When the Textbook and the Rules Aren’t Enough: What Students Are Really Facing

There’s that unforgettable classroom moment when a professor declared, “The textbook is sh*t," the kind of comment that makes students sit up, laugh, and question whether prescribed material actually reflects real life. For this area of academia, the professor is fair in their commentary. Not all academic disciplines are, however, created equal, and textbook education still matters for some.

Students Are Struggling — Not Just With Content, But With the Rules

Undergraduates are reporting increased stress and frustration around expectations that they have to demonstrate that they haven’t used AI, even as AI tools are deeply embedded in everyday life and educational systems (Annamalai & Nasor, 2025; Yin, Goh, & Hu, 2024). Any Google user can see that the search function now has AI embedded. Using Gemini is like working with a twin who is incredibly helpful, yet makes you question whether relying on them is truly good for you. This mirrors a deeper systemic tension in higher education between control and capability. There is confusion about standards, mixed messages about grading, and it’s creating conflict (Lin & Chen, 2024).

Academic Anxiety and Performance Pressure

When assessment rules feel punitive or misaligned with real-world relevance, academic anxiety increases. Performance pressure can lead to avoidance behaviours, reduced curiosity, and poorer cognitive functioning (Lu et al., 2024; Hayat et al., 2020). Students are starting to become more focused on avoiding failure than on meaningful learning, which is fundamental to their progression into the workplace once they complete their degrees.

Fear of Mistakes and Fixed Mindsets

Research shows that a fixed mindset, focused on proving ability, undermines resilience, whereas a growth mindset, focused on learning promotes persistence (Otto, 2021; Yuan et al., 2024). When students are thinking, “I can't do this” or “I can't do that,” they are not learning; they are managing. Cultivating a growth-oriented mindset encourages experimentation, learning from errors, and deeper engagement.

Educational–Workplace Disconnect

Employers are increasingly demanding skills like adaptability, problem-solving, digital fluency, and ethical judgment. Skills best developed through exploration and real-world application (Wang et al., 2023; Wu et al., 2024). Yet many education providers still prioritise compliance and surface learning. This mismatch contributes not only to student stress but also raises questions about the value of what students are being asked to master. Students are increasingly questioning the relevance of their studies. Some are changing education providers to gain more practical skills, while others are considering switching programs entirely.

What This Means for Organisations and Support Systems

The dynamics playing out in the classroom mirror challenges seen in workplaces: anxiety around performance expectations, mistrust of tools (like AI), and stress driven by rigid compliance.

Psychological Safety

When individuals fear repercussions for imperfections or experimentation, performance and wellbeing suffer. Psychological safety, the belief that one can take interpersonal risks without negative consequences, is foundational to engagement, creativity, and learning in teams (Salloum, Alomari, & Alfaisal, 2025).

Autonomy and Competence

Self-Determination Theory, well established in psychological literature and often taught in second and third-year undergraduate courses, posits that autonomy (feeling in control of one’s actions) and competence (feeling capable) are essential for motivation and wellbeing (Annamalai & Nasor, 2025). Environments that privilege checklist compliance over sense-making undermine both autonomy and competence.

Metacognitive and Reflective Practices

Encouraging learners to reflect on their thinking, not just their answers, supports deeper learning and resilience. Metacognitive prompts improve academic outcomes and reduce anxiety by shifting focus from external judgment to self-regulated growth (Zhai & Nezakatgoo, 2025).

Evidence-Informed Strategies to Support People Through Stress and Change

Build Feedback for Growth, Not Just Verification

Feedback that focuses on strategies, effort, and improvement fosters resilience, whereas feedback that only identifies errors can increase anxiety (Otto, 2021).

Encourage Psychological Flexibility

Supporting individuals to relate differently to stress, through reflection, goal-setting, and structured self-regulation, improves wellbeing without lowering performance standards (Lin & Chen, 2024).

Design Assessments That Mirror Real-World Complexities

Authentic assessments, tasks that resemble meaningful real-world work, increase engagement and perceived relevance, reducing stress tied to artificial rules (Salloum et al., 2025).

Support Digital Fluency with Ethical Framing

Instead of policing AI usage, institutions and organisations can teach digital literacy and ethical usage, helping individuals use tools responsibly and creatively (Annamalai & Nasor, 2025).

Insightful Next Steps

Whether in classrooms or workplaces, people are signalling that rigid rules and surface-level compliance aren’t working. What does help is support that:

✅ Encourages growth, not just correctness

✅ Builds autonomy and mastery

✅ Normalises experimentation and reflection

✅ Respects the complexity of real learning and real work

At the 11th HR clinic, we take these insights seriously, using psychology and coaching not to enforce conformity, but to help people develop confidence, clarity, and capability in a changing world.

Are you a student navigating stress, rules that don’t fit real work, or expectations that miss the mark on meaningful development?

Let’s talk. At the 11th HR clinic, we help individuals and teams move from pressure and avoidance towards purpose and growth.

Make an appointment with us today to explore evidence-based psychological support and coaching tailored to your unique needs.

References

Annamalai, N., & Nasor, M. (2025). Exploring ChatGPT in education: learners’ experiences through the lens of Self‑Determination Theory. Smart Learning Environments, 12(59).

Lin, H., & Chen, Q. (2024). Artificial intelligence-integrated educational applications and college students’ creativity and academic emotions: students’ and teachers’ perceptions and attitudes. BMC Psychology, 12(487).

Lu, K., Zhu, J., Pang, F., et al. (2024). Understanding college students’ test anxiety in asynchronous online courses: the mediating role of emotional engagement. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 21(50).

Otto, D. (2021). Driven by emotions! The effect of attitudes on intention and behaviour regarding Open Educational Resources (OER). Journal of Interactive Media in Education, 2021(1), Article 606.

Salloum, S. A., Alomari, K. M., & Alfaisal, A. M., et al. (2025). Emotion recognition for enhanced learning: using AI to detect students’ emotions and adjust teaching methods. Smart Learning Environments, 12(21).

Wang, F., King, R. B., Chai, C. S., et al. (2023). University students’ intentions to learn artificial intelligence: roles of supportive environments and expectancy–value beliefs. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 20(51).

Wu, D., Zhang, S., Ma, Z., et al. (2024). Unlocking potential: key factors shaping undergraduate self‑directed learning in AI‑enhanced educational environments. Systems, 12(9), 332.

Yin, J., Goh, T.-T., & Hu, Y. (2024). Interactions with educational chatbots: the impact of induced emotions and students’ learning motivation. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 21(47).

Yuan, X., Rehman, S., Altalbe, A., et al. (2024). Digital literacy as a catalyst for academic confidence: academic self‑efficacy and academic procrastination among medical students. BMC Medical Education, 24(1317).

Zhai, Y., & Nezakatgoo, B. (2025). Evaluating AI‑Powered Applications for Enhancing Undergraduate Students’ Metacognitive Strategies, Self‑Determined Motivation, and Social Learning in English Language Education. Scientific Reports, 15, Article 35199.