integrity, and positive attitude to attain these goals as the results is pure joy. We will write a custom essay sample on Personal Responsibility or any similar topic only for you Order Now Ron Haskins, who is the co-director of Center on Children and Families, Budgeting for National Priorities, wrote an article entitled, â€Å"The Sequence of Personal Responsibility†, states â€Å"Personal responsibility is the willingness to both accept the importance of standards that society establishes. Also means that when individuals fail to meet expected standards, they do not look around for some factor outside themselves to blame. † (Haskins, 2009, para. ) Personal responsibility to me means been responsible and accountable in goals to achieve academic excellence. This can be through commitment, integrity, and positive attitude. I should not blame others people when I do not meet objectives as I have to strive to meet deadlines in class work and assignments by dedicating time, energy, and resources. I should be able to consults my professors and academic advisors when I need help or do not understand assignments and also use the resources available on the university web tools. In colleges, personal responsibility is among the first teaching the students are taught like in this class. In The College of Wooster, Ohio, as reported by Baker (2011), the class of 2015 will be informed of codes of conducts and individual responsibility as outlined in the Wooster’s Ethic, which states that students must uphold academic and personal integrity as well as honest and trust in all academic endeavors. Ron Haskins clearly illustrates what personal responsibility means to individual behavior and the importance of standards that community has towards that. He wrote that â€Å"every person has a responsibility to be ccountable for his or her own actions and not to blame family, friends, economic status, or society in case of failure. It has an overview of personal responsibility in education which shows that students must study hard and learn as much as in courses that press against the limits of their capacity. This requires commitment and academic integrity to be success as without the college education most young people are destined to a life of marginal employment and income†. (Haskins, 2009) The relationship between personal responsibility and college success I achieved recently is when I graduated from Hutchinson Community College with an associate’s degree. I was hesitate to go to back to college especially, because I thought I was old and did not want to face academic challenges. I was born and grew up in an African country, moved to the USA in my adult life with my son. I had worked in the banking profession for over 14 years in Africa, and after settling in the USA, I decided to change my career to Health care. I knew nothing about the healthcare in the USA apart from what I had done research on. After I got a job at one the largest healthcare company, I knew that within time, I would want to start education in health care as all I had was banking and financial education. I had to motivate myself and within a short time I started my associate’s degree in Healthcare Information Technology. The joy of my academic success was evident during my graduation, in which my mother flew from Africa to be part of the celebration as I was the first in her family to obtain college degree. My son who is my biggest supporter in my pursuit for academic excellence had the biggest smile when I received my degree as he had witnessed the hard work and sacrifice I had to go through to be where I was then. This is vice-versa to me on him too. The relationship between personal responsibility and college success has also extended toward my career advancement. The previous classes and the one’s I am taking in pursuit of the bachelor’s degree have and will play a tremendous role on my job performance, communication among my co-workers, time-management, and planning skills. Preliminary plan to practice personal responsibility in my education starts with creating and adhering to academic calendar, which I have pinned on top of my study desk and another at the fridge to remind me on assignments due dates and what else need to be done. I have also set timeline on completing assignments to avoid procrastination. When I achieve my objectives, including reading and submitting all the assignments before the set timeline, I have decided to reward myself with renting the latest movie to watch with my son. Because my son has also decided to join me on the same reward schedule with his school work, we are working hard to make sure we do meet our timelines. In conclusion, as Haskins writes, â€Å"The demise of personal responsibility occurs when individuals blame their family, their peers, their economic circumstances, or their society for their own failure to meet standards,† (Haskins 2009). I believe that one’s success in college or any type of education requires discipline, commitment, dedication, family and the community support. As reported by Christian Bellantoni of The Washington Times, â€Å"president Obama in 2009 asked the nation’s students to take personal responsibility for their future and to put their best effort into their schoolwork, by urging them not to let their family, country, and mostly themselves down. (Bellantoni, 2009). References Haskins, Ron. (2009, July). The Sequence of Personal Responsibility. Brookings Institute. Retrieved from http://www. brookings. edu/research/articles/2009/07/09-responsibility-haskins Bellantoni, C. 2009, September 9). Obama Urges Responsibility In His Pep Talk: Adjusts To Last Week’s Furor Over Approach To Students. The Washington Times. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com. ezproxy. apollolibrary. com/docview/410129873 Baker, Becky. (2011, August 11). New Students Learn About Respect, Responsibility, Relationships. Daily Record [Wooster, Ohio]. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com. ezproxy. apollolibrary. com/docview/885010118 How to cite Personal Responsibility, Essay examples Personal Responsibility Free Essays Personal Responsibility Personal Responsibility The way you perceive Personal Responsibility can be viewed many ways depending on your ethical perspective in life. We all live by a set of ethics that are instilled in us from birth through adulthood. These ethics contribute to our decision making and how we live our lives. We will write a custom essay sample on Personal Responsibility or any similar topic only for you Order Now In order to practice personal responsibility in higher education, you must first define what it means to you, the relationship between personal responsibility and college success and have a plan to follow. Even though uncontrolled situations can happen, you must take personal responsibility for your actions because it demonstrates work ethic and shows your character. Definition of Personal Responsibility My definition of personal responsibility is being accountable for my actions and the way I say or do things. By accepting accountability for my actions, I must make decisions that are ethically responsible. Every day we are faced with dilemmas and our peers expect us to react according to what is normal in society. These decisions must be based on integrity, honesty and our overall values. Once we reach adulthood, the expectation is we aspire into responsible adults without being coerced. This requires accepting that I chose the direction for my life and realize who I am. Recognizing how my choices affect me and others who depend on my support is a key factor of my decision making process. Understanding there are consequences for my behavior prepares me for accepting responsibility in everything I do. Personal responsibility has been defined as being accountable to oneself and the needs and well-being of others (Ruyter,2000). Doherty (1998) has argued that there is an increasing trend in society to refuse accountability and to blame others for one’s situation. Relationship between Personal Responsibility and College Success The relationship between personal responsibility and college success is the ethical choices I make while pursing higher education. In order to be successful in college, I must take personal responsibility for my actions. Students entering college are expected to demonstrate skills that will lead to success. It takes motivation and sincerity to endeavor the challenges and responsibility associated with continuing your education. According to Colby and Sullivan (2009) there are five key dimensions of personal and social responsibility. â€Å"In Striving for excellence: developing a strong work ethic and consciously doing one’s very best in all aspects of college, cultivating personal and academic integrity: recognizing and acting on a sense of honor, ranging from honesty in relationships to principled engagement with a formal academic honor code. Contributing to a larger community: recognizing and acting on one’s responsibility to the educational community and to the wider society— local, national, and global. Taking seriously the perspectives of others: recognizing and acting on the obligation to inform one’s own judgment; engaging diverse and competing perspectives as a resource for learning, citizenship, and work. Developing competence in ethical and moral reasoning: developing ethical and moral reasoning in ways that incorporate the previous four dimensions, and using such reasoning in learning and in life. (p. 24). As a college student, I must take personal responsibility in making sure I succeed. Since I have set the goal of continuing my education, the duty to myself is success. Preliminary Plan The choices I make on a daily basis can impact my success, therefore I must have a plan. My plan is to stay well engaged in my education by working with my academic counselor, attending class regularly, sta ying involved in class discussions, learning better time management skills and completing assignments on time. According to American Federation of Teachers (2011), â€Å"to further their own success, students must be responsible, among other things, for attending classes and keeping up with their coursework. Students must understand that the minimum time commitment required for success in their courses is generally two hours on top of every classroom hour. Engaging professionals in discussions about students’ coursework and their educational and career goals. It is imperative that students regularly seek out faculty, academic and career counselors outside of class. Periodically taking a hard look at their academic and career goals, the time commitments they undertake and the state of their finances to ensure that they develop a program of study that has a good prospect for success. † (Students). My weakest area is time management. Being a single mother of three children, working full time and managing a household is more than a lot of people could handle. In order to take control of these factors in my life, I have started planning ahead and created a biweekly schedule for the entire family. This schedule helps me keep track of upcoming class projects, my work schedule and my children’s activities. I have found this plan to be effective and proficient in keeping my schedule under control. (Ellis, p. 14, 2011). By planning a week or month at a time, you get a bigger picture of your multiple roles as a student, employee, and family member. With that awareness, you can make conscious adjustments in the number of hours you devote to each domain of activity in your life. For a plan to be effective, you must measure the results for success. To help keep me engaged with my academic goals, I have developed a strategy of keeping in constant contact with my academic advisor. I speak with my advisor about the required courses I need to fulfill and a time based goal for achieving this accomplishment. My classes currently require that I participate four days per week, however I devote more time to the classroom. I have also found that doing more than the required work for a class can give you a better understanding of the material. The schedule that has been created for me and my family is updated and evaluated weekly to ensure we are meeting our objectives. Conclusion In conclusion, although uncontrollable situations can happen, you must take personal responsibility for your actions. There may be classes or assignments I don’t enjoy but I must focus and find my strengths in that area. Sometimes life requires you to accept challenges that were not anticipated but good work ethic will discipline you to accept those responsibilities. The projects may not always be interesting but completing them is a true demonstration of your character. Accepting personal responsibility demonstrates strong work ethic and commitment to college success. Creating a plan to help you strategize practicing personal responsibility shows your commitment to success in college. References Colby, A. , Sullivan, W. M. (2009, Winter). Strengthening the Foundations of Students’ Excellence, Integrity and Social Contributions. Liberal Education, 95(1), 22-39 American Federation of Teachers. (2011). ERIC. Retrieved from http://www. eric. ed. gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet? accno=ED518097 Ellis, D. (2011). Becoming a Master Student (13th ed. ). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection How to cite Personal Responsibility, Papers Personal Responsibility Free Essays Personal Responsibility Essay GEN/200 Month Date, Year Professor Week 5: Personal Responsibility Essay: Final Draft To achieve academic success, students must practice personal responsibility through effective time management and communication. Personal responsibility also can be referred to as Accountability that is defined by Merriam-Webster as â€Å"the quality or state of being accountable; an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one’s actions. † http://www. We will write a custom essay sample on Personal Responsibility or any similar topic only for you Order Now merriam-webster. com/dictionary/accountability. In my own words, being responsible is the same as being honest with oneself and possessing the honor and integrity to own up to all your decisions and accepting each consequence if one decides whether or not to follow through. Eleanor Roosevelt was quoted for saying; 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. †Ã‚   http://www. goodreads. com/quotes/tag/personal-responsibility. I agree with Eleanor Roosevelt because I control my own destiny. It is up to me to know the difference between right and wrong and make a wise decision. I know that any decisions I make will come with results. Results that I must maintain a focus mind on no matter what the consequences may be as well as understanding how it could affect the ones around me. A preliminary plan to practice personal responsibility in my education would be time management. I want to concentrate on this area because as a student and in education I need to be able to have a better regiment as far as time management goes. Steinbrook (2006) stated: â€Å"The concept of personal responsibility in health care is that if we follow healthy lifestyles (exercising, maintaining a healthy weight, and not smoking) and are good patients (keeping our appointments, heeding our physicians’ advice, and using a hospital emergency department only for emergencies), we will be rewarded by feeling better and spending less money. † This article is relevant because it demonstrates how individual behavior incorporating time management with appointments, work outs, specific lifestyles and eating habits can lead to positive results. To stay successful with deadlines and managing time I currently have implemented a to do list by my bed side each night, syllabus with different color highlighters as well as 2 different calendars which could be updated from any of my personal handheld devices. Personal responsibility is essential for clear communication. Most of us unfortunately live our lives in a place of insecurity. If we are not willing to take responsibility for our own insecurities then our communications are not true nor clear. In doing so, we are basically teaching other people to respond to us in an unclear way. Mathias  Dewatripont and Jean  Tirole (2005) stated: â€Å"Finally, in the realm of supervisory decision making, a similar observation is that personal responsibility enhances the receiver’s cognitive work. † This article is relevant because it demonstrates the different characteristics communication has pertaining to the sender and the receiver. Keeping in mind that this communication transfer is based on information gathered without the knowledge of knowing if it is true or not. Therefore, I need to focus on proactive listening and taking in all I hear without bias. With taking responsibility for the quality of my thinking I can then put myself in a position of being open, honest and without fear to everyone around me. I know that in implementing this secondary plan I will have created positive new behaviors to my daily life routine to ensure success in my education. In conclusion, although life can sometimes present itself with many different obstacles making it difficult to maintain and achieve set deadlines, personal responsibility is vital in order to maintain college success for two main reasons. First, it teaches you communication and being on time. But most importantly, it shows dedication and determination while being responsible for one’s own actions and behaviors. References: Steinbrook, R. (2006, August). Imposing Personal Responsibility for Health. The New England Journal of Medicine, 355(8), 753-6 doi:10. 1056/NEJMp068141 Dewattripont, M. , and Triole, J. (2005,December). Modes of Communication. The Journal of Political Economy, 113(6), 1217 – 1238. doi:10. 1086/497999 How to cite Personal Responsibility, Papers Personal Responsibility Free Essays There are different aspects involved in personal responsibility. These aspects need to work in harmony in order to have a successful outcome in achieving your goals. They include being accountable, setting priorities and being in control of your domestic obligations. We will write a custom essay sample on Personal Responsibility or any similar topic only for you Order Now Applying personal responsibility is a vital component of educational success and with that success, a chance for personal growth and increased economic stability occurs. Personal responsibility correlates with college success as it connects to every aspect of life, academic or otherwise. When a student is personally responsible, they demonstrate the ability to manage their time, and to e accountable to their professors, their peers, and most importantly, to themselves. Accountability As humans, we are accountable for all our actions. In terms of college success, being an honest student and having integrity support this. It is a student’s moral obligation to uphold to your professors and your peers. The college campus and classroom, as well as all other academic areas, are communities where students not only learn independently and from an instructor, but from each other. In this way, as members of this community, we share with one another. The idea of accountability does not stop at our peers and professors. As students, we make ourselves accountable and responsible for being the best possible version of ourselves. In his commencement speech at Morehouse College, President Obama stated that, â€Å"the spirit of excellence, hard work, and dedication and no excuses,† (Obama, 2013) are requirements for success. This quote perfectly summarizes one of the major tenets of my definition of personal responsibility: living up to the best version of yourself. Proportioning As a student, you have a personal responsibility to complete your assignments, papers and exams. In order to be successful with this, you need to be able to strike a throng balance with how you manage your study time. Everyone has different learning styles, and it would be beneficial to explore your strengths and weaknesses and seek help when needed, e. G. , by Joining study groups or academic workshops to prepare for upcoming exams. Being disciplined, diligent and honest with your approach to your education is your formula for academic success. Being accountable means that you will have to prioritize certain activities over others. Proportioning means deciding which tasks deserve and require most of your energy and attention at a given moment. To master this skill would be a great advantage to anyone, as it aids in time management and helps you achieve your long-term goals. Even the most organized people sometimes risk running out of time before their most important tasks has been completed. In his guide to becoming a successful student, physics Professor Richard Silverman at Western Kennedy University states, â€Å"[successful students] are good time managers. They know that time control is life control and have consciously chosen to be in control of their life. † (Silverman, n. D. Peg. L) According to Proportioning Techniques Save Your Time and Energy (2007), who gives helpful advice on proportioning with the 80/20- rule. It states, â€Å"One key reason proportioning works and works well is the 80/20 rule. The States 80 percent of our typical activities contribute less than 20 percent to the value of our work. Therefore, if you do only the most important 20 percent of your tasks you still get most of the value. Then, if you focus most of your efforts on those top value activities, you achieve much more than before, or you will have more time to spend with your family. † This quote illustrates how proportioning and accountability go hand and hand. Because of organizing time according to the order of importance, your family and friends will now that you prioritize your schoolwork above everything else; they will trust you and know that you are a responsible individual. Control and Management of domestic obligations: Paying bills on time and managing your finances is equally as important as managing time. Running a home is a lot like running a business, as the same principles apply. With everything in life, you still need personal gratification and enjoyment in doing it. Many college students of today go to school while taking care of a family. Both of these things might seem like it is impossible to do, but proper management might ease stress, and allow you more time to yourself. This in turn will make you feel accomplished and motivate you to continue to balance out the two areas of your life. In the article Paying for College: A Lifetime Proposition they wrote, â€Å"College is, in fact, a long-term investment returning financial and personal benefits that extend over a lifetime, but our society is ill-prepared, either psychologically or institutionally, to think of paying for college in lifetime terms † (McPherson Skinner, 1986,Para. 29-36). It suggests that the realization and understanding that applying arsenal responsibility to protect the investment you make with your education is vital. One way to prepare is to research all resources available whether it is scholarships, federal and state grants or student loans. However, if you intend to apply for a student loan, let it be the last option you choose because after completing your education, you will still have that financial burden and debt to repay. Despite how expensive it can be to pay for school, the results can be very rewarding. The knowledge and experience you receive will be priceless. Coming up with ways to implement these tactics is easier said than done, but here are many resources open to all kinds of students today. If you are having trouble with a class, it will be advisable to ask your instructor for additional help during office hours, or ask fellow classmates to arrange a study group. If it is available to you, tutoring assistance could also be a huge help. Avoiding procrastination is a goal for most students, but many fail to fall into its traps. One solution would be to, disable all electronic devices that can potentially distract you from your work, or you can download an extension that can temporarily limit your access to non-academic websites. In conclusion, although the balance between personal responsibility and educational success is established, taking personal responsibility can have a positive impact on college success for two main reasons. Demonstrating personal responsibility will have positive outcomes on how you manage your time as a student. Because you know that as a student you are accountable to your school community, you will take your work more seriously. By learning how to balance your schoolwork crosses over to the other areas of your life, and teaches you how to be expansible in terms of those areas as well. How to cite Personal Responsibility, Papers