I tested whether students' scores on the semester's first exam would change their reported use of textbook pedagogical aids during the course of the semester. I assessed 240 introductory psychology undergraduates early and late in the semester. The reported use of aids did not positively relate to student performance on any exams and showed only limited changes over the course of the semester. Poor scores on the first exam led only to small increases in the use of summary sections. Furthermore, the use of aids such as boldface terms decreased. Men and more able students used aids less, and women showed greater decreases in the perceived helpfulness of some aids over the semester.