Lived Experiences of Selected Senior High School Students of General de Jesus College in Seeking Academic Validation

Abstract

This paper focused on the experiences of senior high school students in seeking academic validation. Its purpose is to spread awareness regarding the experiences of the selected students and the factors that caused them to seek academic validation, the challenges they encountered, their coping mechanisms when dealing with it, and advice to their fellow students who are also experiencing academic validation. The phenomenology qualitative research technique is utilized to acquire an accurate explanation regarding this study. The data was gathered using semi-structured interviews, and ten senior high school students were interviewed in person. This paper revealed that some factors cause students to seek academic validation, including self-pressure, family and parental pressure, and peer pressure. Stress, pressure, and expectations are the problems that students encounter when seeking academic validation. The students’ coping mechanisms when dealing with the impact of academic validation are doing what they want to do, motivating themselves, and spending time with friends. The selected students gave different types of advice to fellow students seeking academic validation. These are remembering that one did their best, enjoying the present, and knowing one’s limitations. Academic validation occurs when students rely on their academics to feel appreciated (Brading, 2023). This paper’s main objective is to spread awareness regarding this phenomenon to minimize academic validation's impact on students' well-being.