This study examined how students use volitional control of thoughts in a context of performance during the 3-year pre-college track in their high school program. A total of 142 students were surveyed on their ability to volitionally control potentially disruptive cognitions, on their perception of positive and negative mood, and how this is related to their performance in terms of grades. Results showed that students who stated that grades were not important to them reported a stronger tendency to use volitional control of thoughts, especially when a negative mood was present. In addition, the data suggested a gender-related difference in applying volitional control, namely, that female participants displayed a stronger preference for this strategy. The findings are discussed in the context of performance avoidance and stress reduction. In conclusion, we claim that there is a need to find more effective ways of coping with increasingly higher performance standards and using individual cognitive potentials.