Personal Responsibility as it Relates to Academic Success Personal Responsibility as it Relates to Academic Success There are different ways to improve areas of personal responsibility that can improve academic success. Having a positive sense of responsibility with good moral structure and high value on responsibility will increase your chance of academic success. A Study of Non-Traditional and Traditional Students in Terms of their Time Management Behaviors, Stress Factors, and Coping Strategies is a great study on the difference between traditional and non-traditional students.

The authors focus on the different stressors that are related to non-traditional and traditional students, primarily focusing on the demands of work, school, and personal life, and the conflict between the three (Forbus, P. , Newbold, J. J. , & Mehta, S. S. , 2011). The authors stated the differences of traditional and non-traditional students are substantial. A traditional student is one that starts off typically straight from high school, unmarried, without much life experience and responsibility.

A non-traditional student is an older student that is typically returning to school, married, has a full time job, and has a lot of responsibility. (Forbes, P. , Newbold, J. J. , & Mehta, S. S. , 2011). Non-traditional students potentially have a more difficult time with academic success with more responsibility and more things to time manage. The most important way to improve academic success is to focus on improving areas of personal responsibility, such as, time management, financial responsibility, stress management, physical health, and emotional health.

Time management is a very important tool in a student’s academic life, as well as family life. It has been suggested that, even though students are more apt to work full-time, students are not affected by working, commuting, or time limitations because they have more experience at time management (P. , Newbold, & Mehta, 2011). Studies in the Journal of American College Health state that, “results suggest that selection committees for colleges and universities should assess a student’s ability to manage time effectively as part of their entrance criteria.

The power of time management skills as a predictor of Personal Success suggests its importance in the wider domain of life success” (George, Stansal, Gelb, & Pheri, 2008). Maintaining a good balance between work, family, and school, is crucial in one’s ongoing career as a full-time student. Physical and mental health are very important in maintaining a positive and forward thinking outlook. As noted by George, Stansal, Gelb, and Pheri (2008), “health-related variables (healthy diet, quality of overall health) played a surprisingly powerful role as predictors of success” (pg. 714).

Maintaining your health and mental wellbeing can be beneficial at keeping stress at bay. In several studies, stress emerged as an important variable with relationships to grade point average (GPA) and intent to persist along with goal commitment. College students with lower levels of academic stress and more satisfaction with their academic experiences also manage their time well (P. , Newbold, & Mehta, 2011). Maintaining good sleep patterns can help keep students alert when working on schoolwork. Staying healthy can help with stress management, which in turn, can help with family life and make things at home easier and less stressful.

With less stress at home, education goals are easier to accomplish. Financial responsibility plays another important role in the success or failure of academic endeavors. Studies have shown that when stress levels were perceived as moderately high, financial issues were one of the biggest contributors to that stress (P. , Newbold, & Mehta, 2011). First, it is important to get educated on the options available to students, including financial aid, student loans, Pell grants, and military benefits. Once a student has found out what they qualify for, it is imperative to budget accordingly along with personal finances.

This will be beneficial to stress levels and academic endeavors. There are several facets to personal responsibility, all of which can translate into personal and academic success. In conclusion, without good personal management skills in place, one’s academic future could be in jeopardy. Different strategies can improve areas of personal responsibility for two main reasons. First, physical and mental health are very important in maintaining a positive and forward thinking outlook. Most importantly, time management, financial responsibility, and stress management are all good strategies to help keep personal affairs in order.

Works Cited George, D. , Stansal, E. , Gelb, S. , ; Pheri, T. (2008). Time Diary and Questionnaire Assessment of Factors associated with Academic and Personal Success among University Undergraduates. Journal of American College Health. , 56(8), 706-715. P. , F. , Newbold, J. J. , ; Mehta, S. S. (2011). A Study of Non-Traditional and Traditional Students in Terms of Their Time Management Behaviors, Stress Factors, and Coping Strategies. Academy of Educational Leadership Journal, 15(Special Issue), 109-125. J. Hassinger