University of Phoenix Material

Thesis Statement and Informal Outline Worksheet

In this course, you will write a 700- to 1,400-word Personal Responsibility Essay, due in Week Five, including the following information:

• Definition of personal responsibility and what it means to you • The relationship between personal responsibility and college success • A preliminary plan to practice personal responsibility in your education

This week, using the Center for Writing Excellence resources, provide the thesis statement and informal outline for your Personal Responsibility Essay assignment.

Thesis Statement:

Even though not everyone takes responsibility for what they do, everyone should be held accountable for their own actions because once we understand the concept of right and wrong we know what is expected of us. We all have been judged by others based on our actions.

Informal Outline:

People should be held responsible for their actions. It’s always easier to put the blame on someone else but if we continue to do so or allow others to do so we’re hindering ourselves and each other from learning. People will continue to do wrong if we allow them to put the blame on someone else. Why do someone have to be responsible for themselves and you? When you’re working on a task whether it’s for home, work or school it is your responsibility to make sure everything is completed. We are judged based on our actions. When we accomplish something we are awarded for the right decision. When we do something that presents negative consequences we are looked down on by others. When I worked for a phone company, I was given a monthly goal to reach. If I reached less than my goal, I would have to go through a class training to help me increase my productivity for the following month. If I would reach my goal or go beyond what my goal was quoted at, I would receive tickets to the movies or to get my car washed. I could not blame the next colleague for me not reaching my goal as I had agreed to accomplish when I signed up for the job. It should be the same for anything and everyone else. What we do determines the outcomes for not only ourselves but others around us. Therefore, you should be held responsible for what you do. The most important reason people should be held accountable for their own actions is because once we have learned and understood the concept of right and wrong we know what will be expected of us. As kids growing up we constantly hear either “yes” or “no” when we want to do something. There are rules set for a reason no matter where you go. It means that there are expectations that are to be followed and if they are broken, then there will be consequences. When in school, if you decide not to do your assignments, it will be you receiving the grade and you failing the class. We all have life responsibilities. When we choose to abandon those responsibilities, no one else should be blamed for it. Although people are not always held responsible, they should be held accountable for their own actions because we have learned at an early age the difference between right and wrong and have been either praised or disciplined for those actions so we are aware that for every action there is a consequence, good or bad.