You Belong Here: How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome

I didn’t know what imposter syndrome was until I vented to a friend and she put a name to all my worries. When I looked it up, the description rang true to everything I experienced in college.

Doubting yourself and feeling like you don’t belong somewhere are absolutely normal. Everyone experiences it, especially heading into a new environment like college. Don’t keep those thoughts bottled up! When you talk to others about what you’re feeling, you’ll realize you’re not the only one going through it. I got close with my best friends in college by talking with them about our shared feelings of doubt. These conversations helped me form a great support network early on. You’re not alone!

Imposter syndrome can stem from feeling insecure about our abilities and competencies. This makes us over analyze small mistakes and feel overwhelmed by not meeting our own expectations in anything we do. Developing a growth mind-set is the best way to combat this insecurity!

In other words, people who believe their basic qualities can be developed through time and effort have a “growth mind-set.” This is contrary to a “fixed mind-set,” when people believe that their basic talents are fixed at birth. A growth mind-set allows us to turn every obstacle we face into a stepping stone to our success. We constantly seek growth, and what’s growth without a little bit of rain? We must free ourselves from our expectation of being perfect, and a growth mind-set helps us realize we are capable of success and prosperity.

When we doubt ourselves, it’s easy to forget about all the great things we’ve accomplished. We often over analyze our mistakes instead of reminding ourselves of our growth and achievements. For instance, getting admitted into NYU is one of my greatest accomplishments that I often overlook. It’s easy to forget how great an accomplishment it is when you are surrounded by others who share the same achievement. However, you have to remind yourself that it’s a big deal! Whenever I start doubting my abilities, I look at a screenshot of my admittance letter. It reminds me that, although I may be struggling, I’m struggling in one of the best universities in the world. We all belong here. Keep your list of achievements in a place that’s easy to reach and hard to ignore. It’ll motivate you to keep going!

I’ve had moments where I believed there were other students in the world who deserved to be at NYU more than me. Once I started working at the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, one thing became very clear: admissions counselors don’t admit students by accident. They’ve reviewed thousands of applications and saw your potential to thrive at NYU. You did not “slip between the cracks” into one of the best universities in the world. You were meant to be here, and you belong here. Struggling is normal. Feeling out of place is also normal. Never let imposter syndrome stop you from thriving.