My Grades are Way Better When I'm Depressed/Apathetic

[Premeddie]

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I started noticing this in High School. [Time to whine:] Whenever I didn't care at all about the subject matter, and especially when it made me sick (US History!) or when I was whiny and depressed about life in general, I'd get really good scores more often, without studying at all. I was also able to work for hours doing boring things, which I can't do as well when I'm not bumming. When I was actually interested in the material or feeling less bummed out about life, tests would seem more difficult and opaque... much fewer of my guesses were correct. I was thinking maybe that studying led to sadness but also to better grades, but the studying is never excessive before I get into one of these little funks, and whatever productive work I do when in one doesn't really affect my grades until much later.

I started off college really into bio (my major). I studied a ton, was happy, and got decently good grades. Now I find all my classes really, really boring like back in High School, and yet my grades have never been better. I'm personally miserable and negative a lot of the time, and I couldn't care less about my classes, and yet my GPA was 0.35 higher than it ever has been last semester. I am not spending more time studying than usual, and my classes more difficult than ever. I'm really, really not trying to brag, because I don't feel very good most of the time. I just don't understand how being totally disinterested in school could ever help me get better grades.

Has anybody else noticed this trend in their grades?

 

[Global Warming]

Looks like you'll become a doctor from a top school, but be miserable. Turn this inverse proportion into something directly proportionate and you'll become one fantastic individual.

 

[MexicanDr]

Turn this inverse proportion into something directly proportionate and you'll become one fantastic individual.

Agree 👍

 

[Global Warming]

OP, actually I am the complete opposite. When I am happy, I tend to do well and enjoy studying very much. On the contrary, when I am down...BLEH
I just want to

 

[Premeddie]

Looks like you'll become a doctor from a top school, but be miserable.

Haha +1

 

[sgtbrushes]

Perhaps you have the cause and effect backward in your head. Your classes are really easy, thus uninteresting, thus getting you better grades. It is impossible for the trend to continue indefinitely by which you earn good grades by being sad.

 

[J ROD]

Looks like you'll become a doctor from a top school, but be miserable. Turn this inverse proportion into something directly proportionate and you'll become one fantastic individual.

Being a MD, is a hell of a price!

 

[icalz]

I started noticing this in High School. [Time to whine:] Whenever I didn't care at all about the subject matter, and especially when it made me sick (US History!) or when I was whiny and depressed about life in general, I'd get really good scores more often, without studying at all. I was also able to work for hours doing boring things, which I can't do as well when I'm not bumming. When I was actually interested in the material or feeling less bummed out about life, tests would seem more difficult and opaque... much fewer of my guesses were correct. I was thinking maybe that studying led to sadness but also to better grades, but the studying is never excessive before I get into one of these little funks, and whatever productive work I do when in one doesn't really affect my grades until much later.

I started off college really into bio (my major). I studied a ton, was happy, and got decently good grades. Now I find all my classes really, really boring like back in High School, and yet my grades have never been better. I'm personally miserable and negative a lot of the time, and I couldn't care less about my classes, and yet my GPA was 0.35 higher than it ever has been last semester. I am not spending more time studying than usual, and my classes more difficult than ever. I'm really, really not trying to brag, because I don't feel very good most of the time. I just don't understand how being totally disinterested in school could ever help me get better grades.

Has anybody else noticed this trend in their grades?

This is simple, it was easier because you were probably more relaxed...ever talk to a girl you had no interest in? Yeah, now try talking to a girl that is smoking hot....your 'success' at it will be less.

 

[StormingWynn]

This is simple, it was easier because you were probably more relaxed...ever talk to a girl you had no interest in? Yeah, now try talking to a girl that is smoking hot....your 'success' at it will be less.

So true, OP this actually occurs to me a lot aswell. When I try really hard and I'm "prepared" for the test I do worse than if I just glance at my notes and I'm totally relaxed. Or should I say don't care because my life sucks!

 

[Global Warming]

So true, OP this actually occurs to me a lot aswell. When I try really hard and I'm "prepared" for the test I do worse than if I just glance at my notes and I'm totally relaxed. Or should I say don't care because my life sucks!

lol

 

[Premeddie]

This is simple, it was easier because you were probably more relaxed...ever talk to a girl you had no interest in? Yeah, now try talking to a girl that is smoking hot....your 'success' at it will be less.

Thanks! That actually makes a lot of sense... wonder why I didn't think of that (maybe I was too concerned with the answer haha).