Overcoming Fear of Academic Failure: Reasons Why Students Fail vs. Thrive (2024)

Students who want to succeed are often, understandably, afraid of failure. Similarly, parents of students are afraid of seeing their children fall prey to academic failure, since so much of today’s modern society seems to depend on academic success for upward mobility.

Of course, academic failure does not always depend on the student alone. Plenty of students find themselves in situations that thwart their failure, often due to socioeconomic status and issues with education inequality. These are important issues to address in a separate article.

For the purposes of this article, academic failure refers to the inability of a student with access to all necessary resources to forge ahead. The essential question then becomes, how do students get in the way of their own success?

Reasons for Student Failure

Failure in small doses is actually crucial to learning. However, when students completely fail academically, this means that they are unable to overcome the small failures over time to learn and grow and eventually succeed.

There are many causes of student failure, and these causes could be looked at in various ways. But here are some common reasons for student academic failure, starting with perhaps the most insidious: fear.

1. Fear

Fear of failure, or even fear of success, causes failure. This seems unjust, but it’s unfortunately true. Many students allow their fear to overcome their ability to complete essential tasks that will help them succeed academically.

Fear of Failure

Some students fear failure, so they neglect their studies and stop trying, hoping that if they do not try then they will not have to feel bad about failing. This kind of fear can occur in students who are overachievers or who do not believe in themselves academically.

Educators can help students overcome their fear of failure by reminding them that they can learn from failure when they experience it.

Fear of Success

Other students fear success, which is common among students who are worried about the responsibilities they will face if they succeed or the ways their lives might change once they succeed. They might fear college life or a difficult career if they should succeed. Sometimes students are afraid of leaving others, like family members or friends, behind if they succeed.

These students need to be reminded that they are in control of their lives and can decide how far they go. But if they do not reach their full potential, they will be depriving the world of their gifts.

2. Lack of Preparation

Other students fail from a lack of preparation. This can sometimes mean that they did not do the work they needed to along the way or put off necessary steps like studying for tests, finishing key assignments, or completing college applications.

Students who lack preparation might have allowed their learning to fall short during school without seeking the help they needed to understand material and now feel they are too behind to catch up.

Often, fear of failure or success can actually lead to a lack of preparation, while other times, students do not prepare for other reasons, like laziness.

Laziness

Laziness can cause students to fail when they avoid the hard work necessary to succeed academically. Some students never learn how to value hard work or do not practice challenging themselves, so they never get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Sometimes educators and guardians can help students overcome their laziness by trying to instill a great work ethic; however, when students are lazy even after receiving help from adults around them, they will likely fall behind.

Like most skills, valuing hard work and perseverance takes practice. Even the laziest students can learn to work hard if they have the desire, or motivation, to do so.

Lack of Motivation

Sometimes students lack motivation, so they become apathetic. When students are unmotivated, they might feel that academic success doesn’t matter or that they will never achieve it. Students who lack motivation might have experienced a good deal of failure early on in their education and feel there is no point in trying any longer.

These students need to find a “why” when it comes to academic success, a reason that will motivate them to achieve their goals. A motivation can come from a career goal, a desire for a future accomplishment, the hope to be financially stable, or even the desire to give back to the community or family members.

Overcoming Fear of Failure

Since failure is a natural part of life and necessary on the way to success, fear of academic failure often happens for students when they have come across a major challenge or roadblock.

With the knowledge that failure is necessary, students can certainly adopt certain mindsets and create habits that help them overcome failure to then reach success. Here are some tips for students to overcome their fear of failure:

Accept Failure as a Necessary Part of Life

Once students can accept failure as part of their academic journey, they might have an easier time facing failure in general. The ironic part of this truth is that the only way to avoid failure is to embrace it. If you can realize that you will absolutely fail in pursuit of success, the idea of failure will no longer feel so scary.

However, it is also important to realize that every failure will require you to overcome. You can fail, but then you must learn from that failure and try again.

Have Compassion for Yourself

In order to deal with failure, you must also have great compassion for yourself. Every human being makes mistakes, so if you make a mistake or find yourself on the wrong path, know that you can always redirect. Beating yourself up will never help you overcome failure, but recognizing why you might have failed and learning from it will always help.

Try to process every failure, allow yourself to heal from it, learn what you need to in order to improve, and then come back with a new approach.

Adopt a Mindset of Resilience

The ability to learn from failure and keep working toward your goals anyway comes from adopting a resilience mindset. This takes practice, but you can train yourself to understand that failure is part of life and then be willing to keep trying anyway.

An important aspect of resilience is the desire to learn from mistakes. Even if you fail, knowing that you can find a solution and work toward your goals in new ways should help you overcome failure.

Set Realistic, Smaller Goals Toward a Larger Goal

One way to lessen the fear of failure is to set smaller goals that are more realistic to accomplish. This might mean setting a goal to get a higher grade on your next test or to understand one new concept in a class that is difficult for you.

By achieving small goals that lead you toward a larger academic goal, you will feel more confident along the way and be able to celebrate each accomplishment.

Tips for Students to Thrive Academically

Everyone learns differently, so tips that work for one student might not work for another. That said, all students can benefit from important study tips to help prepare them for success.

  • Study early and often.
  • Keep track of academic deadlines.
  • Write down your goals.
  • Ask for help from your https://www.nshss.org/blog/how-teachers-can-help-develop-growth-mindset-in-students/.
  • Be kind to yourself along the way.
  • Know your “why” or motivation for success.
  • Seek support from peers you admire.
  • Keep going.

With these tips in mind, along with a resilience mindset, there is no reason to fear failure. Utilize your resources and keep working toward your goals. Success is not a straight line! You will fail, but failure is part of the process.

About NSHSS

Since 2002, NSHSS has supported young academics on their journey to college and beyond as they prepare to become the leaders of tomorrow. The mission behind NSHSS is to recognize academic excellence and honor high-achieving students, providing them with the resources and network to excel in college, career and community. In doing so, NSHSS connects members with global events, scholarships, college fairs, internships, career and leadership programs, partner discounts, and more. Discover what makes NSHSS worth it to student members and how you can get involved.

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Overcoming Fear of Academic Failure: Reasons Why Students Fail vs. Thrive (2024)

FAQs

Why am I afraid of academic failure? ›

Shame: The fear of failure often stems from a fear of experiencing shame or embarrassment. Failing can trigger feelings worthlessness, so avoiding trying in the first place can sometimes serve as a way to protect the self from disappointment, regret, and sadness.

How can students overcome fear? ›

1. Overcoming Worry
  1. Step 1 – Identify the problem.
  2. Step 2 – Identify the possible solutions.
  3. Step 3 – List the pros and cons for each solution.
  4. Step 4 – Create an action plan.
  5. Step 5 – Implement the action plan.
  6. Step 6 – Review the plan and make amendments / changes.

How does fear of failure affect academic performance? ›

Among students, fear of failure can cause them to act nonproductively, such as procrastinating as a form of behavior to avoid negative consequences. Uncertainty about the future is one aspect of fear of failure.

What is the most common cause of academic failure? ›

The biggest reason of academic failure is the bad mindset. The mindset of a student always affects the study and his personal life. A bad mindset leads to a bad life, it can be school life, college life or personal life. It may be possible that you can have a lack of inspiration to do well in school.

What causes students to fail? ›

The main causes of student failure in the analyzed situation are: internal (personal) factors and external factors (family situation, social pressure, economic pressure) but also factors as disciplines difficulty (many technical disciplines), teacher's exigency, pedagogical and economic difficulties.

How do you overcome failure and achieve success? ›

8 Tips to Overcome Failure
  1. Accept feelings and emotions. ...
  2. Failure does not mean your life is going to be over. ...
  3. Learn from failure and be constructive. ...
  4. Find inspiration. ...
  5. Don't give up. ...
  6. Be passionate. ...
  7. Surround yourself with positive people. ...
  8. Avoid isolating yourself.

What is the fear of failing school called? ›

If you experience atychiphobia, you have an irrational and persistent fear of failing.

Why is failure important for success? ›

Through failure, you will get to know yourself better and you will learn from your mistakes. Failures make us rethink, reconsider, and find new ways and strategies to achieve our goals.

Why is it important to overcome your fears? ›

This strategy can help retrain your brain to develop a more positive association with whatever has been triggering your fear. Confronting your fears head-on can also increase your self-confidence and show you that you're capable of doing what might once have seemed impossible.

How do you deal with a failing student? ›

How to Help a Failing Student
  1. Get the parents involved early. ...
  2. Intentionally help the student whenever possible. ...
  3. Encourage them. ...
  4. Provide opportunity for self-reflection. ...
  5. Ask how you can help. ...
  6. Look for underlying problems. ...
  7. Require them to complete class work. ...
  8. Don't give up on them.

What are the effects of academic failure? ›

Academic failure means lack of success in education and leads to the loss of higher education costs and social and economic losses. In this study, the viewpoints of students on the factors which affect academic failure were studied.

Can fear of failure motivation students? ›

An early established fear of failure at school can influence students' motivation to learn and negatively affect their attitude to learning. This is the finding of a study by Dr. Michou, (Bilkent University, Turkey), Dr.

How does fear affect learning? ›

evidence that prolonged and/or excessive ex- posure to fear and states of anxiety can cause levels of stress that can impair early learning and adversely affect later performance in school, the workplace, and the community.

What are some major factors that contribute to student success or failure? ›

Factors That Influence a Student's Success in College
  • Family and Peer Support. No matter how independent the student, successfully transitioning into college often begins with strong family support. ...
  • Academic Habits. ...
  • Life Skills. ...
  • Decision-Making.

What are the effects of poor academic performance of students? ›

Poor school performance not only results in the child having a low self-esteem, but also causes significant stress to the parents.

What is the meaning of academic failure? ›

any marked insufficiency or inadequacy in the area of scholarship or study, for example, when a learner does not achieve an expected competence.

What are the major risk factors for school failure? ›

Lack of appropriate role models. Low expectations from staff. Low parent/community involvement in school. Negative and/or unsafe school environment.

How did you overcome your failure? ›

Take Reasonable Responsibility for Your Failure

Don't make excuses for your failures. Make an effort to find out exactly why things went the way they did, accept any mistakes you may have made, and focus on learning from them.

How can you overcome your failures explain by giving five 5 steps? ›

Here are 5 keys to overcoming failure:
  1. Learn From Your Mistakes and Failures.
  2. Don't Dwell on It.
  3. Don't Be Afraid to Try Again.
  4. Surround Yourself with Positive People.
  5. Realize that Failure is Part of the Learning Curve.
28 Sept 2021

How did you overcome failure interview question? ›

The best approach for handling this kind of question is to identify some scenarios when you came up short on the job in advance of your interview. Choose situations where you took responsibility for your failure, learned from it, and took steps to avoid recurrences of similar failures.

How do you motivate yourself after failure? ›

Here are some ways to maintain your motivation in the face of failure.
  1. Acceptance. Accept that you failed. ...
  2. Analyze and Improve. If you failed, you need to figure out why. ...
  3. Time-out and Perspective. ...
  4. Distraction and Visualization. ...
  5. Reframe Your Beliefs About What Qualifies as Success. ...
  6. Set an Example.
26 Nov 2019

How do you know you have a fear of failure? ›

Rather, a fear of failure is essentially a fear of shame. People who have a fear of failure are motivated to avoid failing not because they cannot manage the basic emotions of disappointment, anger, and frustration that accompany such experiences but because failing also makes them feel deep shame.

How common is the fear of failure? ›

Fear and exhilaration do go hand in hand, and fear of failure is common. A recent survey by the social network Linkagoal found that fear of failure plagued 31% of 1,083 adult respondents — a larger percentage than those who feared spiders (30%), being home alone (9%) or even the paranormal (15%).

Why do good students fail in life? ›

There were many studies conducted to figure out the exact reasons why students fail despite the larger influence of modern educational technology. Lack of motivation and perseverance, the absence of preparation and effort, poor time management and a lot of other external factors were seen in the list.

Why is failure important in learning? ›

"We learn more from our failures than from our successes. Not only do we find out what doesn't work so that we can adjust our future attempts, we learn about ourselves in the process and gain a bit of empathy towards others that might be struggling as well." People have studied failure.

Can failures teach you important lessons in life? ›

Failure can teach us many things about ourselves. When you fall down and pick yourself back up, you build muscle and strength. Similarly, each time you fail and recover, you build strength of character, commitment and work ethic. Failure spawns creativity, motivation and tenacity.

What are the reasons of fear? ›

Causes of Fear
  • Certain specific objects or situations (spiders, snakes, heights, flying, etc)
  • Future events.
  • Imagined events.
  • Real environmental dangers.
  • The unknown.

What's the cause of fear? ›

Fear starts in the part of the brain called the amygdala. According to Smithsonian Magazine, “A threat stimulus, such as the sight of a predator, triggers a fear response in the amygdala, which activates areas involved in preparation for motor functions involved in fight or flight.

How do you overcome failing grades? ›

  1. Adopt a positive mental attitude. ...
  2. Work out where you're falling short. ...
  3. Talk to your teachers. ...
  4. Pay more attention in class – and ask questions. ...
  5. Start organising your life. ...
  6. Improve your note-taking skills. ...
  7. Improve your essay-writing skills. ...
  8. Find the right learning style for you.

How can you help students with poor academic performance? ›

How to help struggling students
  1. Your classroom = motivation station. ...
  2. Set attainable goals. ...
  3. Offer extra lessons. ...
  4. Lighten their load where possible. ...
  5. Help them draw up a timetable. ...
  6. Set practice exams.
11 Nov 2019

How do you deal with stress and fail a grade? ›

5 Ways to Cope with Grade Repetition Stress
  1. Remember, you're not a failure. I understand that failing at something can make you feel depressed about it, or like you're worthless. ...
  2. Reach out for help. ...
  3. Look at it as a second chance. ...
  4. Make your school work a priority. ...
  5. Focus on the future.

How anxiety affects students learning and performance in school? ›

When students have anxiety and depression that goes unnoticed their mental health is at risk, which can lead to social and behavioral problems, poor performance and learning, neglected hygiene, poor self care practices and low self esteem.

How does fear impact performance? ›

Fear/Anxiety

They may feel sick and will start to think about all the things that could go wrong. As a result, the performer will not attack the vault as effectively as they could and the performance will not achieve as high a mark.

How does fear affect a person's behavior? ›

Fear can interrupt processes in our brains that allow us to regulate emotions, read non-verbal cues and other information presented to us, reflect before acting, and act ethically. This impacts our thinking and decision-making in negative ways, leaving us susceptible to intense emotions and impulsive reactions.

What is the fear of failure called? ›

Atychiphobia is an intense fear of failure. It may cause you to put off or avoid any activity or scenario that has the potential for an unsuccessful outcome. Someone with this condition may be scared to try new things, take risks or embrace growth for fear of failure.

Is it OK to fail an exam? ›

Failing an exam doesn't make you any less intelligent or less capable of achieving success in life than those who got better results. Just think that the failure you had in exams was just another step towards success. Just have the courage and strength to overcome this failure and move on.

What are the effects of academic failure? ›

Academic failure means lack of success in education and leads to the loss of higher education costs and social and economic losses. In this study, the viewpoints of students on the factors which affect academic failure were studied.

How do you overcome failure in studies? ›

Top tips for coping with failure
  1. Give yourself permission to feel. ...
  2. Practise self-compassion. ...
  3. Reflect on the experience and adopt a growth mindset. ...
  4. Revisit your goals and create a plan for the future.

How do you know you have a fear of failure? ›

Rather, a fear of failure is essentially a fear of shame. People who have a fear of failure are motivated to avoid failing not because they cannot manage the basic emotions of disappointment, anger, and frustration that accompany such experiences but because failing also makes them feel deep shame.

What is the fear of failing school called? ›

If you experience atychiphobia, you have an irrational and persistent fear of failing.

How do you deal with failure? ›

  1. Embrace Your Emotions. Astrakan Images / Getty Images. ...
  2. Recognize Unhealthy Attempts to Reduce Pain. ...
  3. Practice Healthy Coping Skills. ...
  4. Acknowledge Irrational Beliefs About Failure. ...
  5. Develop Realistic Thoughts About Failure. ...
  6. Accept an Appropriate Level of Responsibility. ...
  7. Research Famous Failures. ...
  8. Ask Yourself What You Can Learn.
31 Mar 2021

How do you stay positive after failing an exam? ›

Resist the urge to agonize over the test

Fixating on what you think you missed will not help you after the exam is over. Let it go. Focus on moving forward with your day rather than conjecturing how miserably you failed or ruminating over every conceivable ramification of an unsatisfactory test grade.

What are some major factors that contribute to student success or failure? ›

Factors That Influence a Student's Success in College
  • Family and Peer Support. No matter how independent the student, successfully transitioning into college often begins with strong family support. ...
  • Academic Habits. ...
  • Life Skills. ...
  • Decision-Making.

How do you help students fail in class? ›

How to Help a Failing Student
  1. Get the parents involved early. ...
  2. Intentionally help the student whenever possible. ...
  3. Encourage them. ...
  4. Provide opportunity for self-reflection. ...
  5. Ask how you can help. ...
  6. Look for underlying problems. ...
  7. Require them to complete class work. ...
  8. Don't give up on them.

What are the effects of poor academic performance of students? ›

Poor school performance not only results in the child having a low self-esteem, but also causes significant stress to the parents.

How do you overcome failure and achieve success? ›

8 Tips to Overcome Failure
  1. Accept feelings and emotions. ...
  2. Failure does not mean your life is going to be over. ...
  3. Learn from failure and be constructive. ...
  4. Find inspiration. ...
  5. Don't give up. ...
  6. Be passionate. ...
  7. Surround yourself with positive people. ...
  8. Avoid isolating yourself.

Why do good students fail in life? ›

There were many studies conducted to figure out the exact reasons why students fail despite the larger influence of modern educational technology. Lack of motivation and perseverance, the absence of preparation and effort, poor time management and a lot of other external factors were seen in the list.

How did you overcome failure? ›

Take Reasonable Responsibility for Your Failure

Don't make excuses for your failures. Make an effort to find out exactly why things went the way they did, accept any mistakes you may have made, and focus on learning from them.

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