{"id":3077,"date":"2023-09-27T12:10:01","date_gmt":"2023-09-27T19:10:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pacific.edu\/blog\/?p=3077"},"modified":"2025-07-30T15:10:57","modified_gmt":"2025-07-30T22:10:57","slug":"advice-for-overcoming-imposter-syndrome-in-college-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pacific.edu\/blog\/2023\/09\/27\/advice-for-overcoming-imposter-syndrome-in-college-2\/","title":{"rendered":"How to overcome imposter syndrome in college"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"University<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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You may have caught yourself thinking, \u201cOne mistake and everyone will know that I have no idea what I am doing!\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Imposter syndrome is a common feeling among high-achieving individuals\u2014even people you would never suspect suffer from self-doubt. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In an opinion piece in  Newsweek magazine<\/a>, Pacific alumnus and NASA astronaut Jose Hernandez described how inadequate he felt when he was accepted into America\u2019s space program. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven as I wore the blue uniform and underwent rigorous training, a nagging voice in the back of my mind questioned whether I truly belonged among these remarkable individuals,\u201d Hernandez wrote. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If astronauts can feel that way, it won\u2019t surprise you to know that imposter syndrome is common among college students as well. According to a 2019 study at Brigham Young University, 20% of college students have experienced it.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Five types of imposter syndrome<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Valerie Young, an internationally recognized expert on imposter syndrome, has identified five types of imposter syndrome: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. The Perfectionist<\/strong>: You believe that unless you are perfect, you could have done better. Your perfectionist traits convince you that you\u2019re not as good as others might think you are. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. The Expert<\/strong>: When you don\u2019t know everything there is to know about a particular subject or topic, or you haven\u2019t mastered every step in the process, you feel like a fraud. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. The Natural Genius<\/strong>: You might feel like an imposter because you don\u2019t believe that you are naturally intelligent or competent. If you struggle to get something right the first time, or it takes you longer to master a skill, you feel like an imposter. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. The Soloist<\/strong>: Sometimes you might feel like a fraud because you had to ask for help to reach a certain level of status. Due to not being able to get there on your own, you question your own skills and abilities.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. The Superperson<\/strong>: You believe that unless you are the hardest worker or reach the absolute pinnacle of success possible, you will have failed and will be shown to be a fraud. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    How do you know if you have imposter syndrome?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Some common presentations include: <\/p>\n\n\n\n