On Course
Strategies for Creating Success
in College and in Life
Chapter 2
ACCEPTING PERSONAL
RESPONSIBILITY
CHOICES OF SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS:
ACCEPTING PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY
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REVIEW
What is the primary goal of this class?
To learn strategies for success in college…and beyond!
Review the eight choices of successful students
PR
Personal Responsibility
SM
Self-Motivation
SM
Self-Management
I
Interdependence
SA
Self-Awareness
LL
Lifelong Learning
EI
Emotional Intelligence
BS
Belief in Self
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REVIEW: THREE PRINCIPLES
OF DEEP AND LASTING LEARNING
What are the three principles of deep and
lasting learning?
Prior Learning
Quality of Processing
Quantity of Processing
Explain and provide examples of each.
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REVIEW: CORE LEARNING SYSTEM
What are the four components of the CORE
Learning System?
• Collect—collect information/skills
• Organize—organize information so that it
makes sense to you
• Rehearse—practice to strengthen neural
networks and improve skills
• Evaluate—assess the quality of your
learning
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CASE STUDY IN CRITICAL THINKING
THE LATE PAPER
Which person in the case study do you think
is most responsible for Kim's failing grade in
Psychology 101? Why?
What choice(s) did Kim make that
sabotaged her success in Psychology 101?
What other choice(s) could she have made?
Dive Deeper: Is there someone not
mentioned in the story who may also bear
responsibility for Kim's failing grade?
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ADOPTING THE CREATOR ROLE
FOCUS QUESTIONS
What is self-responsibility?
Why is it the key to gaining maximum control
over the outcomes and experiences of your
life?
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RESPONSIBILITY MODEL
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QUOTATIONS
Choose one quotation in the margin of the
“Adopting the Creator Role” section.
Write why you agree or disagree with the
quotation. (3 minutes)
Get a partner and share/compare what you
have written.
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ONE STUDENT'S STORY:
Brian Moore
What choice did Brian make that completely
changed his outcomes and experiences in
his English course?
What similar choice could you make in a
class you are now taking?
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MASTERING CREATOR LANGUAGE
FOCUS QUESTION
How can you create greater success by
changing your vocabulary?
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CHANGING VICTIM LANGUAGE
Victim’s Language
– Blame self or others
– Complain
– Make excuses
Victim’s Results
– Waste time and energy
– Seldom achieve desired outcomes &
experiences
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CHANGING VICTIM LANGUAGE
Victim Statements
– If I weren’t so stupid, I wouldn’t have to take
this dumb class again. (Blame self)
– I would make the team if the coach was fair.
(Blame others)
– My teacher won’t accept my paper late. I
never get a break from anybody. (Complain)
– I didn’t have enough time to do the
assignment. (Excuse)
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CHANGING VICTIM LANGUAGE
• All of these statements are about
blaming, complaining and making
excuses.
• None is about taking ownership or
action!
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CHANGING VICTIM LANGUAGE
– If I weren’t so stupid, I wouldn’t
have to take this dumb class
again.
– I know I didn’t spend nearly
enough time studying last
semester. I’m going to study this
subject from 3:30 to 4:30 every
day. I’ll also go to the tutoring
center for two hours on Tuesdays
and Thursdays.
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CHANGING VICTIM LANGUAGE
– I would make the team if the
coach was fair.
– I’m going to increase my
strength, speed and skills so I
can earn a position on the team.
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SUMMARY
Choose words that support your success:
Change Victim language into Creator
language.
By taking ownership and action, Creators
escape the negative trap of Victim thinking
and move closer to creating their desired
outcomes and experiences. They get On
Course!
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APPLYING THE CONCEPT:
IDENTIFYING VICTIM & CREATOR
STATEMENTS
I got cheated on this
grade!
I'm going to meet with my
teacher to find out exactly
what I need to change.
I know I’ll do lousy this
term because my schedule
is so messed up.
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People on my study team
are lazy and worthless.
I’m quitting.
I didn’t understand the
tutor I saw today. I’ll go
back tomorrow and see if I
can find a different tutor
who explains things in a
way that makes more
sense to me.
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JOURNAL ENTRY 5
Get into groups of 4 or 5 people and
share/compare the translations you
made of the 10 Victim statements.
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ONE STUDENT'S STORY:
Alexsandr Kanevskiy
In what ways are you similar to Alexsandr
when he began college? In what ways are
you different?
What choices did Alexsandr make that
changed his outcomes and experiences?
Does Alexsandr’s story suggest different
choices you could make to achieve greater
success in college?
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MAKING WISE DECISIONS
FOCUS QUESTIONS
How can you improve the quality of the
decisions you make?
How can you take full responsibility for the
outcomes and experiences in your life?
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THE WISE CHOICE PROCESS
1. What’s my present situation?
(Identify the problem or difficulty.)
2. How would I like my situation to be?
(Define my desired outcomes and
experiences.)
3. What are my possible choices?
(Without evaluating, make a list of options.)
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THE WISE CHOICE PROCESS
4. What’s the likely outcome of each
possible choice?
(Missing information? Stop and get more!)
5. Which choice(s) will I commit to doing?
(Make a promise to myself.)
6. When and how will I evaluate my plan?
(Assess my results.)
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THE WISE
CHOICE PROCESS EXAMPLE
1. What’s my present situation?
I don’t have the $900 it will cost to get my car
fixed, so I have to take the bus or ask
people for rides wherever I go.
2. How would I like my situation to be?
I own a safe, reliable car so I can conveniently
go where I want when I want.
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3. What are my
Possible choices?
4. What’s the likely
outcome of each choice?
1. Work extra hours at my job. 1. Earn more money but have
less time to study.
2. Make out a tighter budget; 2. Save money and have more
stop eating at restaurants.
time to study.
3. Ask Chuck to give me a
ride to campus.
3. Save bus money and
maybe develop a new
friendship.
4. Ask for a raise.
4. Might get more money for
same amount of time,
especially if I do jobs that
others don't like to do.
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THE WISE CHOICE PROCESS
5. Which choice(s) will I commit to doing?
By February 1st, I will develop a budget that will
cut $125.00 off my monthly bills (including not
eating at restaurants), I will ask my supervisor
for a raise, and I will ask Chuck for a ride to
campus until I get my car fixed. I will put all
extra money into a savings account.
6. When and how will I evaluate my plan?
By July 15th, I'll have at least $900 in my savings
account and get my car fixed.
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PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY AT WORK
If you have ever worked at a full- or parttime job, please stand up.
People standing, divide into five groups of
approximately even numbers.
People sitting, stand and join the five
groups, keeping the numbers in each group
approximately even.
People who have worked, share any
observations you have about Victim
Language in the workplace.
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BELIEVING IN YOURSELF:
CHANGE YOUR INNER CONVERSATION
FOCUS QUESTION
How can you raise your self-esteem by
changing your self-talk?
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STINKIN’ THINKIN’
“You mainly make yourself needlessly and
neurotically miserable by strongly holding
absolutist irrational Beliefs, especially by
rigidly believing unconditional shoulds,
oughts, and musts.”
-Albert Ellis, psychologist
What do you think Ellis mean by “absolutist
irrational Beliefs”? Examples?
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Examples of Inner Critic’s
STINKIN’ THINKIN’
I’m dumb.
I’m a failure.
I’m worthless.
I can’t learn math.
I’m a lousy parent.
No one will like me.
I can’t remember stuff.
If I ask a question, I’ll look like a jerk.
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Examples of Inner Defender’s
STINKIN’ THINKIN’
People are always mean to me.
People don’t treat me right; they’re rotten.
People don’t agree with my ideas because
they’re too stupid to understand them.
Life isn’t fair; I never get an even break.
Teachers always have their favorites and
those students get all the breaks.
No one knows what they’re doing.
Life stinks.
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A+B=C
Activating Event
+
Beliefs
=
Consequences
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Activating Event:
Instructor wasn’t there for my appointment.
Belief
Belief
Belief
Student #1
Student #2
Student #3
My instructor
thinks I’m dumb.
I’ll never get a
college degree.
I’m a failure in
life.
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My instructor won’t
help me. Teachers
don’t care about
students.
I’m not sure what
went wrong.
Sometimes things
just don’t turn out
the way you plan.
There’s always
tomorrow.
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Consequences:
Student # 1
Student # 2
Student # 3
Got depressed,
and watched
television all
evening.
Got angry and
spent the night
telling friends how
horrible the
instructor is.
Studied for
another class.
Planned to call
the instructor
the next day to
see what
happened and
set up a new
appointment.
Which student’s consequences moved him
closer to positive outcomes and experiences?
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A+B=C
Activating Event + Beliefs =
Consequences
Consequence
Activating
BeliefEvent
Studied
another
class.
I’m
Instructor
notfor
sure
didn’t
whatshow
went
up
wrong.
for a
Planned
to call
the
instructor
the
Sometimes
scheduled
things
conference.
just
don’t turn
next
see
what
happened
outday
the to
way
you
plan.
There’s
and set always
up a new
appointment.
tomorrow.
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REFUTING IRRATIONAL BELIEFS
•Offer evidence that your judgments are
incorrect
•Offer a positive explanation of the problem.
•Question the importance of the problem.
•If judgments are true, offer a plan to
improve the situation.
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JOURNAL ENTRY 7: WARM-UP
Write a sentence expressing a recent
problem or event that upset you.
EXAMPLE: I got into a big argument with my
roommate, Amber, over keeping our
apartment cleaned up. It escalated into a
yelling and name-calling match and I finally
just stormed out of the room.
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Write a list of three or more criticisms your
Inner Critic (IC) might level against you as a
result of this situation. Have your Inner
Guide (IG) dispute each one immediately.
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EXAMPLE
I’m such a stupid
hothead; I’m always
flying off the handle and
making a mess
of things.
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I'm not stupid at all, and I
maintain really good
control of myself. People
at work tell me they can't
believe how patient I am
with customers.
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In this case, the Inner Guide disputes
the self-criticism by showing specific
evidence that the judgment is
irrational and wrong: "Other people at
work say..."
Note that you only need to use one
method of disputing (not all four).
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Write a list of three or more criticisms your
Inner Defender (ID) might level against
someone else as a result of this situation.
Have your Inner Guide (IG) dispute each
one immediately.
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EXAMPLE
If Amber weren't so
lazy, I wouldn't have to
nag her all the time
about cleaning the
place up. This problem
is all her fault.
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Amber really isn't lazy; she
works two part-time jobs
and she's taking 18 hours
this semester. I'm going to
apologize and suggest we
make out a cleaning plan
that fits her work hours.
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Notice that the Inner Guide moves from
judgment to empathy and finally to a plan
that will solve the problem (not just create
hard feelings).
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ONE STUDENT'S STORY:
Dominic Grasseth
What thoughts did Dominic change?
What old classroom behaviors did Dominic
also change?
What choices could you make about your
thoughts or classroom behaviors that would
help you achieve your desired outcomes
and experiences?
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EMBRACING CHANGE:
DO ONE THING DIFFERENT THIS WEEK
From the list of six options, choose the one
you think would be most helpful to you.
Organize into groups of people who all
chose the same option.
Explain the reason for your choice, any
challenges you expect, and how you will
overcome them.
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WISE CHOICES IN COLLEGE:
READING
Reading an assignment in college requires a
greater degree of involvement and effort
than reading a magazine or newspaper; you
need to become an active reader.
What do you think are some of the choices
of an active reader?
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REVIEW
What are the four components of the CORE
Learning System?
Collecting
Organizing
Rehearsing
Evaluating
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WISE CHOICES IN COLLEGE:
READING
What do you Collect through Reading?
Key Concepts
Important Ideas
Supporting Details
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WISE CHOICES IN COLLEGE:
READING
What is the key concept of Chapter Two?
Accepting Personal Responsibility
What are the important ideas?
Adopting the Creator Role
Mastering Creator Language
Making Wise Decisions
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WISE CHOICES IN COLLEGE:
READING
What are the supporting details for
“Mastering Creator Language?"
Self-Talk
Inner Critic
Inner Defender
Inner Guide
The Language of Responsibility
Ownership & a Plan
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WISE CHOICES IN COLLEGE:
READING
Review the strategies presented for Before
Reading, While Reading, and After Reading.
Next to each strategy, write how often you
use it: "Always," "Usually," "Seldom" or
"Never."
From the strategies that you marked
"Seldom" or "Never,“ choose one that might
help you become a more active reader. Be
prepared to explain your choice.
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KEY CHOICES FOR
ACCEPTING SELF-RESPONSIBILITY
Making
Wise
Decisions
Mastering
Creator
Language
Adopting
the
Creator Role
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TICKET OUT
What do you like most about the notion
of accepting self-responsibility? Explain
briefly.
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End
Chapter
Two
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