One struggle every student will come across is the trouble with academic validation. The most difficult part of this is that academic validation is not always a bad thing. Academic validation can be used to fuel your motivation to succeed which at times is the push we need to do our best in school. However, the drawbacks are intense. Minorly bad grades can cause high achieving mindsets to crumble and does not prepare any student for failure. This is especially true for those that may go to highly competitive colleges and be used to being the top of their class in high school. Most students like these aren’t used to failing due to their high marks all throughout high school that got them into these prestigious colleges in the first place. This can lead to some particularly low lows when you inevitably fail. Everyone is bound to fail once in life and being prepared for this can prevent you from completely falling apart. Failure teaches you a lot of things and isn’t the villain everyone makes it out to be. While it never makes anyone feel great it’s an important thing to experience and everyone faces it at one point in life. I think the most important thing to remember when facing your own struggles with academic validation is that you’re not alone. Part of coming to UT for me was battling imposter syndrome and that tied in heavily with my need for academic validation. When I did face my own fall from academic grace, I did crumble. Looking back now I realize that I probably wasn’t the only one feeling this way. You’re never alone in your feelings and it’s important to reach out to others or even take a step back. Take a break from studying and evaluate yourself and what you need at that moment. Use your desire for academic validation when you need an extra push, but don’t let it define you.
The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Texas chapter.