TALINO? Pwede ba magpahinga muna? As a student, you can’t help but feel overwhelmed by the immense pressure that seems to be hanging at the back of your head. From the first day of elementary school until college, we students are bombarded with expectations that come from not only our families, education, and ourselves. There is this unspoken competition among us, a race not just to succeed but to outshine everyone else. “Perfect ka nanaman?”  “Nag-aral na yan eh.” These compliments feel like a heavy backpack that someone can’t take off. 

     Monday, Tuesday, and Friday, students are greeted by a list of assignments, readings, tests, activities, and deadlines. Each submission is somehow tied to how worthy the students are based on their academic performance. Are the voices of students not enough? Are the opinions and feelings of your son or daughter lacking? Are my feelings valid?

     According to Vallejo (2023) from Mental Health Center Kids, one of the causes of academic pressure on students is from parents or guardians, heavy schoolwork, and self. They mean well, of course, and it's a preparation for our future, but as they encourage us to strive for excellence,  the more we strive, the more suffocating we feel. 

     Education, particularly the education system of the Philippines, though dedicated to our learning, can sometimes become a source of immense pressure as the constant push to pass with flying colors can create an atmosphere of anxiety. Each grade, grade, and announcement felt heavy, as the thought of disappointing a teacher can be paralyzing. The pressure to have high scores and do heavy schoolwork can sometimes overshadow the joy of learning, making it feel like every lesson, test, and activity is an obligation instead of exploring ideas. “Nag-aaral pa ako eh” is often said by students who are keeping up with high education demands. They are isolated from the world. 

     According to Magsambol (2024) from Rappler, Filipino students performed poorly in global learning assessments. Why? Despite the stringent grade system, which heightens student pressure, they focus more on memorization instead of real-life application. Ironically, even in college, people lean more on memorization than application. Why is that?

     “Anak ko top 1,” said proud parents to their child. Imagine you staring blankly at the screen filled with assignments because you want to give back to your parents; you want them to be proud, as they have sacrificed so much for your education. However, as time goes by and as expectations go on, the excitement for learning has been replaced by a cycle of pressure. Parents can also impact academic pressure on students. Why? In my experience and that of those around me, we are terrified that we may not reach the level of expectation of what our parents aim for and appear on their faces with a look of disappointment. “Anong score nung iba?” although said innocently, it can have an underlying meaning that makes their children strive harder, leading to sleep deprivation, eating disorders, excessive worrying as well and cheating. 

     Can we please normalize complimenting your children’s hard work instead of mentioning other names? Also, listen to them first rather than saying phrases that echo through the hallways of countless homes. “Hindi sapat inaral mo noh?” “Bakit di mo pinaglaban?” “ Dapat maging ganito ka in the future ah.”

     Academics should be enjoyed by students and, with sufficient advice and guidance from parents, not control their lives. As parents and our current education system create unrealistic expectations, students can’t help but be gloomy, competitive, and exhibit deviant behavior. Are the feelings of their children as students heard?

     Lastly, academic pressure on students themselves is also a problem. Given our surroundings, this relentless voice is inside our heads, pushing us to strive for excellence, to be perfect, and to meet our high expectations. Every mistake we make feels like a blow that could destroy our future. Fear of failure or making mistakes has made it challenging to enjoy school or our learning process. In academics, because of the pressure from within, there has been a silent competition among us, where we look at our classmates who seem to excel at everything, and here we are, wondering why we can’t achieve the same. “Nag-aral naman ako ah, bakit ang baba ko tas sila mataas,” the more we feel to be better, internal pressure deepens,  leading to burnout, and isolation from the world.

     To solve these academic pressures, having a supportive environment that prioritizes mental health and academic achievements is important. Each one of us should encourage open communication, such as listening to the voices of students during evaluation, hearing the feelings of your children, and telling ourselves that it is okay not to be perfect. If those causes aren’t able to do that, then students will most likely be isolated, competitive, and think only of themselves instead of other people. 

     Academic pressure should be taken seriously; it's not just from the student's mind but also their surroundings. Talino? O Pahinga muna? Hindi ba pwede both? Pagod na ako ma-pressure eh.