Imposter syndrome is often described as a psychological experience where someone persistently feels like a fraud, disbelieves the legitimacy of their own success and has a fear of being exposed. Rather than believing in or appreciating your own achievements, if you have imposter syndrome you tend to attribute your successes and self-worth to external factors like luck, random chance or good will. You may feel like you don’t match up to your peers, or even belittle your own achievements because of a perceived standard of achievement.
Being a student in a competitive academic environment often fosters this self-doubt and imposter syndrome as you may repeatedly ask yourself “am I good enough?” For me, these questions started when I was applying to university and wondered if I was good enough to get accepted. Then, when I did get accepted, I wondered if I was good enough to excel in my course. Now, as a final year student, I am constantly wrestling with the fear of not being good enough to get the role that I want.
The underlying theme behind these anxieties is this ever-shifting standard of adequacy that I struggle to allow myself to reach. These fears can be debilitating at times, and sometimes university can act as an echo chamber for these worries as you are constantly working towards a goal or to meet a certain standard. To anyone experiencing these fears, I think it is important to remember that you are enough and there are always places for you to get support if you are feeling anxious or worried. So, I wanted to share my advice for any other students grappling with imposter syndrome.
Ground yourself
When these insecurities start swirling around your mind it’s quite easy to lose yourself in them. In times like this, I find that it’s really helpful to separate feelings from facts. For example, if you’re worried about the grades you’ve received, then I’d try to remember that there are always ways for you to improve and give yourself some grace. Especially when it comes to university grades, I think it’s really important to remember that grades don’t define you and to resituate them in your current context. Maybe you’re not getting the grades you would like because you’re struggling with a particular topic? Then, instead of flooding your mind with negative thoughts, you can talk to your teachers or classmates about the content. This will allow you to shift your mind away from the doubts you may be feeling and focus more on your reality.
Make note of your accomplishments
When struggling with self-doubt or imposter syndrome, it’s important to remember that whichever event that triggered these feelings does not define you. It’s much easier to focus on the minority of negative experiences than the plethora of positive experiences you’ve had. When I start to fixate on how I’m doing in comparison to my peers or wonder if I’m good enough to achieve something, I like to shift my attention to all the great things that I have accomplished. This helps me take my mind away from all the negativity and focus more on the positives.
Use your support network
Sometimes, it may be difficult to put yourself in the right mindset to combat imposter syndrome or any worries you may be having. In that case, LSE’s Student Wellbeing Service has a lot of options for how to support you. Through the service, you can book appointments to access one on one support, connect with other students through their peer support service, join workshops to build stress management skills and reach their 24/7 support line if you ever need someone to talk to.
Imposter syndrome can be tough, but you don’t have to let it hold you back. When doubts creep in, remind yourself that your feelings aren’t always facts and that your achievements are real. Instead of getting caught up in comparisons, acknowledge how far you’ve come, and don’t be afraid to lean on your support network when you need it.
