Academic Validation
✨Academic Validation✨ The dependence on physical awards as a sense of acknowledgement and appreciation. First things first, This blog is not written to claim that academic validation is "bad" or that we should completely stop seeking it - NO! It's authored to bring to the limelight the negative effects of academic validation on your mental health and how it affects not only yourself but your entire social circle. With the school year almost coming to an end, award season awaits. For some of us, this is the most exciting time of the year - your yearlong efforts finally seek fruition. Some of us can only dream about standing at the podium. And for some, despite your hard work, you simply miss it by an inch. Now I'm someone who has experienced all 3 of the above scenarios; and if you're a "late bloomer", chances are, you have too. Getting awards, simply put, feels good. It validates the sacrifices made: the late nights spent, and the occasional social e...