Personal Responsibility and College Success

I believe personal responsibility is a way individual’s show ownership of the choices they make, especially life-impacting decisions. I strongly believe College is a major decision that people need to prepare for future success. With that in mind, both can be very similar because without personal responsibility, college success is virtually impossible. College success can be very achievable by learning excellent study techniques, proper time management skills, and having positive family support Study Techniques

The first step to becoming a successful student is establishing excellent study techniques. In research of strategies for success, findings from Creed and Kuncel (2008) indicate that “the relationship between personality and academic performance is mediated by study attitudes and habits”(p.440). Through a little bit of research I have found a few helpful study habits. Practice testing is always a good way to study. The more frequently individuals do self-practice tests the better because it is less information to cover. If you do not want to go to the extreme of making up a full test, flash cards are always a good alternative.

Distributed study is another good strategy to learn. Instead of reading all five chapters in a textbook the night before class, students who use the distributed work technique will disperse the reading and associate work evenly throughout the week. Portioning the work out over time will minimize stress and allow more free time to be able to accomplish daily tasks that need to be completed. Finally, building daily routine helps to keep students on top of all their assignments. If you set a specific time i.e. 6PM to 7PM daily, to work on/complete assigned tasks you will not have to scramble in order to complete your work. Time Management

Next is to gain proper time management skills. Setting goals is always a great way to manage time. Goals can be projected long-term (i.e. I want to graduate by summer 2015, or they can be short-term goals, i.e. I want to finish my homework by Friday night) so I can attend the barbeque this weekend. Setting achievable goals is an great way to aim for success. In addition to goal setting, creating lists is an effective method to manage tasks. Committing the important tasks that must be completed on paper and assigning specific due dates to them (i.e. I need to complete reading no later than Monday, I will do my exercise Tuesday, and finally that leaves me Wednesday and Thursday to complete my writing assignment). Finally, make sure you give yourself breaks and rewards. Proper time to rest is needed to be able to think clearly. Family Support

Finally, positive family support plays an immeasurable role for college success. According to Gonzalez-De Has et al. 2005; Trusty and Lampe 1997, “Family support is found to offer individuals a sense of security and comfort because it represents how much their family cares about them and are supportive of their goals.” Moral support is the fuel that drive individuals to success. Students who build schedules with their families are able to complete their assignments and work around their school schedules more effectively than students who do not involve their families in this process. If the career path chosen requires you to be gone most of the year, remember, it may not be supported by wife, children, or family. Summary

Applying excellent study techniques, proper time management, and positive family support, makes college success achievable. Some of the key points to take away from study techniques are practice tests and building a routine for academic success. Looking back at time management skills, remember to set goals, make a task list and complete it, and give your mind a rest. Lastly, never forget that moral support is the fuel that drives individuals to success.

References
Crede, M., & Kuncel, N. R. (2008). Study habits, skills, and attitudes: The third pillar supporting collegiate academic performance. Perspectives on
Psychological Science, 3, 425–453. Verhofstadt, L., Cheng, W., & Ickes, W. (2011). How is family support related to students’ GPA scores? A longitudinal study. Higher Education,(2012), 64, 399-420.