Personal Responsibility Essay Example for Free

Personal Responsibility Essay Personal responsibility is extremely important in life because it dictates the quality of your life. Your life is directly affected by the level of personal responsibility you practice. The definition of personal responsibility is vague and broad. It is comparable to defining a personality trait that includes several traits in one. These traits include ethics, moral decisions, freedom of choice, self-discipline and accountability. Personal responsibility also plays a vital role in your success as a student. Your success as a college student has a direct correlation with personal responsibility. As a college student it is also important to have strategies in place for your success. Having a plan on how you are going to succeed keeps you on track and helps you to enhance your personal responsibility. Personal responsibility does not have the same meaning for everyone or the value that is placed on this practice. What is Personal Responsibility Responsibility is something that exists in the lives of everyone. On a daily basis we are required to satisfy some form of personal responsibility. If I had to define the word personal responsibility I would define it as consistently following through with what needs to be done and establishing a level of self-discipline and trust. The dictionary states the definition of responsibility as the state, quality or fact of being responsible; a duty, obligation or burden. There are many levels of responsibility: financial responsibility, economic responsibility, professional responsibility, and so on. I want to elaborate on personal responsibility. I believe this particular level also incorporates ethics and morals in its definition as well. Moral responsibilities are equally pervasive, in that we are vulnerable human beings, caring for and cared by others. Moral sentiments relate to things that we have reason to value, moving us into action† (Sanghara, Ablezova, Botoeva, 2011). Personal responsibility encompasses your ethical beliefs which also requires you to admit to your mistakes. It seems we live in a world where that is not practiced as often as it should. â€Å"Doing the right thing whether or not it is witnessed by others is a key part of taking personal responsibility for your actions† (Tracey, 2011). The demise of personal responsibility occurs when individuals blame their family, their peers, their economic circumstances, or their society for their own failure to meet standards† (Haskins, 1996). It is so easy to place the blame of your problems on your environment. I believe this particular part of personal responsibility is the hardest to practice. If we all took the time to be aware of our lack of acceptance of our problems and started placing the blame on our own failures, we as individuals will have a whole new sense of freedom. This new freedom can be comparable to a weight being lifted of our shoulders and we can finally start taking control of our lives. This particular part of personal responsibility should be included in the dictionary definition because I believe it is easily over looked. Personal responsibility also encompasses our right of freedom. Our level of responsibility is surrounded by choices. We have the freedom to choose how we are going to fufill our obligations, the level of accountability we display, and whether or not we will accept when we made a mistake. The subject is condemmed to be free, and to decide for himself/herself. Such a freedom is also related to his or her own responsibility, because his or her decisions will have to be made without any refrence to any higher ethical norm else that the one the subject is defining for himself† (Ballet, Dubois, Mahie, 2007). In other words, we are able to make our choices of responsibility and we do not have to answer to anyone. This makes it easier to make irresponsible choices. We are 100 percent in charge of our outcomes. This makes it imperative for us to use our freedom wisely. Consistently choosing to be responsible, accountable, and ethical creates a foundation for a happier life. This equates to our life being in our hands and no one elses. In my definition of personal responsibility I used the word self-discipline and trust. I believe these two terms are key components of the act of being responsible. If someone is consitently responsible you know that you will be able to trust that person with something that is important to you. A responsible person has a proven track record of following through with their obligations or the obligations of others. Self-discipline goes along with freedom. Freedom, in essence, is a priveledge that must be exercised properly. The abilty to recognize freedom is crucial and to do the right thing is a key element of personal responsibility. Self-discipline is the restraint that is necessary to stay within the ethical boundaries of decision making and it is the power you have inside you to finish all the necessary tasks that are in front of you. There are obligations that we are required to fulfill, but most of the time we do not have to answer to anyone when we do not meet our obligations. Consequences are most always present, but tend not to be enough to stop us from our irresponsible actions. †Ã¢â‚¬ ¦a responsible agent is one who is self-conciously self-determined† (Spector, 2008). Personal responsibilty is having the knowledge to say no when certain situations arise and that comes with self-discipline. Personal Responsibility and College Success The level of personal responsibility you practice will directly affect the amount of success you achieve in higher education. Your work load can essentially double while you are in a college setting because this type of learning environment usually consists of adults that have jobs and families. College success will require you to make moral and ethical decisions, exercise self-discipline, and be accountable. All of these terms are related and involve personal responsibility which can be summed up with this citation, â€Å"It’s the absolute minimum requirement for the accomplishment of everything you could ever really want in life† (Tracey, 2011). Personal responsibility is required in our daily lives and is required for college success in the same regard. We are in charge of our outcomes and if the outcome we are striving for in college is success with a degree, we have nothing standing in our way. The only thing we need to do is be aware of the level of responsibility we currently have and the level of personal responsibility we need to maintain. With this in mind, meeting the demands of a college student can be easily managed. Effective Strategies to be a Successful Student To fully incorporate personal responsibility in your college life it is beneficial to be prepared. Being prepared includes coming in with some type of idea and organization. A very simple and effective way to manage the demands of college is preparing schedules. A daily schedule helps you to prioritize your obligations and tasks. They also put less stress on you depending on your memory. A schedule will allow for you to add time when a important project is coming up and you need to prepare in stages. This adding of time will allow for you to attend to your personal obligations while making time for your school obligations. It also gives you the sense of accomplishment when you are able to start crossing off your schedule. This accomplishment in turn gives motivation for you to stay on top of your duties and stay consistent. Another important strategy for college success is utilizing all the available resources colleges have available. Many institutions provide access to libraries with faculty ready and willing to help whenever you need to ask. This can really ease the stress level when you have major projects or papers due. They are familiar with the college and faculty and are able to give you approprate advice. Also on the faculty of many colleges are counselors. These individuals are trained to guide you in course selection and degree plans. They are familiar with the schools curriculum and requirements and can help you make informed decisions. Higher learning institutions may also provide programs that include child care to job placement. Taking advantage of these programs is vital to maintaing your success while in college. Most importantly, one of the best strategies for college success is setting goals for yourself. Goals can be set in a variety of areas which makes goals so helpful. The most important part to remember about setting goals is to write them down so you can visualize your goals daily. You can set short term goals and include steps to how you are going to achieve them. You can, at the same time, set long term goals. Your short term goals will be steps to getting to your long term. You can also stay motivated about your goals by placing rewards when you do achieve them. I belive these strategies are important ingredients to college success and can be implemented by maintaining consistent levels of personal responsibility. â€Å"This clearly shows that a person cannot only be defined in a consistent way by a series of added characteristics, whether they be rights, capabilities, or freedoms† (Ballet, Dubois, Mahie, 2007). Conclusion Personal responsibility is a trait that everyone obtains, and everyone practices personal responsibility in different ways. The key to a productive lifestyle is practicing your level of personal responsibility to the highest degree. And with that practice to always engage in moral and ethical behaviors as well. I believe in consitently staying responsible in all your tasks and this in turn can open the doorway to accomplishing all of your dreams. We hold the power and the control of our destiny and it all starts with the term personal responsibility. Utilzing personal responsibilty in all aspects of your life is the key to your happiness and your future. Take it from the wise words of Abraham Lincoln, â€Å"You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today. †

Bellamys Looking Backward: 2003 - 1887 :: Looking Backward Essays

Edward Bellamy's Looking Backward: 2000-1887 was an attempt to show Americans who desired the utopian sense of community what it could truly be. Looking Backward addressed the yearnings of a society stricken by economic panics and social collapse by proposing an Eden-like community in which war, hunger, greed and malice were eradicated from society. While the story followed the wonderment of Julian West as he awoke in a Boston of 2000 AD after 113 years of sleep, the text focused on Bellamy's description through the kindly and omniscient character, Dr. Leete of a "post-revolutionary" society which emancipated the individual from the horrors of capitalism. As the story progresses, it becomes obvious that Bellamy is simply trying to suggest ways in which to improve his own society at the time whether it be politics or business practices. The first thing Julian inquires about his the problem of labor strikes, something very prominent in his time due to the newly formed labor unions. â€Å"The National Labor Union (NLU) hailed the virtues of a simpler America, when workers controlled their workday, earned a decent living, and had time to be good citizens† (Davidson, Nation of Nations, 626). Dr. Leete explains that with generous capital, any worker with a decent idea can become his own boss and the need for unions and strikes desisted. This was something that had begun occurring already in Bellamy’s time, as had monopolies. This was the second step in the eradication of strikes as companies began to aggregate and form large syndicates. Finally, the largest syndicate of all, the government took over all industry. â€Å"When it was proposed that the nation should assume their functions (corporations), the suggestions implied nothing impractical even to the timid† (Bellamy, Looking Backward, 67). With this in mind, Julian asks who the enemies of the government are, whether they are other nations or natural ills. Dr. Leete responds with the mind-blowing realization of a perfect society. â€Å"We have no wars now†¦but in order to protect every citizen against hunger, cold, nakedness, and provide for his physical and mental needs, the function is assumed of directing his industry for a term of years† (Bellamy, Looking Backward, 68). The next major question was unemployment. During the any era, this is always going to be problem. Though a person who is educated can generally get a job, an uneducated person can only do menial labor.

The Math in Figure Skating

Alexis Dillon l. Introduction This paper will be discussing the involvement of math in figure skating. There are three parts of skating that will be discussed in the essay; Jumps and moves in the field. Jumps require a lot of power, strength and knee bend in order for the Jump to be successful. I will be looking at the appropriate angle of knee bend a skater needs to successfully land a Jump. Moves in the field are series of test that include certain turns and moves that are tested in front of Judges.Moves in the field require grace, knee bend, speed and strength. This essay will discuss the correct angle of the knee bend required to correctly complete specific turns, including counters, rockers and brackets and to successfully remain on the correct edge. I have been skating for nine years. I have done many types of skating, like freestyle, moves in the field and synchronized skating. I'm currently a competitive synchronize skater and working on my novice moves. Both these parts of f igure skating require speed, grace, edge quality and strength.Many things can affect how well a skater can preform and the quality of the skating. Knee bend is one of the many crucial parts of quality skating. II. What Is Skating? Figure skating is defined as a â€Å"competitive on ice sport in prescribed fgures and/or choreographed free skating. † Figure skating includes many different types and levels. Ill. Basic Skills To start, many skaters complete basic skills classes, which, in short, teach the basic components of skating, needed to be successful. Children under the age of six usually begin a beginner class called â€Å"snowplow'.This level consists of very basic skills including things like learning how to stand up and fall down. After the skater has completed these levels, or is above the age of six, moves on to the levels â€Å"Basic Skill† There are eight levels in this section, where each level increases in difficulty. The basic skills provide the fundamen tals of skating. These levels will also provide more challenging skills including, edges, turns, and crossovers that are necessary for successful skating. Once the skater has successful passed these levels, the skater may move on to â€Å"freestyle†.There are six levels in this section. These levels teach the skater basic Jumps and spins. ‘V. Freestyle Freestyle skating consists of Jumps, spins and footwork sequences choreographed in a program using the skater's style. Some Jumps include axel, the loop Jump, lutz and salchow. These Jumps can be preformed as singles (, doubles, triples, and even quadruples. The axel is one of the hardest Jumps to master, whether it's a single, double, or a quad The axel requires knee bend, power and speed Competitions are based on levels. There are eight levels in freestyle.Each level gets harder and the harder Jumps require programs with required moves, Jumps and spins. These test are preformed in front of Judges. These test are importa nt for a fgure skater because in determines what level the skater competes at. These tests ake practice and skill. V. Moves in the field Like the freestyle tests, there are eight tests the gradually increase in difficulty. The tests are as follows; pre-preliminary, preliminary, pre-Juvenile, Juvenile, intermediate, novice, Junior and senior. Each test consist of certain step sequences, turns, and moves that require knee bend, grace, and speed.Example of a very simple pattern on the preliminary exam: This pattern consist of a very simple inside three-turn in which you start on an inside edge and turn onto your outside edge. Example of a two very challenging patterns on the Junior exam: Figure 2 Figure 3 This pattern requires a lot good edge quality, grace and knee bend. This turns, also known as a rocker, requires you to stay on the same edge before and after a turn. To determine the correct amount of knee bend, twenty forward inside rockers were done and photographed.Each turn was a nalyzed to determine whether or not the turn was on the correct edge or not. The photos were separated into two groups, turn with a perfect edge and turn with imperfect edge. The angle of the knee was measured for each photo and then averaged. The average angle for a turn with perfect edge quality was 1090 (refer to fgure 3 for what the edge is supposed to look ike). The average angle for a turn with imperfect edge quality was about 1230. Below are the pictures of a person doing the turn and what the turn looked like on the ice. RFI Rocker. How does math relate to this turn?Although, the differences between the two angles may have seemed small, it made a huge difference. IVe been working on these types turns for about a year, and from experience, I know there are some many things that need to be perfect in order for the turn to be on the correct edge and successtul. One ot the most important and influential part of the turn is the amount of knee bend the skater has. So, how does the angle of the knee make the turn have good or bad edge quality? When you bend your knee, you are doing what's called, â€Å"pressing your edge†. This means you are on the correct edge because of your knee bend.So, how much knee bend is enough? Is there a certain angle needed to perfect the turns? The answer is yes. This experiment has shown that a very large angle and a very low angle will disrupt the turn. VI'. What is an axel? Axel is one of the most difficult Jumps. The axel takes off from the forward outside edge and is landed on the back outside edge of the opposite foot. A single axel is 1. 5 revolutions. Axel is one of the many Jumps that skaters practice and attempt to master. Like most other Jumps, the axel can be increased in difficulty by adding more rotations to the Jump. VIII.What things affect the success of an axel? Many experienced skaters would say the most important things to master when learning how to land an axel successfully is power, speed, and height. How can you master all of these things? Through knee bend. Knee bend provides many things for a successful axel. When you bend you're knee while you skate, you â€Å"pressing on your edge† letting your skates skate with the ice rather than on top of the ice and merely liding.. No matter how fast your feet move, you will not gain speed if are â€Å"stepping† rather then bending your knees and actually skating.Knee bend also provides grace when preforming an axel. The more you â€Å"get down in your knees† or bend your knees, the more graceful and elegant you appear. This will help those who compete. Finally, right before the Jump takes off, knee bend provides height and the power of the Jump itself. But, how much knee bend is enough knee bend? Skaters, like me and those who think analytically, would love to know how much knee bend will lead to a successful Jump. ‘X. Figuring out how much knee bend is enough knee bend Like what was done for the rockers, a si milar experiment was done for the axel.To determine the correct amount of knee bend before the Jump, twenty axels were done and recorded and photographed. Each Jump was analyzed to determine whether or not the turn was a successful Jump or not. The photos were separated into two groups, turn with a perfect edge and turn with imperfect edge. The angle of the knee was measured for each photo and then averaged. The average angle for a Jump with good height and a quality Jump was 1070. The average angle for a turn with imperfect dge quality was about 1280. These results are very similar to the rockers.The Jumps that were considered unsuccessful landed with a fall or it was over or under rotated. This is most likely because the skater either had too much or too little power. X'. How does math relate to this Jump? Even though the differences between the two angles may have seemed small, it made a huge difference. From experience I know that an axel can up to about a year to perfect. Like the rocker, I know there are some many things that need to be perfect in order for the turn to be successful. One of the most important and influential part f the turn is the amount of knee bend the skater has.

Segregation Remembering The Children’s Crusade - 824 Words

Remembering The Children’s Crusade, or known as one of the most stupefying events in history, could take anyone back in the days of segregation and great detriment to our own people. On May 2, 1963, a group of student protesters, in which were motivated by Martin Luther King Jr., partook in the 1963 campaign to desegregate Birmingham, Alabama. More than a thousand students skipped their classes and marched to downtown Birmingham using tactics of nonviolent direct action. The first day, hundreds were arrested and taken to jail in school buses and paddy wagons. On the second day, the children were surged with high-pressure fire hoses, attacked by police dogs, clubbed, and dragged to jail. The punishing of the African American race was harsh; when those punishments were mixed with how they protested for civil rights, it only got worse. Not all the time does one stop and realize that some whites felt the need to help out in some ways. Whether they could relate or they just truly h ad sympathy, these whites helped protest. When someone protests, they are expressing their objection to something. Whether it was more a silent protest or an aggressive protest, punishments to both races were given. During the Civil Rights Movement, white and black protesters were given some rare and extreme punishments for simply standing up for what they believed in. Even though whites and blacks protested together, not all of them got punished in the same ways. Even though it wasn’t folderolShow MoreRelatedEssay special education11975 Words   |  48 Pagessociety. Although the transformation took many years, by the end of the nineteenth century the size of institutions had increased so dramatically that the goal of rehabilitation was no longer possible. Institutions became instruments for permanent segregation. Many special education professionals became critics of institutions. Howe, one of the first to argue for in stitutions for people with disabilities, began advoca ting placing out residents into families. Unfortunately this practice became a logistical