Do you ever worry that you don’t belong on your college campus? Are you convinced that you somehow tricked the admission committee into admitting you and they made a mistake? Do you assume all of your classmates are smarter and more accomplished than you? Do you just feel like a fake among real college students? These are all classic symptoms of what's called the imposter phenomenon, syndrome, or experience. Long story short, you do belong on your campus because admission counselors don’t let people in all willy-nilly (a very technical term!).
We all wear masks. Whether those masks are physical, social, or intellectual, they help us live our lives a little more smoothly. Really, it’s a survival technique: fake it till you make it. But sometimes, the guilt of wearing those masks (and the fear of having them torn off) is not so easy to endure. You might feel like a fraud, especially after you arrive on campus and find yourself surrounded by seemingly brilliant classmates. But there’s nothing wrong with you—you’ve just got impostor syndrome. Don’t worry! We're here to help you overcome it.
What exactly is impostor syndrome?
Some synonyms for impostor include pretender, hoaxer, trickster, sham, and phony… Pretty awful, right? Impostor syndrome, starting to be referred to more commonly as an imposter phenomenon or experience, is when someone feels the self-doubt of being any one of these words but is actually far from it. Psychology Today defines impostor syndrome as: "People who believe that they are undeserving of their achievements and the high esteem in which they are, in fact, generally held. They feel that they aren’t as competent or intelligent as others might think—and that soon enough, people will discover the truth about them." This experience is prevalent among high-achieving people who, despite their obvious success, believe they don’t deserve the honors they have earned. There are typically three types of self-perceptions associated with this phenomenon:
- “I deceived others into believing that I am competent.” Ironically, this uneasy sensation emerges after achieving great distinctions and merits. People feel as if they don’t deserve the praise, and they are hindered by the guilt and fear that sooner or later they'll disappoint others.
- “I was just lucky.” People who feel this way refuse to acknowledge their competence. They attribute their success to luck. They see their achievements as a one-time event that happened solely due to chance.
- “Oh, it’s not a big deal—it was easy.” This tendency to discount success reflects people’s discomfort with receiving compliments. Though they give themselves some credit, they downplay the significance and difficulty of their accomplishments, waving them away as nothing important.
Those who struggle with imposter syndrome typically experience a combination of these perceptions, each to varying degrees. Most people can identify with at least one of the statements above, but the persistency and frequency of those thoughts determine whether one is severely afflicted by the impostor syndrome.
Related: Top Tips for Student of Color Success: How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome
Many people experience the imposter phenomenon
According to the American Psychology Association, up to 82% of people admit to feeling like an impostor at some point in their lives, but a certain type of people are more prone to suffering from impostor insecurities, including college students. Even the brightest and the most talented students might believe they don’t belong at their prestigious educational institutions—that the admission officers made a mistake in accepting them. What’s interesting is most of the time these students are actually the stars of their classes.
And if you think, wildly successful people don't feel it too, you'd be wrong. Widely acclaimed writer Maya Angelou once admitted, “I have written 11 books, but each time I think, 'Uh oh, they’re going to find out now. I’ve run a game on everybody, and they’re going to find me out.’” Award-winning actress Kate Winslet once confessed, “Sometimes I wake up in the morning before going off to a shoot, and I think, I can’t do this. I’m a fraud.” Even Emma Watson—a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, Brown University graduate, Burberry model, and beloved actress from Harry Potter—told Vogue magazine, “When I receive recognition for my acting, I feel incredibly uncomfortable. I tend to turn in on myself. I feel like an imposter.”
Related: An Honest Mental Health Review and Student Resources for Success
Ways to overcome the impostor experience
Overcoming imposter syndrome isn't going to be as easy as "just getting over it" that a lot of people will have you believe. With some actionable steps and a shift in attitude, you can feel more confident in your abilities and believe yourself deserving of your praise. Here are some tips to help you!
- Change your mindset: No one is perfect, and it’s okay to mess up every once in a while. Imperfections and mistakes do not mean you are a fraud or that you don’t belong where you are. So if you ever slip and fall, get back up on your feet and learn from your mistakes. Failure is the first step to success.
- Acknowledge yourself: Once you recognize your talents and abilities, you open your eyes to countless opportunities you previously hadn't considered. Be ambitious, form new dreams, and strive to attain those goals! And when you achieve success, pat yourself on the back because you earned it.
- Keep a list of compliments: Find an empty glass jar, and whenever you receive compliments, write them down on a small piece of paper and save them in it. Watch your jar slowly fill up with all the little and big praises you hear each day. Then, when you need some encouragement to overcome your impostor feelings, pull one of the notes in your jar at random and read it aloud. It's a good reminder that you are worthy of compliments.
- Talk to someone you trust: Remember that over 80% of people have felt like an impostor in their lives, so there's at least one person in your life who understands your feelings. Ask someone you trust for advice on how to fight imposter syndrome, or if you know a friend struggling with it too, support each other. They understand what you are going through, and that alone can provide comfort and the strength to surmount challenges.
- Express your feelings: As much as you may logically know you're not an impostor, it can be hard to prevent your heart from feeling that way. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is to acknowledge those feelings. Don’t keep them caged inside you. Get them off your chest by writing them down or even saying them out loud. Express your feelings, then let them go.
- Realize that faking it can work: Who said faking is always bad? Musicians, athletes, artists, and even students learn by faking. After all, “fake it till you make it” is an adage for a reason. Can’t nail the rhythm but you have a concert in a day? Fake it. Can’t hit the ball hard enough? Fake it. Can’t draw a perfect circle? Fake it. Eventually, you will pick up the skills, because faking it is a form of practice.
Related: How to Be More Confident Freshman Year of College
If you are suffering from the impostor syndrome, you are not alone. The fear of being found out as “not smart or talented enough” is as irrational and preposterous as Emma Watson, Kate Winslet, or Maya Angelou thinking they're frauds after all their worldwide success. But it’s just as real. You are you. No matter how you feel, you are not a fake. And the masks you wear do not make you a fraud. You are attending college to gain the skills you need to succeed—and those skills and experiences are valid and well-earned. Don't ever lose sight of that.
The best way to overcome feelings of being an imposter is to feel confident in your skills. Start working on your abilities with Our Best Advice on Building Important Skills as a Student.
