The price of Latin honors
Debates over grade inflation aside, Latin honors normally don’t just fall on one’s lap. The ascent to academic excellence comes with plenty of rewards, but it also exacts some trade-offs: time, energy, resources, relationships—any of which could take a toll on a student’s physical and mental health.
Rian Lorenzo Mascariñas, who recently graduated magna cum laude from the University of the Philippines (UP) Tacloban with a degree in Biology, came out of his science high school mentally and emotionally exhausted, so he didn’t want to put too much pressure on himself to graduate with distinction. However, that proved to be easier said than done.
Just having graduated with honors from the Eastern Visayas campus of Philippine Science High School—known for its rigorous curriculum—already drew expectations that he’d similarly excel in college. Studying at a regional campus instead of the national campuses of UP like Diliman and Manila like most of his friends also had him working harder at proving himself.
“I cannot say that I have the healthiest mental well-being after graduating from college. There is really a high level of expectations and standards that you experience once you enter university, especially UP,” said Mascariñas, the first in his family to graduate from the premier state university.
“Also, as a graduate of UP, especially with Latin honors, there comes a high level of responsibility to serve our communities,” he said, adding that he’s currently working as a research assistant on a project looking for new antibacterials.
“It really needs commitment and dedication. I had to sacrifice a lot, such as my time with friends, families, and even my hobbies, so I could put my mind into academics,” he added.
In his quest for academic excellence, the Department of Science and Technology scholar managed to accomplish great things, including getting a P50,000 research grant for his undergraduate thesis and serving as organization head. But during the first two years, he pushed himself to the point of burnout. He started failing exams, submitting requirements late and making mistakes in the lab.
“I experienced several breakdowns, felt burnout, especially during the online classes because of the pandemic. I got sick—a lot. I did not get my desired results for my thesis, and I experienced fallouts with friends because of misunderstandings,” he added.
Challenging journey
It was similarly challenging for UP Diliman summa cum laude Catherine Adille. While aiming for a laude was never originally her goal, the process of actually achieving it had her “going through all the stages of grief back and forth.”
“It was a challenging journey, to say the least,” the psychology major told Lifestyle, describing how burnout got the better of her when she realized she had a chance at achieving laude status and then actually reaching summa standing. When she saw a dip in her grades, she began to question everything: her competency, her skills, even her identity.
Among her peers, Adille found that what drive them to overachieve are a love of learning, grit, goal-setting and an unusual amount of anxiety. But there are also external factors that could affect a student’s standing, things that are beyond their control, like their socioeconomic status, the university’s policies and even class slot availability.
Her own pursuit of Latin honors was often marked by struggle and burnout. “The highs were often fleeting, but the lows were something that always seemed to stick around,” said the psychology graduate.
One low point came when she couldn’t get a full load of credits due to unavailability of slots. Under the UP Code, unless duly justified with documents, underloading in a single semester bars a student from graduating with Latin honors. “The threat of being tagged as underloaded loomed over my head. I didn’t want to lose my shot at a laude because I ran out of luck in CRS (computerized registration system).”
But her nadir came during the pandemic. “My days were often a blur of writing requirements in the morning and submitting them late into the night. It was a constant cycle with an ever-present anxiety to maintain my grades.”
With her mental health in shambles, it felt like a single mistake could cost Adille her standing. She said she tended to catastrophize and felt that her world was ending. Only after she stopped pressuring herself to score a laude did she start to recover and began to enjoy learning.
Pressure to achieve
“The pursuit of Latin honors can have a profound impact on a student’s mental health and well-being, and it’s important to recognize both the positive and negative effects,” said Mind You senior psychologist Rea Celine Villa.
“On one hand, striving for these honors can be incredibly motivating. It gives students a clear goal to work toward, which can enhance their sense of purpose and drive,” she said, adding that such achievement can bring a deep sense of accomplishment, boosting their confidence and opening doors to future opportunities.
“However, the pressure to achieve such high standards can also take a toll on mental health. The intense focus on maintaining top grades often leads to significant stress and anxiety. Many students may find themselves caught in a cycle of perfectionism, where anything less than perfect feels like failure. This mindset can be exhausting and may cause feelings of inadequacy.”
According to Villa, Filipino students normally face a unique set of pressures as it is, like family expectations (students may feel pressured to excel not just for themselves, but for their entire family), social pressures and pakikisama (feeling pressured to conform to group norms to avoid hiya or shame), financial concerns (acute awareness of the financial sacrifices their family had to make for the sake of their education puts additional pressure not to waste opportunities or resources) and balancing multiple roles (students often have to juggle multiple responsibilities, like helping out with household chores or even taking on part-time jobs).
But those gunning for Latin honors often experience additional burdens, such as pagpapakitang-gilas or proving oneself, perfectionism and hiya, competition and palakasan, and sacrificing personal well-being. “The mindset of tiis-ganda (endure for beauty) can translate into enduring stress and burnout for the sake of academic success, leading to mental health issues like depression and anxiety,” she added.
Strong support system
Villa explained that pressure can be “a helpful force when it drives students to grow, learn and achieve their best. However, it becomes harmful when it leads to chronic stress, health problems or a loss of joy in life. Maintaining balance and seeking support are crucial to ensuring that pressure remains a positive influence in students’ lives.”
Adille and Mascariñas felt fortunate to have a strong support system during their individual journeys.
Her family and friends served as pillars of strength and emotional support for Adille. “My friends empathized with me. They were my compatriots during UP’s hell cycles. As for my family, they are people I run to for support and reassurance. There were times when I felt [I was]on the verge of a breakdown, but talking with my parents or friends helps keep my feet planted back on the ground and rearrange my thoughts.”Her father Rene emphasized letting his child exercise her freedom to choose. “But I am there to give guidance and encouragement.”
“Parents shouldn’t be afraid to let their children experience making mistakes. God can bring out the good in those mistakes,” he said, suggesting taking time to pray as a family every day as well as spending some quality time bonding with one’s child.
For his part, Mascariñas said he received encouragement from his family, professors and peers.
“No pressures, no high expectations, but just full support,” said his father Dennis, whose only hope was for his son to be able to enjoy life and be good at school.
“Mental health is my primary consideration,” said the elder Mascariñas. “With him being my only child, I have no room for error.”
During some depressive moments, Mascariñas’ parents would intervene and give him pieces of advice and enlightenment. Dennis also encouraged his son’s love for music. “I supported him 101 percent in anything he loves, as long as it was within the length of my cable tow.”
Self-care
Mascariñas said he also learned the importance of rest. “Sometimes, we need to take a moment and get away from the pressures of academics and give time to ourselves to recover.”
There are many ways you can rest, Mascariñas said. For him, music became a way to unwind: performing in school, making covers and posting them online, and composing songs. He also bonded with his friends whom he met not only for study sessions but also for eating, drinking and jamming sessions, and the occasional short trips.
Adille, who intends to pursue further studies, said that while passion provides the drive to persevere, “grit and resilience are important to bounce back from the failures and pressures of academic life.
“It was only when I let go of the pressure of aiming for that summa standing and enjoyed learning that my grades skyrocketed,” she added. “I think the pursuit of Latin honors is not just about the highs and lows, but looking at it as a cycle of challenge and growth. In that way, I could see progress in myself as an individual and academically as a student, rather than limiting myself to the scores on my grades viewing tab.”
To manage her anxiety, Adille practiced self-care, which meant doing some light exercise, spending time with friends, eating meals on time, and watching shows that interested her.
“Exercise was especially beneficial for me because the increased physical activity helped me feel more energetic, experience more positive moods, and stave off my burnout. But most of the time, I reflect inward to manage my anxiety. I do meditation, positive reinforcement, gratitude journaling, and praying to God.”
Adille recalled what one speaker said during her college freshman orientation: What is important is that we learned something in college; graduating with a laude is simply a bonus.
“He was right. It was a recognition that I was able to achieve a certain numerical threshold, but underlying that was the depth of my knowledge,” said Adille, currently a management trainee at Seaoil Philippines Inc. “At the end of the day, I often remind myself: If I am not able to apply my knowledge for the benefit of others, what use does my laude have?”
