When applying to college we have to take a look at our entire history as high school students and identify the traits and accomplishments we have that make us a strong candidate for acceptance. Whether we were senior class president, valedictorian, or even prom queen; we had to be aware of our skills in order to set ourselves apart from the competition. Still, as we begin matriculating into the collegiate atmosphere and begin our careers as college students, we can often become blind to our own success and find ourselves questioning whether or not we truly belong. This phenomenon is known as Imposter Syndrome.
Imposter Syndrome is essentially the feeling that though you are doing the work to be successful, you don’t feel as if you’re actually accomplishing anything. You feel like you might not be as skilled as you thought you were and you begin to compare yourself to those around you.
Specifically, as a student attending an HBCU full of successful black men and women actively striving towards success, it can become a slightly intimidating environment. Imposter Syndrome can manifest itself in several different ways. Some people may become perfectionists, setting extremely high standards for themselves and feeling defeated when those somewhat unrealistic expectations are not met. Others may take on too many leadership roles than they can juggle, feel ashamed when they don’t know the answer to everything, put pressure on themselves to get everything done on their own, and/or feel disappointed with themselves when things don’t come natural to them. These mindsets can be suffocating and can take away the enjoyment and the passion that comes with pursuing education for your future career.
Many of us struggle with Imposter Syndrome and might not even be aware of how it shapes our opinion of ourselves and affects our college experience. Sometimes it is not just as simple as feeling as if you don’t belong, but it becomes an issue of viewing yourself and your accomplishments in a negative light; not celebrating yourself enough and being too hard on yourself when it comes to your inevitable mistakes. Some students may be first generation college students, students coming from low income areas, or even just students under a lot of pressure from our parents which all makes us so much more hungry for success; so much so that we often put ourselves through more than we need to. We have to understand though that college is a place for growth, a place where we are able to find ourselves and step into our individuality. We have to give ourselves the grace to fall down and get back up so that we can become familiar with what it is to be resilient. You cannot let your failures define you and alter your perception of yourself.
It is important that we speak life into ourselves and appreciate ourselves for the work we’ve put in in the past and the work we are putting in towards our future. Remember the confidence you had when you sent in that application. That confidence got you where you are today and will be the thing that takes you even further. Don’t become clouded by the expectations or progress of others and focus on your goals for yourself. If you spend all your time worrying about the next win and don’t take the time to recognize all the wins you’ve already had, you’ll never truly be fulfilled. Be mindful of the person you were and the person you are becoming, you didn’t make it this far just to make it this far.