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Motivation, Decision Making, and Personal Responsibility

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Meet Nadia, a veteran who recently returned from a tour of duty and began her first year of college. Nadia has been in school a few months now, and she’s surprised at how different college life is from her previous experiences. In the military Nadia’s life was highly structured, and her commanding officer and other superiors often determined what she needed to do, when, and with whom. In college Nadia’s instructors don’t provide as much structure. They expect Nadia to schedule her own time and figure out how — and how much — to study. Nadia finds this new freedom and responsibility for managing her life not only exciting but also intimidating. She knows it’s up to her to stay motivated, make good decisions, and take responsibility for achieving her own goals.

Like Nadia, you may be surprised, excited, and intimidated by aspects of college life that seem unfamiliar, even if your background differs from hers. As a result, you may be having difficulty staying motivated, making smart choices, and taking charge of your learning. By understanding more about these important college survival skills, you can restore the initial enthusiasm you felt as you looked ahead to your first term at school. And you can truly own your college experience. As a result, you’ll get the most value from your classes — including new knowledge and skills that will help you excel in your career.

In fact, motivation, decision making, and personal responsibility will be just as critical in your work life as in your college life. Why? Recent college graduates can’t expect to stay with their first employer for a lifetime. They need to develop marketable skills, be flexible, and prepare to find new jobs if necessary. Doing this involves seeking out mentors for guidance, regularly assessing your abilities and needs, and creating action plans to build new skills and strengthen others. In short, to be competitive in today’s work world, you need to assume responsibility for your own success.

In this chapter you’ll learn how to activate three forces that will keep you motivated in school: believing you can succeed, viewing all your coursework as important to your goals, and cultivating a positive attitude. In addition, you’ll learn strategies you can use to make careful decisions and take personal responsibility for your education. Finally, you’ll learn ways to stay motivated, make good choices, and assume responsibility in your professional life.

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