Personal Responsibility

Personal Responsibility

Kevin C Towery

GEN200

February 13, 2012

Marcia Williams

Personal Responsibility

When first entering college, a student can easily be overwhelmed by the freedom he will find, and the numerous choices he faces. These choices can range from how to maintain a satisfactory balance between school and his social life, to whether or not he will complete his schoolwork. Even though a student can receive advice from multiple sources during his years in college, he must develop his own sense of personal responsibility, because only he can manage his time, finances, and relationships, which in turn will allow him to be successful in college. The notion of personal responsibility has many definitions and is unique to everyone. In the spring of 1990, an informal survey was conducted with the faculty of a high school in Illinois to attempt to define personal responsibility and the responses were quite varied (Grossnickle, Stephens, & National School Safety Center, 1992, p. 25). I define personal responsibility as accepting the results of the choices I make to control my path in college. By committing myself to returning to school for a bachelor’s degree, I accept that I will have to effectively manage my time, my finances, and my relationships with friends and family to ultimately find success in college.

Susan Schapiro and Jennifer Livingston (2000) believed that students who enjoyed a supportive environment could develop their sense of personal responsibility for how they approached their studies, and consequently be successful. Although my friends, my parent, my family, and college faculty may provide support by advising me on the choices I am facing in college, the benefits and consequences of those decisions will be realized primarily by me. When I discussed my program schedule with my academic counselor, she informed me that my schedule would have a class starting the Tuesday after one course ended with no break for a total of 10...