Personal Responsibility In College

Personal Responsibility and College Success The absence of personal responsibility is one of the main causes of academic failure (Hwang, 1995). According to Scheldon and Schatchman (2007), one may use Schlenker’s Triangular Model of Responsibility to identify three possible excuses people make to avoid accepting responsibility: prescription, identity, and events. Devising a plan for success in college is an excellent way to ensure that all of one’s academic goals will be achieved. To be successful in college, students must learn what is expected of the successful student, and strive to meet those guidelines. Personal responsibility encompasses the societal expectations of acceptable behavior placed on all individuals, the effort one puts
For the college student, this means to have a plan of how to be successful in their academic endeavors. These plans work best if they are very specific and are recorded in a notebook or saved some place that can be referred back to later. The first step in making these plans would be to set an ultimate goal, perhaps to achieve a degree. Next the student should record all of the classes they will need to complete in order to obtain the desired degree. Next the student should make arrangements to transfer existing college credits, and take any necessary entrance and aptitude exams. Upon successful transfer and/or enrollment, the student should register for prerequisite courses and/or program courses. Next the student should tour the school and find where their classes will be located ahead of time. The student should also determine how long it will take to travel to school, and how much time they will need to allow for their commute. Next the student should purchase all necessary materials for their courses, such as office supplies and course books, and plan to bring those materials to class. The student should make a commitment to do all required reading for classes ahead of time and complete all assignments before their due date. The student should arrive to class well rested and ready to learn. The student must be able and willing to take adequate notes during each
College students that are responsible in academics are likely to obtain their desired degree. Students should strive to meet all requirements of students at their college or university, as well as seek to learn as much as possible during their time as a college student. They should also have a plan for how they plan to do well in college and work hard to meet those goals. Finally, all students should be willing to accept consequences when they have an academic