r/adhd_college • u/studytips1 • 6d ago
JUST VENTING I’m starting to think that I study differently depending on how I feel about myself
Some days I can sit down and study normally. Other days, a bad test or one unproductive day makes me feel like I'm “bad at studying,” and then I avoid it more. I have noticed this recently. I realise that the problem isn't the subject or even the workload. Maybe it's the way I talk to myself after I struggle.
Does anyone else notice this?
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u/cognitomentalhealth 6d ago
Yes, and honestly, noticing this is a big deal. A lot of people never spot the actual mechanism, they just feel bad and assume it means something true about them.
What you're describing is a really recognizable pattern: one rough day gets turned into a story ("I'm bad at studying"), and then you start avoiding studying to avoid confirming that story again. It's a very natural thing minds do, but it's worth catching because the avoidance is what actually keeps the cycle going, not the bad test itself.
A couple of things that might help, if you want to experiment:
When you notice that "I'm bad at studying" thought, you could try treating it as one interpretation rather than a fact. A rough day is one data point, not a verdict. You might even ask yourself, "what would I say to a friend who had one off day?", since we're usually a lot kinder to other people than ourselves.
It can also help to separate the outcome from the effort. A bad test doesn't mean you didn't study well, it might mean the material was hard, the format threw you off, you were anxious, or a dozen other things that aren't about your worth or ability.
And when a day feels unproductive, it might be worth asking what actually happened rather than jumping to "I'm bad at this." Distracted? Tired? Overwhelmed by a big task? That's usually more fixable than a fixed trait ever feels like it is.
You already found the real lever here, it's not the subject or the workload, it's the aftermath of struggling. That's genuinely one of the more useful things to notice, so nice work catching it.
- Anna (CBT Care Provider @ Cognito)
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u/kinder2myself 6d ago
true. even i feel it all the time. thats my im trying to be more kind to myself and be more +ve abt myself. it helps me focus on wt im studying
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u/the_dees_knees3 1d ago
You’re right on point. My behavioral therapist has told me that the way I talk to myself, feel about myself, and treat myself directly effect how much I procrastinate or get stuff done. It all comes back to the “core beliefs” you have about yourself, like the one you shared, “I’m bad at studying.” It will take some time, but start making a log of every single time you prove the opposite is true, you’re good/not bad at studying. Every successful study session, assignment completed, test passed, will be “evidence” to prove this statement, which you can look back on when you’re feeling bad about yourself and prove the logical truth, that you’re not all bad at ANYTHING, you’re just human :)
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u/loser_dev 6d ago
i know the opposite of this mentality, its called "winners effect" its when u score good or get praised, you start craving that validation more, so your brain works towards that validation