Imposter syndrome, fatigue and burnout; these are all common challenges faced by university students, especially at such academically rigorous institutions such as LSE. I’ve experienced all of these at various points throughout the year. In this blog post, I’ll tell you about the ways I overcame them (with varying initial success!)

The first one I experienced was imposter syndrome. This felt very bizarre because it was unlike anything I had experienced before, and I felt compounding feelings of alarm as I tried to understand why I was feeling this way. Retrospectively, I think the reason is that everything’s so uncertain when you start university. Entering into sixth form, I had more of an idea of what to expect, I was familiar with a few people and the area. When you literally know next to nothing about your surroundings in university, you’re bound to feel like you don’t belong. In addition, my programme was completely new to me, so there was definitely an aspect of academic imposter syndrome: I had no idea if I would be good at my programme or not, which led to a feeling that everyone else was better than me. Honestly, the only way I was able to overcome this was to keep going. I spoke to my friends about it, and found that many of them were feeling the same way. Whilst this was reassuring, it wasn’t quite a cure. My advice for tackling imposter syndrome is to keep trying, and eventually you’ll prove to yourself that you’re not worse than everyone else, and you do deserve to be doing your programme at LSE. If you’re looking for more advice on overcoming imposter syndrome, read Tatyana’s blog. 

I experience fatigue and burnout periodically. It’s not really something that’s totally within your control. Of course, it’s important to take breaks when you can and spend time doing fun things with friends, but when all your deadlines bombard you at once there’s little you can do to avoid feeling exhausted once they’re all submitted. So, instead of trying to avoid burnout, I’ve learnt to focus on taking days off when I need to. And this doesn’t mean doing less work for one day, I’m referring to spending an entire day — perhaps even two — without any progress towards my programme. With this approach, I’ve managed to recover from my couple spells of burnout (and may take more time to get back into the full swing of things). If you need more tips for preventing academic burnout, have a read of Mina’s blog. 

However, this method of recovery brings a new problem to tackle on its own: the feeling of guilt which we feel after a day off. I learnt the hard way that if you allow this guilt to seep into your mind, it’ll only worsen the situation you’re in as a result of your burnout. We have to keep reminding ourselves — especially as high-achieving perfectionists — that we don’t have to feel bad for taking a break. All that being said, I appreciate that during periods of constant deadlines, it may be difficult to take a day off without it adversely affecting your studies. In these cases, I remind myself of the words of one of my sixth form teachers: “If you’re ever feeling stressed or overwhelmed by your work… just do more work”. The first time my teacher said this, my class was stunned, expecting advice for us to take a break. But, alas, this quote has stuck with me. To an extent, it’s very true; sometimes, the best way forward is to power through — an object in motion stays in motion, right? Just make sure you don’t become your own resistance. (Apologies for my inner physics nerd.) Remember, don’t neglect self-care – it doesn’t have to be anything complicated. For some quick self-care tips, read Mina’s blog. 

By no means do I believe that what I’ve written in this blog applies to everyone. This is simply an account of my own experience and everyone’s different. The big takeaway is that it’s really important to listen to how you’re feeling. Find what works for you, and know that you’re not alone. There’s always someone to talk to at LSE, including peer supporters and the dedicated LSE Student Wellbeing and Counselling Services. So, if you’re struggling with imposter syndrome, fatigue or burnout, don’t worry. Find out your method to recharge — or stay resilient! — and be sure to reach out to others.