NATIONAL COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND

TECHNOLOGY
-SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL-
Questions:
1. What challenges is Sarah
experiencing?
2. Why do you think she reacted the way
she did?
3. Do you think there is still hope for
Sarah’s future?
4. If you were in Sarah’s shoes, what
would you do to better deal with life’s
Sometimes, conflicts in relationships, especially with those who are central to one’s life, can truly
interrupt some aspects of one’s development. This is the case of Sarah. Her self-concept was largely
built around having a healthy, loving family with good dynamics. Losing a part of herself when the
family was challenged by parental separation, she felt displaced. Her rebellion and engagement in
risky behavior could be her way of coping and an attempt at trying to regain her sense of self-once
gain. She may also be exhibiting signs of a deeper sadness.
A multiple of challenges plagues the typical teenager in the senior high school
developmental stage. The successful coming out of the adolescent stage is really in one’s own
hands and no one else’s. It all depends on how one chooses to tackle these personal challenges. It is
helpful to exercise good judgment and discernment, and reflect on one’s actions. If one needs
further help, he/she can always talk to someone knowledgeable like his/her parents, siblings,
relatives, teachers or guidance counselor. It may also help to talk to friends but keep in mind that
they are in the same developmental stage, and this friend might give the wrong advice.
 Types of Challenges for the Adolescence
People often say that life is but a journey though they sometimes hit a few
bumps along the road. These bumps symbolic of the trials people face in
everyday life. They can be discouraging and cause people to wander off
course.
Adolescents often feel overwhelmed by the rapid changes growing up.
Aside from the physical and social changes that they go through, there are
hormonal changes which affect one’s emotions and the way one perceives
an experience. Among the major challenges that the adolescent faces in
senior high school are the following:
Types of Challenges for the Adolescence
• Self-esteem
• Physical Appearance
• Group Belongingness
• Relationships
• Sexuality and sexual relationships
• Academic concerns
• Choosing the right course and career path
• Socio-emotional challenges
 Types of Challenges for the Adolescence

Self-Esteem
Developing a healthy and balanced self-esteem is usually the most challenging task for a teenager. Self-
esteem is one’s subjective evaluation of his/her own worth. It is about believing in oneself, having confidence
in one’s own value as a person, and seeing oneself in a positive way. Low self-esteem usually means that a
person does not regard him/herself in a favorable light. When one has a low opinion of him/herself, one sees
the self as unworthy, insignificant or unimportant. Some teens describe themselves as “worthless”, “useless”
or “unimportant”. Growing up amid frequent criticisms and put downs predisposes one to a sense of not being
good enough, or even bad, thus developing a low or poor sense of self. Sadly, low self-esteem issues may
continue to be a hindrance to them even as adults. Oftentimes people say, “I am only human” which basically
means all humans are flawed in their own ways.
To develop a healthy self-esteem, one needs to see both his/her assets and limitations. For if one simply
focuses on strengths, one might become too proud of oneself. But if a person focuses too much on negative
traits, one might develop a low self-esteem that negatively affects the rest of his/her life. The beauty of human
nature is that each person has a set of strengths and weakness. Even if a person in class, he or she may be
very diligent and hardworking. A boy who feels that he is not the most handsome may be very talented artist.
Although a girl does not have a good voice, she may be a wonderful dancer. As a adolescent, it is one’s task
to take care for him/herself and allow his or herself esteem to grow.
 Types of Challenges for the Adolescence

Physical Appearance
Teenagers are also more self-conscious of their bodies and physical
appearance. Since it is the first thing that other people notice about a
person. Owing to this, dissatisfaction with one’s physical appearance is a
common reason for teenagers to feel lowly about themselves. It does not
help that what is promoted in the media is a thin, fair-skinned woman with
nice curves or a more muscular and toned man. There is something called
body types, which are dictated by genes, and over which people have no
control. But one can take care of one’s body by eating healthy, exercising,
and getting the right amount of sleep.
Types of Challenges for the Adolescence

Group Belongingness
Adolescent strongly feel the need to find a group belong to and fit well in. He/she
shifts in relationship with parents from dependency and subordination to one that reflects
the adolescent’s increasing maturity and responsibilities in the family and the community.
One may not need to wary of peer pressure, since one does not have to prove
anything to anyone. One does not have to indulge in smoking, drinking or something
with drugs. It pays to be true to oneself, and understand that one does not need to
please other people by doing what they want him/her to do. In the Philippines, fraternity
hazing has been a cause of ultimate deaths among teenagers.
It is always good to talk to an experiences adult before making choices like these. A
better choice would be to join a wholesome organization that will help develop oneself,
or certain aspects of oneself such as talent, skills or interest. Always trust your gut
instinct or that little voice inside your head that warns against certain things.
 Types of Challenges for the Adolescence

Relationships
In adolescent, building and maintaining relationship of all kinds can be challenging. Relationships require
a person to be emotionally mature – to be a rational in thought and behavior. Maintaining a relation with one’s
parents may be difficult because parents usually have different perspective from an adolescent. Adolescents
fail to understand why their parents are being “overly protective, strict, and/ or controlling, they tend to resent
and rebel. It is a must for adolescent to have a more objective view of what is happening in their relationship
with their parents.
Relating with peers and one’s barkada is easier as adolescents share the same concerns, issues and
complaints. While it easy to establish friendships, it is more challenging to maintain them. Through time,
friendships are negatively affected by jealousy, tactless criticisms, disloyalty, backbiting, and rejection.
Comparing oneself with others breed negative feelings. True friendship is built on mutual respect and trust.
Romantic relationship also starts to develop during this stage. Such relationships are highly intense
and emotional and people do not usually think with reason and objectivity. Acting on impulse or being blinded
by what one only wants to see often brings harm and danger and leads to quarrels and breakup experiences.
 Types of Challenges for the Adolescence

Sexuality and sexual relationships

During these adolescent years, one’s hormones become very active and awaken
strong sexual passions. Some teenagers feel shame and guilt over experiencing
sexual urges as they find them a strange and new experience. But sex is a natural part
of being human, so there is nothing to be ashamed or guilty of. Teenagers think it best
to hide these feelings rather than ask about them from people who can provide facts
and scientific information. Some teens may lose control over their sexual drive and
engage in risky sexual practices such as unprotected sex, which may lead to unwanted
pregnancies and sexually transmitted disease. Experts believe that how to be
responsible and accountable for one’s actions in the guiding principle toward a healthy
sexuality. Responsibility means learning to control and limit one’s sexual expression
and being aware of consequences of his/her sexual behavior.
 Types of Challenges for the Adolescence

Academic concerns
It can be easy to get distracted by other things that may divert one’s attention from fulfilling his/her academic obligation.
Some distractions include using technology such as watching television, going on social media and playing online games
using your desktop computer, laptop, tablet or mobile phone for non-academic purposes. Postponing the completion of your
academic requirements will prolong your agony.
- fear of failure. Too much or too little anxiety may hinder a person from doing his/her best. However, feelings are also
important to motivate and push a person to do his/her best. Acknowledging one’s feelings, embracing them, using them to
his/her advantage is the best course of action. At times failure is inevitable. Failure is a normal part of learning. Without failure,
humans would not be able to learn from past mistakes. It is good to take mental notes about what went wrong, and how to do
better and improve the next time around.
- Grades are important because they help a person achieve the goals of academic excellence and further studies.
Although having a good grade can give one a slight edge over the others when it comes to future employment, what really
matters and what people will remember are one’s character and attitude. These are what supervisors, manager’s teachers,
and mentors write about when they recommend a person to schools or companies. These are also what employers look for
when they consider applicants. Furthermore, many schools and companies give equal importance to being a well-balanced
individual. This means that they also look at one’s curricular activities - one affiliation or membership in clubs, organizations,
teams and other social groups. To them, this is good sign, showing that a person knows how to manage his/her time or a
flexible person. Know how to balance activities, prioritize and manage expectation in order to prevent feeling burn-out.
Types of Challenges for the Adolescence
Choosing the right course and career path
One’s career choice will have a direct impact on his/her future and even help guide its
course. It may seem like the biggest and most important decision to make at this point in
one’s life. It is urgent for you to choose a course within the next few months, and build your
career path for the near future. When choosing a course, it would be good to consider your
strengths, capabilities, skills, and most importantly your interests, the things you find
exciting, and the things you are passionate about. For some, this is something yet to be
discovered. That is normal since a person still needs more experience to know what she/he
really wants to be discovered. That is normal since a person still needs more experience to
know what he/she really wants to be in the future. When a person chooses something,
he/she loves and is passionate about, he/she will surely work hard at it and excel. These
choices take time and reflection. You can visit your career guidance counselor, or access a
number of free online measures in order to identify your capabilities and skills, and the
career paths that you can take. They can provide a general and wider overview of what
would best suit your based on your skills, capabilities, and working style.
Types of Challenges for the Adolescence
Socio-emotional challenge
Psychological challenges also afflict both male and female adolescents. Grief affects a person in many ways.
It can be speculated that perhaps the death of Jean’s younger brother has negatively affected her emotions, to the
point that she has changed in all aspects of herself. As she grieves over her younger brother’s death, her desire to
maintain social relationships decreased, as well as her self-esteem and sense of responsibility, even to take care of
her body and physical appearance.
Other socio-emotional struggles include anxiety, depression, bipolar disorders, trauma, eating disorders,
substance abuse and attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder. Anxiety is the sense of impending doom without a
factual basis. The anxious person tends to be apprehensive, irritable, full of fears, and lacks confidence.
Depression is manifested by a person who lose interest in most things that used to excite him/her; experiences
drastic change in appetite and sleep; has feelings of guilt, worthlessness, and/or helplessness; persistently feels
sad most of the days; and has decreased energy.
Panic attack is displayed by feelings of panic, fear, uneasiness, nervousness, or agitation, and maybe some
accompanying physiological effects such as heart palpitations, cold or sweaty hand/feet, and shortness of breath,
nausea and dizziness among others. If you or anyone you know is experiencing these symptoms more than most
people normally do, it would be best to approach a parent, guidance counselor, or mental health professional
immediately. They would know the proper course of action to take.
 Self-Awareness and Meeting Life Challenges

To be able to face challenges and deal with them

more effectively, one needs to know how to behave
under such trying circumstance. Modern psychology
presents different approaches for people to better
understand themselves. A more depth view of knowing
oneself is provided by Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), an
Austrian neurologist who espoused the psychoanalytic
theory. Freund proposed that the mind can be viewed
as an energy system which is divided into three levels of
awareness.
Self-Awareness and Meeting Life Challenges
 conscious level holds all the things that we are aware of. It contains the
thoughts that we are currently aware of but we deal with only a tiny percentage of all
the information stored in our mind.
subconscious or preconscious level carriers the mental elements that are not
conscious but of which we can be aware if we choose to attend to them. It holds the
information that are easily retrievable.
unconscious level bears all our drives and instincts that are repressed, and
therefore, are difficult to retrieve. Freud believe that the unconscious holds that vast
majority of thoughts. The material stored in this level are not easily accessible but it
is responsible for much of our everyday behavior. For Freud, the repression of these
thoughts, urges, and instincts are meant to protect a person from feelings of anxiety
that would occur if one become conscious of them
 Id, Ego, and Superego
According to Freudian theory, the id is the component of personality that forms the basis of
our most primitive impulses. The id is entirely unconscious, and it drives our most important
motivations, including the sexual drive (libido) and the aggressive or destructive drive
(Thanatos). According to Freud, the id is driven by the pleasure principle — the desire for
immediate gratification of our sexual and aggressive urges. The id is why we smoke
cigarettes, drink alcohol, view pornography, tell mean jokes about people, and engage in
other fun or harmful behaviors, often at the cost of doing more productive activities.
In stark contrast to the id, the superego represents our sense of morality and ought’s.
The superego tell us all the things that we shouldn’t do, or the duties and obligations of
society. The superego strives for perfection, and when we fail to live up to its demands, we
feel guilty.
In contrast to the id, which is about the pleasure principle, the function of the ego is
based on the reality principle — the idea that we must delay gratification of our basic
motivations until the appropriate time with the appropriate outlet.
The ego is the largely conscious controller or decision-maker of personality. The ego
serves as the intermediary between the desires of the id and the constraints of society
contained in the superego (Figure 12.8, “Ego, Id, and Superego in Interaction”). We may wish
to scream, yell, or hit, and yet our ego normally tells us to wait, reflect, and choose a more
appropriate response.
 Defense mechanisms — unconscious psychological strategies used to cope with anxiety and
maintain a positive self-image. Freud believed that the defense mechanisms were essential for
effective coping with everyday life, but that any of them could be overused.
Freud’s Defense Mechanisms
Name of Defense Mechanism Description Example
A person who witnesses his parents having sex
Pushing anxiety-arousing thoughts into
Repression (or denial) is later unable to remember anything about the
the unconscious
event.
Jane is sexually attracted to friend Jake, but
Making unacceptable motivations appear
Reaction Formation she claims in public that she intensely dislikes
as their exact opposite
him.

Diverting threatening impulses away from A student who is angry at her professor for a
Displacement the source of the anxiety and toward a low grade lashes out at her roommate, who is a
more acceptable source safer target of her anger.

Retreating to an earlier, more childlike, A university student who is worried about an

Regression
and safer stage of development important test begins to suck on his finger.

A man with powerful unconscious sexual

Disguising threatening impulses by
Projection desires for women claims that women use him
attributing them to others
as a sex object.

Channeling unacceptable sexual or A person participates in sports to sublimate

Sublimation aggressive desires into acceptable aggressive drives. A person creates music or
activities art to sublimate sexual drives.
 Adler’s way of Meeting Challenges
Alfred Adler believed that people are motivated to either strive for
success, or to strive for superiority. These feelings of inferiority motivate
one to compensate by striving for success or by striving for personal
superiority. The integral difference between the two is that striving from
personal superiority is unhealthy, in that it aims to achieve a superior position
over others. Too much feelings of inferiority or having an “inferiority
complex” may lead people to strive for personal gain. On other hand,
striving for success is healthy since it seeks success for all humanity.
People who are motivated by striving for success have high social interest.
Social interest was Adler’s term for “community feeling”, or “a feeling of
oneness with humanity”. He believed that relating with others and genuinely
caring for them make it possible for all to cooperate with one another for
social advancement, instead of seeking personal gain (Adler, 1964 as cited
in Feist et al., 2013). Thus, someone who is high in social interest would
strive for a goal of success that would include the well-being of all people in a
community.
 Adler’s way of Meeting Challenges
Adler recognized that maladjustments among some individuals are due to lack of social interest. Two external factors that
lead to these maladjustments are a pampered style of life and a neglected style of life. Pampered people are those who
grew up with parents doing too much for them. Because pampered children feel indulged and spoiled, they develop a
pampered style of like, have weak social interest, and expect others to protect them, look after them, satisfy their needs,
and above all, believe that they are entitled to be the priority in everything. In contrast, children who are neglected and feel
unloved or unwanted tend to have low social interest and low self-confidence, overestimate difficulties, become suspicious
and distrustful, and are unable to cooperate with others. If one has either of these two maladjustments, one’s ability to
deal with challenges is vulnerable.
Adler came up with safeguarding tendencies that protect against anxiety, of which excuses and aggression are two
common types. One can become conscious of the excuses one uses and the key is to recognize excuses that are
hindering one’s ability to succeed. It helps to take charge of your own actions and be accountable foe each decision you
make. Excuses are usually in the “yes ____ but ___” or “If only my partner was smarter, I would gotten a better grade.” On
the other hand, aggression usually take the form either depreciation – where one might blame others down to make
him/herself feel better; or accusation – where one might blame another for one’s frustration. In aggression, objectivity is
often tossed out the window.
Adler’s view which present the socio-cultural perspective remind us that although humans are biological beings, one
cannot ignore the strong influence of society and culture. It serves as a reminder that whenever we encounter people who
do not treat us nicely, there is an underlying reason for their behavior. It could be due to an inferiority complex that causes
them to over compensate, an identity crisis that they are experiencing, or a difficult childhood that made them interact in a
“different” way. Whatever it is, at times, one must learn to dig deep within oneself to understand and accept that people
have different and unique socio-cultural interactions that affect how their personality developed.
 The Jungian Components of the Psyche

Carl Jung theorized that it is the personal

unconscious that rules one’s being. The
personal unconscious is made up of all the
repressed experiences of an individual. By fully
accepting and embracing our personal
unconscious, we achieve individuation of self-
realization, a process of integrating all our
opposite poles to become a whole and
complete person (Feist et al., 2013)
 Jungs’s Archetypes
Archetype Description
Persona The side of our personality that we show to the world
Shadow Qualities we consider negative and we attempt to hide from the world
Anima The ‘feminine side” of men; believed to be responsible for irritational moods
and feelings
Animus The “masculine side” of women; believed to be responsible for irrational
thinking and illogical opinions
Great Mother Represents the idealized qualities of the mother figure such as fertility,
nourishment, and compassion
Wise Old Man The archetype of wisdom, meaning and experience
Hero The unconscious image of a powerful person who conquers evil, but has a
traffic flaw
Self The most comprehensive of archetypes; it unites the other archetypes;
represent the strivings for completeness perfection
Slogan or Personal Declaration on Being Happy

1. Read the essay on “Being Happy”.

2. Choose a phrase, sentence, or paragraph that
strikes you.
3. Make a slogan or personal declaration on how
you can be committed to your self-development.
4. Explain your thoughts and feelings about it.
Include specific ways in which you will develop
yourself further.
BEING HAPPY... (Unknown Author)
You may have defects, be anxious and sometimes live irritated, but do not forget that your life is the greatest enterprise in the world. Only
you can prevent it from going into decadence. There are many that need you, admire you and love you.
I would like to remind you that being happy is not having a sky without storms, or roads without accidents, or work without fatigue, or
relationships without disappointments.
Being happy is finding strength in forgiveness, hope in one’s battles, security at the stage of fear, love in disagreements.
Being happy is not only to treasure the smile, but that you also reflect on the sadness. It is not just commemorating the event, but also
learning lessons in failures. It is not just having joy with the applause, but also having joy in anonymity.
Being happy is to recognize that it is worthwhile to live, despite all the challenges, misunderstandings and times of crises.
Being happy is not inevitable fate, but a victory for those who can travel towards it with your own being.
Being happy is to stop being a victim of problems but become an actor in history itself. It is not only to cross the deserts outside of
ourselves, but still more, to be able to find an oasis in the recesses of our soul. It is to thank God every morning for the miracle of life.
Being happy is not being afraid of one's feelings. It is to know how to talk about ourselves. It is to bear with courage when hearing a "no".
It is to have the security to receive criticism, even if it is unfair. It is to kiss the children, pamper the parents, has poetic moments with
friends, even if they have hurt us.
Being happy means allowing the free, happy and simple child inside each of us to live; having the maturity to say, "I was wrong"; having
the audacity to say, "forgive me". It is to have sensitivity in expressing, "I need you"; to have the ability of saying, "I love you." So that
your life becomes a garden full of opportunities for being happy...
In your spring-time, may you become a lover of joy? In your winter, may you become a friend of wisdom? And when you go wrong along
the way, you start all over again. Thus you will be more passionate about life. And you will find that happiness is not about having a
perfect life but about using tears to water tolerance, losses to refine patience, failures to carve serenity, pain to lapidate pleasure,
obstacles to open the windows of intelligence.
Never give up ... Never give up on the people you love. Never give up from being happy because life is an incredible show. And you are a
special human being!
 THANK YOU.
see you again to our
next virtual
classroom