Antonio Williams General Education 200 Prof. Nile Tallman

What being responsible means to me

I was ten years old, playing a game of catch with three of my friends in the street. An elderly man pushing a shopping cart down the sidewalk stopped to watch us. When I came near him to retrieve the ball, he smiled down at me and sang, “Just a little boy, playing in the big streets, what are you going to do when you grow up, and have to face responsibility?” I went about playing our game, but I always thought about what he said to me. For some reason I always thought it was important coming from this stranger in a chance meeting…and, what was I going to do?

When I first started college after high school, I received a valuable lesson in personal responsibility. It had been two years since I lost part of my sight, and I was coming from a learning environment where all of my peers had some type of disability, mental or physical. I was uncomfortable and ashamed of my disability. I came to class late, if I came at all, because I was embarrassed. I worked at a slower pace than the other students, class would be nearing an end and I was the only one still working. I would rush to finish my work, making it sloppy and incorrect. I was also working part-time. My job took up most of my study time, and trying to balance work and school was wearing me out. I began to favor my job over my education because of the problems I was having in class, and I was making good money working. I was so frustrated with college that I began not to care or try harder. I felt I was wasting everyone’s time and was not ready for the responsibilities. I eventually dropped out of school and started working full time. I soon came to realize that my pride and stubbornness had cost me an education.

My pride was a factor in my academic failure, not my disability, which I used as an excuse. My job was also a main factor. According to information I read in “The secrets to success”, students who work 16 hours or more a week are at high risk for academic failure. Our jobs can take up valuable time we could be using for studying for test and exams. Often I would come home from work intending to study, but end up falling asleep because I was so tired. I could not study while working, and when I tried to study before I went to work, I was always in a hurry. I did not benefit from it at all. These results support other statements mentioned in the article. Success is great for students who attend classes regularly and have an effective self-learning system. The time we put in studying while away from school is often more important than when we are in the classroom. We learn more information and can continue to learn our lessons outside the classroom. College is also a full time job, and can bump heads with other activities in our lives.

Here are some keys to academic success given by Rowan University through research of their successful students.

Establish clear and specific goals for yourself. Get to know what helping resources are available on campus. Identify and establish a relationship with at least one person on campus who cares about your success. Develop a time management system that works for you and stick to it. Try not to work more than 20 hours per week if you are a full time student. Distinguish your learning style and assess and improve your study habits. Study in groups whenever possible, join study groups. Develop a positive relationship with professors, get help when needed. Become familiar with the library and other sources of information on campus. Develop critical thinking skills and think "out of the box." When setting goals, I think it is important that we be honest and realistic. If our goals