Abstract
I investigated the relationship between stressful life events (e.g., personal injury or illness, death of a close friend) and student performance in the classroom. A t the beginning of the semester, 159 students enrolled in a psychology course specified the amount of life stress they experienced during the previous year. Their responses were later correlated with measures of classroom performance at the completion of the course. A s hypothesized, life stress was inversely related to exam scores, extra credit points, and total course points. A x2 analysis also revealed that final course grades were predicted by life stress. It was suggested that teachers must recognize that students do not exist in a social, academic vacuum. Life events outside the classroom may directly affect performance in it.