Personal Responsibility and College Success

Meet Jo Justice, every morning he wakes up, makes his coffee, and heads off to work at the local police station Monday through Friday. Jo Justice has made his life the way he wants it to be because he cares. Jo has taught himself to do what’s in his best interest to lead him to a life that he worked hard for and strived to achieve. Jimmy Justdoesntcare, on the other hand, just doesn’t care. Jimmy lives in his parents’ basement, is 26 years old, and works at the local gas station. Jimmy doesn’t work at this gas station to make money to get where he is going, but rather works there because his mother insisted he get a job otherwise she wouldn’t allow him to live in her household any longer. Jimmy calls into work frequently for “sick days” and lives his life one day at a time; ready and willing to continue doing what gets him by because it is the simplest task in the world. Discipline, accountability, and hard work are three main topics that will lead you to a responsible life and college success.

While discipline comes with hard work and the courage to continue to strive for what your goals will lead to in the long run, it may have to be an acquired taste. To hold other people to a higher standard than you hold yourself when it comes to personal responsibilty is a whole different issue than the task at hand. Nothing worth having, is handed to you. To meet two people living in the same world we do you should notice a subtle difference between one person who has been handed things their whole life, at ease, and the other person who has worked hard for everything they have. A pronounce difference is seen between the two and often involves a large amount of self pride. A huge detail that differs in the two people we compare in this example is most likely going to be a substantial amount of self discipline. Self discipline is something you need to instill in yourself, no one will take you to that level of responsibility but you.

Accountability is something that people will look at your whole life. In the work force, at school, or at home it will find you. “Man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world he is responsible for everything he does. It is up to you to give life a meaning (Sartre, 1938).” At some point in your life you will be held accountable for something you do. It usually starts at a young age. For example, when you and your sibling were the only ones home and “someone” decided to consume an entire bowl of cookies. As an adult we are held at a higher standard than cookies, but it definitely is a progressing experience all of us will encounter. To be held accountable for homework, enough money to pay rent, or maybe even someone eating a co-workers meal with their name on it out of the faculty’s refriderator. Little life tests are things the make us grow. The real truth lies in the person willingness