Student Imposter Syndrome: What No One Tells You
Being a student is a full-time job and one of the toughest ones.
However, students make their lives a little more difficult than normal when dealing with imposter syndrome. I am no exception to this.
What Exactly is Student Imposter Syndrome?
Let’s define student imposter syndrome.
Imposter syndrome is when an individual feels like they are not worthy of doing something or feel like they don’t belong.
Student imposter syndrome can be defined in many ways. Firstly, this can result in students feeling like they are not smart enough compared to their peers. It also shows up within students as the self-doubt that they are not worthy of pursuing an education or preparing for a career because they don’t think they are good enough.
I have fallen victim to this as well. When I was a high school student, there would always be this feeling that someone was doing better than me, so why am I here?
This followed me throughout my early college years as well. Majoring in Neuroscience isn’t easy, and imposter syndrome would creep up without me even knowing it. However, I am beyond proud that I persevered because I would not major in anything else.
When Applying To College
A big part of me and this blog is helping students apply to college to follow their true academic goals and desires through pursuing higher education the right way.
Nonetheless, imposter syndrome is no exception here.
Many students have this feeling of doubt about even getting in, which often stops them from applying.
Not only that, but tons of students end up comparing their college application journey with others, and that comparison is detrimental.
A Few Ways To Tackle Imposter Syndrome
Although having student imposter syndrome does sound scary, it’s pretty normal. Many more people experience it than you may know.
The best part is that there are some ways to fight it.
A effective way is to separate how you feel from the fact of the matter. Whenever there are times that you feel self-doubt or feel like a fraud, take some time to relax and know that those feelings don’t define the path that you are on.
I find that helps tons when I have a negative thought, I replace it with a positive one instead of knowing that I am doing what I truly am meant to do. Give it a try because it can be beneficial.
Rather than focusing on what others are doing, truly focus on what you are doing. It sounds simple, but imposter syndrome often comes up when you compare their journey with your own. So, rather than focusing on them, keep doing what you are doing.