History Main / ApatheticStudent

* Fred, George, and to a certain extent [[Characters/HarryPotterRonBiliusWeasley Ron Bilius Weasley]] from ''Literature/HarryPotter''. Fred and George have an astounding natural talent for magic, but clearly only attend Hogwarts because they have to and do just enough to not get expelled. As soon as they're old enough (and thanks to Harry's seed money), they drop out and open their joke shop. Ron's apathy is more because he feels like TheUnfavorite and knows he'll never live up to the legacy his older brothers have left, isn't as gifted as his younger sister Ginny, and of the trio lacks Harry's natural talent and Hermoine's innate drive to excel.

* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'': [[Characters/GravityFallsMabelPines Mabel Pines]] is implied to be this. It is also shown that "Grunkle" Stan Pines ''was'' this in high school.

* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'': [[Characters/GravityFallsMabelPines Mabel Pines]] is implied to be this. It is also shown that [[Characters/GravityFallsGrunkleStan "Grunkle" Stan Pines]] ''was'' this in high school.

* Don Carey High, a.k.a. ''Literature/DontCareHigh'' is an entire school running on this trope. A freshly arrived transfer student and his [[ItAmusedMe bored]] new friend decide to try a ZanyScheme just to get the school to give a crap about something for a change; HilarityEnsues.

* ''Anime/CodeGeass'': Lelouch is shown to not really care about school at all, often skipping class and doing God knows what.

* ''ComicBook/Robin1993'': While Tim started out trying to keep his grades up he skipped school quite often and generally used extra credit to manage his Literature grades. After his father's interference forced him to switch schools several times he became even less interested in school and after his father's death dropped out rather than complete high school despite his intelligence. He mostly viewed school as a requirement, and once it wasn't one anymore he quit.

* Fred, George, and to a certain extent Ron Weasley from ''Literature/HarryPotter''. Fred and George have an astounding natural talent for magic, but clearly only attend Hogwarts because they have to and do just enough to not get expelled. As soon as they're old enough (and thanks to Harry's seed money), they drop out and open their joke shop. Ron's apathy is more because he feels like TheUnfavorite and knows he'll never live up to the legacy his older brothers have left, isn't as gifted as his younger sister Ginny, and of the trio lacks Harry's natural talent and Hermoine's innate drive to excel.

* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'': Mabel is implied to be this. It is also shown that Stan ''was'' this in high school.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': Bart constantly fails at classes and doesn't pay attention, hating to do schoolwork. It's lampshaded many, many times. Though it's also deconstructed at points, as he shown struggling when he ''does'' try and a flashback episode reveals he was genuinely excited to start school, until his [[ApatheticTeacher kindergarten teacher]] wrote him off as a lost cause for not immediately getting the hang of things, hinting that his disdain for school stems from [[AdultsAreUseless the adult's apathy towards his struggles in it]] and he is ''occasionally'' shown to have anxieties about his academic failings deep down.
* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'': Cartman rarely pays attention in school and doesn't view it as important.

* ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'': Calvin does not enjoy school at all. He struggles with lessons; [[AttentionDeficitOohShiny has trouble paying attention]], often retreating into [[MrImagination his own imagination]]; finds the routine [[AllergicToRoutine stifling]]; and doesn't even have any friends there, preferring the company of his ImaginaryFriend Hobbes. While he is BookDumb, most of his apathy seems to stem from his nonconformist personality, as he sometimes finds himself learning on his own and enjoying it because he isn't being forced into it. One Sunday strip depicts his typical school day as a series of oppressive or repetitive scenarios (being herded with cattle, running in a hamster wheel, working on a chain gang, etc.)

* ''LightNovel/MyYouthRomanticComedyIsWrongAsIExpected'': Hachiman Hikigaya is shown to hate school due to being TheHermit and doesn't like human interaction. Though he's more BrilliantButLazy.

* ''Manga/ShimejiSimulation'' has Shijima Tsukishima, who is a more literal example of this trope. Due to an unknown, presumably unsavoury past, Shijima has shown to have a hate of going to school or mention about it, resulting her in being a recluse inside her own closet for two years. Even after leaving her reclusive life, Shijima has shown a lot of apathy over her high-school term.

* Hajime Kindaichi, the main character in ''Manga/TheKindaichiCaseFiles'', is often AsleepInClass and gets grades so poor that the danger of being HeldBackInSchool looms over him a lot. He's also BrilliantButLazy, as he has the IQ of 180, which helps him solve many a LockedRoomMystery murder case -- one of the few things he cares about.

* ''ComicBook/RobinSeries'': While Tim started out trying to keep his grades up he skipped school quite often and generally used extra credit to manage his Literature grades. After his father's interference forced him to switch schools several times he became even less interested in school and after his father's death dropped out rather than complete high school despite his intelligence. He mostly viewed school as a requirement, and once it wasn't one anymore he quit.

** To be fair, when you have [[SadistTeacher Mr.Crocker]] as a teacher ( who is obsessed with fairies and ''enjoys'' failing and tormenting his students) then you wouldn't care much for his class either.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': Bart is the king of this trope. He CONSTANTLY fails at classes and doesn't pay attention, hating to do schoolwork. It's lampshaded many, many times. Though it's also deconstructed at points, as he shown struggling when he ''does'' try and a flashback episode reveals he was genuinely excited to start school, until his [[ApatheticTeacher kindergarten teacher]] wrote him off as a lost cause for not immediately getting the hang of things, hinting that his disdain for school stems from [[AdultsAreUseless the adult's apathy towards his struggles in it]] and he is ''occasionally'' shown to have anxieties about his academic failings deep down.

[[folder: Music]]
* Creator/CheechAndChong: “Sister Mary Elephant,” perhaps the trope codifier insofar as the comedy duo’s works. The students are portrayed as completely apathetic and disinterested in getting an education — indeed, they seem intent on being cute and funny, making fart jokes, being potheads and disrupting the educational process for those students that are serious about their education and future — and actively make the no-nonsense title character’s job hell.

[[folder: Western Animation]]

[[folder: RealLife]]

* Hajime Kindaichi, the main character in ''Manga/TheKindaichiCaseFiles'', is often AsleepInClass and gets grades so poor that the danger of being HeldBackInSchool looms over him a lot. He's also BrilliantButLazy, as he has the IQ of 180, which helps him solve many a LockedRoomMystery murder case, which is one of the few things he cares about.

* Hajime Kindaichi, the main character in ''Manga/TheKindaichiCaseFiles'', is often AsleepInClass and gets grades so poor that the danger of being HeldBackAYear looms over him a lot. He's also BrilliantButLazy, as he has the IQ of 180, which helps him solve many a LockedRoomMystery murder case, which is one of the few things he cares about.