The aim of this study was to quantitatively and qualitatively examine goal orientations, beliefs about control and coping with school failure among gifted students. In the first, quantitative part, 25 children were included, while in the second, qualitative part 12 were included, all of which were participants of one association for working with gifted children in Zagreb. Participants filled in the Questionnare of goal orientation, the Questionnare of beliefs about control and the Questionnare of coping with school failure, while some of them also gave responses about these constructs through the focus groups. Quantitative analysis showed positive correlation between mastery goal orientation and proactive beliefs about control, as well as between mastery goal orientation and problem-focused coping. There was positive correlation between defensive beliefs about control and protection of emotion strategy as well as between defensive beliefs about control, performance goal orientations and non-academic orientation. Non-academic orientation was negatively correlated with proactive beliefs about control and problem-focused coping. Gifted students more often use mastery goal orientation and non-academic orientation compared to performance goal orientation. There was also a more frequent use of proactive compared to defensive beliefs about control, as well as problemfocused coping compared to protection of emotion and ego strategies. The results of qualitative analysis showed that gifted students' reasons for studying were whether they found the subject interesting, how applicable it may be in real life, how important it is for high school enrollment and the fear of bad grades. They point out personal effort, abilites and characteristics of professors as causes of their good and bad grades, and respond to bad grades by studying, sorrow or anger and refocusing attention. They also described positive and negative teachers' behavior. Parents reward them for good grades, and react to bad grades by bans, understading and offering them help with studying. As sources of school dissatisfaction they described subjects that they consider unimportant, test methods and the lack of free time.