Does the Student ‘Delusion’ Mindset Really Work?
By Arroy (AJ) Jacob, Staff Writer
The semester has begun and you’ve received your first grade on D2L, the infamous orange dot looming over the bell icon. Before you click on it, you recite the mantra you’ve been repeating in the past week for the final time: I did well. I know I did well. Of course, I did well! Your cursor hovers over the bell, you hold your breath, and click.
Some students will breathe a sigh of relief, and others may shut their eyes and feel like crying (been there, done that). One thing is certain however; after it’s all over, you reconsider whether or not it was worth all of that believing.
On social media platforms, student influencers jokingly coin this method of believing they are more successful than they actually are as “delusion,” or “being delusional.” But every joke is just a twisted version of the truth, and the truth is, every student has been “delusional” at one point or another.
The question on our minds, however, is whether or not being “delusional” promises getting better grades. As the Fall 2023 semester begins, let’s briefly examine the potential behind this “study strategy” by discussing both its perks, and its qualms.
Its perks
“I feel like there’s a lot of positives about being a ‘delusional’ student,” says Shadia Bol Barach, a Bachelor of Science student at Mount Royal University (MRU). “For starters, it really helps me calm down.”
Barach refers to the wonders of “self-affirmations,” phrases one can repeat out loud until they believe they are true: I am a great student. I know what I’m doing. It’s not weird to study to atmospheric classical music and pretend I’m in Hogwarts.
In an article for Vogue India, journalist Nina Mjaaset delves into the science and popularity of self-affirmations. “Individuals all across the globe are jumping on the affirmation bandwagon, and the hashtag ‘#affirmations’ has garnered over [seven] billion views on TikTok alone.”
Mjaaset remarks that self-affirmations are popular for a reason¸— they have a real impact on our brains. “Essentially, MRI evidence suggests that activity in neural regions involved in self-processing and positive valuation increases when repeating self-affirmations, physically altering our brains’ evaluation of the self.”
We trick ourselves into believing the fantasy that we are the great students we (literally) say we are. These fantasies are what helps students like Barach tackle her classes.
“And most of the time, I do well! Because I believe that I will do well.”
Its qualms
“The bad thing I would say about being delusional is knowing that sometimes, I don’t actually put in the work for that exam,” Barach continues.
I can personally relate to this one. Students need to recognize when positive affirmations are actually helping them— yes, they alleviate short-term stress, but they can also contribute to creating a false-sense of security.
Delusion is ultimately a form of denial. Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials acknowledges that “denial isn’t a healthy coping strategy. If you simply proceed through hard times as though your feelings don’t exist, they’ll still lurk beneath the surface.”
When last-minute studying for an exam the next morning starts turning into “The material already seems simple, I’ll be okay,”, we are denying the responsibility of enduring hardship and would rather slip into a fantasy where we believe our dream already exists. Then, we click on the orange dot over the bell icon and our dream suddenly shatters.
It is more effective when our mantras drive us towards action, rather than simply believing we will be successful, even though we haven’t put in the work. We can start by addressing the hardship first, then follow it with positive and attainable goals: “Studying feels scary right now, but I’m brave and smart and cool enough to keep reading for at least the next half-hour.”
Fantasies are fun, but becoming too deluded is dangerously easy. It is essential for students to recognize both the “strategy’s” faults and opportunities. Everyone’s brains are unique, so what may be helpful for one person might not work for another. But when it comes to getting that 4.0 GPA, becoming “delusional” might be worth a try.
I asked Barach if she has any advice for any students looking to try out this “study strategy” for Fall 2023: “The trick to being in your true delusional era is knowing when you should be believing and when you should be realistic. If you strike a balance between the two, studying at MRU should become a little more enjoyable.”
