Chemistry is often daunting for college students, contributing to high attrition rates in STEM majors. This study explored students' perceptions of the challenges in studying chemistry, including task effort and emotional costs. We examined how these perceptions, along with goal approaches, impact academic performance and retention in general chemistry. Utilizing cluster analysis of survey data and content analysis from student interviews, we investigated students’ profiles of perceived cost and goal approaches and how these related to the course performance and retention. Our analysis revealed that students who experienced lower perceived costs and were able to focus more on their mastery goals, tend to perform better, and persist in the course at higher rates. Conversely, students who perceived higher costs tend to drop the course more frequently, viewing chemistry as irrelevant to their future goals. These students prioritized performance goals over mastery, resulting in poorer performance. These results suggest that by addressing students’ perceived costs through interventions, students may focus more on their mastery goals, consequently improving their learning and understanding of the material.