This study sought to generate a grounded theory of the role of metacognitive self-regulation in the completion of daily academic tasks by college students. Thirteen female students in an upper-division education class completed qualitative interviews concerning studying for exams, writing papers, and taking notes. Twelve different metacognitive self-regulation themes emerged from the interviews: awareness of self, task, and memory/memory strategies; planning/organizing of time, tasks, and materials; monitoring/evaluation when studying for exams, writing papers, and taking lecture notes; and self-regulation of attention, comprehension/understanding, and learning/memory. The study also found that the participants were more likely to engage in self-regulation when they were interested in or enjoyed a class, when the professor was well-organized and/or enthusiastic, or when their time permitted. A list of interview questions is included. (Contains 57 references.) (MDM)