Imposter syndrome involves 3 key elements:

1. It usually affects people who are high achievers.
2. You have a hard time interpreting your achievements as evidence that you are successful and capable. Instead, you attribute your success to luck or other factors
3. … and that makes you feel like you got where you are by accident or oversight, and someday people will figure out that you’re a fraud (a.k.a. “imposter”) and you shouldn’t have gotten as far as you did.

Imposter syndrome isn’t a “condition” that you have or are. In fact, it’s more accurate to call it “imposter feelings” because the feelings can come and go.

Many people experience it pretty regularly in mild ways. Certain situations—like a specific challenge or success—can bring it on, or trigger a period of experiencing it more painfully than usual.

Most importantly, it doesn’t mean that the person suffering from it is an imposter. In fact, it’s the opposite. Remember point #1 about imposter syndrome: it mostly affects high-achieving people. That means that almost by definition, if you have it, you have already proven that you can succeed.

Imposter syndrome isn’t your fault. It can be a manifestation of structural racism, sexism, and other -isms.

Imposter feelings can be especially strong for people of color, women, first-gen college students, and others who have historically been excluded from academia and are often still literally in the minority. It’s a lot harder to truly internalize the idea that you belong if, when you look around, you don’t see many others similar to you.

Remember, imposter syndrome isn’t your fault, but you can combat the feelings by reframing the narrative within yourself:

• Nobody’s perfect. Recognize what’s good enough for you and when you’ll stop. Celebrate your wins and how capable you are.
• Try to escape the trap of ”all or nothing“ thinking. Assess your performance objectively. Look at your grades and your achievements. They stand on their own.
• Give yourself some grace. Those critics in your head are just that: in your head. And since they’re in your head, they can be replaced.

You don’t have to push back against imposter feelings on your own, though! In fact, this is a great way to use—and build—your college network. Here are some ways to connect:

• Talk to mentors and friends about imposter syndrome. It is truly very common, and your network can help reality-check you.
• Help others who are less advanced than you, for example by tutoring in your field.
• Look for new social circles made up of peers who are going through experiences like yours.