It’s the beginning of a new semester and you walk into a classroom full of new faces. You should be excited, but instead, you anxiously think they all have their lives figured out. You start to wonder if you deserve to be in the same classroom as everyone else all while thinking to yourself, “Should I even be here?”. Thoughts like these are more common than you think, and yes, you do deserve to be there. Around the world, college students struggle with feeling undeserving of their accomplishments. This feeling of inadequacy is known as imposter syndrome. Let’s take a closer look at what it is and how you can address it.

Imposter Syndrome: A Working Definition

The National Library of Medicine defines imposter syndrome as a behavioral health phenomenon describing self-doubt of intellect, skills, or accomplishments. It is also referred to as the imposter phenomenon and was officially coined in 1978 by Dr. Suzanne Imes and Dr. Paulina Rose Clance as an observation among high-achieving women and other marginalized groups. It has now expanded largely to academic groups such as students in higher education. In fact, a 2020 study published by the Journal of General Internal Medicine showed the prevalence of imposter syndrome rates to be at a high of 56% to 86% in graduate students, college students, medical students, and other professions.

With students accounting for a large portion of those who experience imposter syndrome, it’s important to learn how to identify and address those feelings of self-doubt that come with being a student. The feeling of being a fraud can lead to undeveloped personal growth, stifling the potential for cultivating meaningful relationships with peers, coworkers, and even oneself. College is hard enough as it is with the stress of workload, grades, and navigating the perfect balance between academics and social life. If addressing imposter syndrome can help make life easier, why not take a shot at it?

Signs and Symptoms

You may be asking yourself “How do I know if I have imposter syndrome?” Common signs present themselves as:

• Believing luck, and not hard work, plays an important part in success

• Fear of being exposed as a fraud

• Failing to recognize your success

• Focusing on negative experiences

• Downplaying your achievements

In addition to psychological symptoms, the National Library of Medicine published a report of physical examination features that were part of a psychiatric assessment. They are as follows:

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Burnout

• Personality disorder(s)

Some symptoms are more complex than others, but it’s important to remember that imposter syndrome varies and it could look different for each person. The human mind is a complicated thing, it can make you want to see the worst in things. It’s important to look at potential causes, too. WebMD states that many people who have imposter syndrome grow up in families that stress achievements and success. Unfortunately, parents have a big impact on self-worth. The need to satisfy family develops at an early age, especially when you begin to recognize what to do to avoid criticism and gain approval. Given the signs and causes, it’s important to learn how to build resilience and set yourself up for success during college and beyond.

The 5 Types of Imposter Syndrome

We have a general idea of what to look out for when it comes to identifying signs within ourselves but let’s take it a step further. In a study done on Ivy League students, Dr. Valerie Young from the Impostor Syndrome Institute found that students would only find themselves competent if they knew everything in their field, got everything right on their first try, or easily excelled in everything they did. Like anyone else reading this, Dr. Young thought this was absurd. She used the responses from the students to find and categorize five different types of imposter syndrome. The following list describes Dr. Young’s findings along with the unique focus of each type:

1. The Perfectionist

A perfectionist’s primary focus is how work gets conducted and how it turns out. The smallest mistake may lead to feelings of shame and failure, regardless of an otherwise amazing result.

2. The Expert

An expert expects to know everything; imagine a perfectionist but for knowledge. The primary focus is “what” and “how much” they know. The smallest lack of knowledge can lead to lower self-esteem.

3. The Soloist

A soloist thinks that everything must be done on their own. Their focus lies on “who” completes the task at hand. Soloists think that needing help is a sign of failure, so they have to figure out everything on their own.

4. The Natural Genius

A natural genius also cares about “how” and “when” accomplishments occur. The caveat is that it should come naturally. Their primary focus is needing to master a skill on the first try because if they don’t, they become ashamed.

5. The Superhuman

The superhuman needs to cover as many roles as possible. For example, they have to be the manager, team player, partner, friend, and possibly anything else you can think of all while handling the roles perfectly and easily. Their focus is to fulfill as many roles as they can while doing it competently.

You don’t have to relate completely to any one of the five types of impostor syndrome. You may even see a little bit of each in yourself. The point that Dr. Young wants to drive across is that no matter how intelligent you are, you will not reach the bar you raised so high for yourself. And that’s okay! Redefining what competence means allows you to find what self-confidence really looks like.

Imposter Syndrome’s Impact on Students

We understand how it manifests, but what impact does imposter syndrome have on college students? In an academic journal titled “The ‘imposter phenomenon’ and its relationship with perfectionism, self-efficacy and belonging in university students,” the University of St. Andrews found that students with imposter syndrome are most susceptible to negative mental health outcomes. The study detailed how students were at risk of higher levels of test anxiety, lack of a sense of belonging, and lower levels of confidence and happiness. Given the competitive nature of college, the impacts that these findings have on students is detrimental.

The relationship between competition and mental health in college must be discussed. In a study published by the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, researchers found that a high level of perceived class competitiveness in college students was linked to an increased risk of anxiety and depression. Higher education institutions can have a toxic structure that encourages pitting students against one another. Unfortunately, this has a greater effect on groups such as female-identifying students, first-generation students, and students of color. Ironically enough, these are the exact students who need a stronger sense of community and belonging to flourish socially and academically. In the end, students tend to think less of themselves based on grades received. Even in some instances of positive feedback, imposter syndrome can become more prevalent. It activates the deep-rooted feeling of self-doubt and disbelief. The imposter phenomenon leaves students discounting praise, even when it’s well deserved.