If you’ve been on Diary of the Mind long enough, you know academic validation is a subject we talk about a lot. It is for good reason. Academic validation is a very prevalent issue among us students, and it’s something even I struggle with everyday.
For this reason, I’ve written a lot about it, from signs of academic validation, reasons for it, and ways to overcome it. Here, you have a complete guide to academic validation, with all the information you need to know and more!
What is Academic Validation?
First things first, what exactly is it? Academic validation is a term to describe the need for affirmation on educational achievement. Students who seek academic validation often value themselves solely on their academic performance.
As you can imagine, this is very detrimental to have. Self-esteem built on something as limited as academics is incredibly harmful. In fact, a study found that those who look to external sources for self-validation tend to see an increase in mental illness and drug use. Being so dependent on academic success to be able to value yourself is so harmful. Unfortunately common in a world where everyone wants to be better than everyone else.
But what more is there to academic validation? Keep reading to find out!
Reasons You Have Academic Validation
As I’ve said many times before, academic validation is becoming more and more apparent with students. There are numerous reasons for it, a few of which you might want to know if you think you are struggling with academic validation.
- Pressure from your parents – This could be the primary reason for many kids, because there are many parents that push their kids to get amazing grades all the time. It’s hard to be under that kind of stress all the time. When your parents put so much of your value on your grades, you start only valuing yourself on it as well.
- The environment of your school – Like your parents, the environment of your education also impacts your views on it, and how it affects yourself. When everyone in your school is extremely competitive with grades, it’s hard for you to not fall into that trap. Especially when many of which are struggling with academic validation as well.
- You don’t have any other activities – When you have nothing else to do with your life, it’s easy for academics to take over your life. You have nothing else to value, so you start putting all that value into your grades.
- Your life is unstable – An unfortunate but true fate for many students is that their socioeconomic background doesn’t allow them to do even just “mediocre” in school. As studies have proven, students with lower socioeconomic statuses tend to have more stress during academic exams. It’s most likely linked to their position.
- Your anticipation for the future – Many of us nowadays are very stressed about our futures, especially when it comes to college. Fear for that future forces us to care a lot about academics, to the point where it defines our entire existence.
These are all very valid reasons as to why you may struggle with academic validation. You probably relate to one of them, or even more. However, these brief, two to three sentence descriptions might not be enough for you. Especially if you’re trying to figure out the root cause of your issue with academics. If so, make sure to check out our article, 5 Reasons Why You Struggle With Academic Validation, where we go into great depth on these five reasons.
Signs to Look Out For
There are many signs of academic validation that you need to look out for when you think you have it. You don’t want to make assumptions about yourself, but you also don’t want to ignore problems you may have. Academic validation is most definitely a detrimental issue to your mental health. Searching for these signs will be your first part in your journey through it.
- You cause the pressure – Like I mentioned with the reasons, your parents definitely play a part in the pressure you have in academics. However, when you struggle with academic validation, the pressure from your parents takes a backseat. It’s mostly you putting that stress on yourself to do well. The external pressures start to have less effect than your own.
- School is the priority – If school is always the number one thing on your mind, you might be struggling with academic validation. To you, it might not matter if you’re sick, have an outside of school obligation, or can finally have a vacation. School always comes first, and nothing else matters to you, because those grades define you.
- You’re always comparing yourself – What’s common in students who stress over being perfect in school is that they always want to be the most perfect. They want to be the best. For that reason, many of us who struggle with academic validation compare us with our peers. It just makes things worse, because now not only is your value external, but it’s also depending on the performance of others.
- You seek compliments on your intelligence – If there’s one thing you want people to say once they see that grade book, it’s “Wow, you’re so smart”. Every time you complain about your classes or grades, you are always waiting for someone to say, “What are you talking about, your grades are amazing”. Unfortunately, that brings you a lot of joy, possibly more joy than everything else.
- Bad grades hurt you more than they should – After performing less than ideal on a test or project, do you find yourself locked in your bedroom, crying? Are you pulling at your hair, wondering if you’re even worth anything, and if it was wrong for you to think you’re smart at all? That’s a problem, because no matter how terrible a grade is, it should not be destroying you so much mentally. If you put so much of your self-worth on those grades, even a small misstep will bring your self-esteem crashing down.
- There isn’t much to your life apart from school –
These signs of academic validation are crucial for you to look out for. These are very telling of your mental well-being in relation to your academics and grades. However, like I have been saying, I can’t write too much here. What is here might not be enough for you. That’s why we have my article of signs of academic validation, which is even more informative on these signs so you can be sure of your relationship with academics. Remember, it’s important to know your state of mind to understand which steps you have to take next.
How to Overcome Academic Validation
Last, but most definitely not the least, you need to know how to get over academic validation. This is possibly the most important information you will learn in relation to your struggle with academic validation. That’s because these are the steps you can take to better your mental well-being. So, here are the 5, easy and actionable steps to overcoming academic validation.
- Understand the issue with you – The first thing you need to do is recognize the fact that you struggle with academic validation. You’ve seen those signs in yourself, when you read the section above, you know now that you have academic validation. That’s the first step done.
- Rethink success – Success isn’t about academics, but you mind right now sure does think it is. When your entire self-worth is based on your grades, only that success ever matters to you. What you need to do now is remind yourself that your academic validation doesn’t define your success—your happiness does. Take those grades out of your mind and replace it with your own internal feelings of fulfillment.
- Incorporate healthier habits – Academic validation is obviously unhealthy for you, but it’s not just your mental health it’s bad for. Your physical health is also negatively affected. Staying up late to study, running on just caffeine is not the definition of a healthy lifestyle. It’s something you want to change. Start with eating healthier, and getting a fixed bedtime schedule. You want to reverse the effects the struggle of academic validation has had on you to the best of your ability. When you focus your energy on your health, you’ll slowly take that focus off of grades and academics.
- Find people to support you – Finally, you can’t get through this struggle by yourself. You need people to support you throughout your journey. Whether it be friends, family, your school counselor, or personal therapist, you need people to help you. People to give you advice, and to keep you on track, is all necessary for you.
And of course, these are just small, quick descriptions. It is all incredibly insightful steps that you should definitely consider, but it isn’t a fully in depth guide. But don’t worry, I won’t leave with just that. Check out my article on how to get over academic validation. You’ll have every little detail you need to fully get over your this struggle!
Conclusion
So, there you have it. Everything you need to know about academic validation. From its simple definition, to how to put it behind you, you have it all under your belt. What you do with what I’ve given you is entirely up to you, but I can still advise you further. Take action now. Understand your relationship with academics and look at why you got there. But most importantly, do something about it for yourself. Academic validation is not healthy to any extent, so you want to subdue it to the best of your ability. With all that the information you have now, you are more than ready to confront your academic validation. You can finally move on with a happier and healthier life.
