Much like feeling behind in class, comparing how hard you work to everyone else doesn’t always help — and a new study suggests it might even hurt.

Researchers at The Ohio State University surveyed nearly 700 students in an introductory chemistry course and found something surprising: Students who believed they had to work harder than their peers were less likely to believe they were good at science. This effect, called comparative effort, was harmful for both men and women, especially when it made students question whether they truly belonged in science.

But here’s a twist: When students thought they were working hard without comparing themselves to others — referred to as criterion effort — it helped, especially for women. In fact, women who believed in their effort and its merit tended to perform better and develop a stronger science self-concept over time.

Why the difference? Well, researchers suggest that for women, working hard may feel like pushing back against stereotypes — so effort becomes empowering.

For men, on the other hand, confidence seemed to come more from previous performance, not effort alone. Notably, this study is the first of its kind to look at these two types of effort in real classrooms. It shows how students think about effort can shape how they perform, and how they see themselves, in science.

The takeaway? Believing your hard work matters is good. Believing it means you’re worse than everyone else? Not so much.

The next time you feel like you’re trying harder than everyone else, try not to take it personally. It might just mean you’re doing the work that matters.