Responsibility
Throughout my life, I have had varying levels of responsibility. From a young age, my parents instilled in me the value of being responsible and keeping true to one’s promises and agreements. While my responsibilities were relatively little when I was little, all the same, I was responsible for certain household tasks and chores. Within my family, it was always my responsibility to make my bed, clean the dishes after dinner, and vacuum the house. If performed these take satisfactorily, my parents would reward me with a small allowance at the end of the month. Here, I learned the value of money and that it does not grow on trees, but that I would need to work for it.
I have always been responsible for my own academics. While my parents tried to help me with homework and assignments, it become more and more difficult for them as I advanced grade levels. My parents took a hands-off approach to my primary school education. Unlike most of my classmates, my parents did not ask about homework, or if I had finished my assignments for the night. Instead, I was responsible for ensuring that my homework was complete and turned in on time. I learned the hard way what happens when I did not finish my assignments. I therefore learned to take responsibility for my own schooling and education from early on.
I got my first job when I was fifteen. I worked at a grocery store bagging groceries and stocking shelves. While I loathed this menial job at the time, looking back, I am very happy I had this job. Even though it was not a glamorous profession, it was a real, honest day’s work. To keep my job, I needed to show up on time and perform my duties satisfactorily. I kept this job all through high school. In my senior year, I was promoted. I felt proud that I was responsible enough to hold down a job through high school, while at the same time keeping my grades afloat.
Another valuable life lesson this job taught me was the importance of being responsible with my money. I vividly remember how shocked I was when I receive my first paycheck. I had expected to receive a lot more than I actually did. From this day on, I realized that earning money takes hard work. In addition, I grasped the significance of saving money and practicing financially responsible behavior. While many of my coworkers simply spent all their earnings on consumer goods and had none left over, I tried to save as much money as I could. I knew I wanted to attend college and that my parents could not afford to send me. Therefore, the burden of paying for college would fall all on me. Since college was an important aspiration for me, I made sure to start saving as much as I could to help defray the costs of college.
Now that I have finally made it to college, I have assumed even more responsibility. I am paying a lot of money for my education. I therefore want to make the most of it and get as much out of classes as possible. Because I am paying for college out of my own pocket, I believe I am more responsible than my fellow classmates. The grades I receive in class are my key to future success and career options. I notice many students partying or going out almost every night. On the nights I am not studying, I am working to try and make ends meet. I will occasionally go out and enjoy myself, but I always need to watch my spending. On the same note, I need to be responsible in that I cannot get distracted by the college party scene or social scene to the extent that it is detrimental to my academic performance.
