The likelihood of having imposter syndrome becomes more prominent with individuals who have dealt with micro-aggressions, internalized biases and misrepresentation.

A field like STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) typically is a male-dominated that comes with a multitude of subtle prejudices and self-objectivity putting access pressures for perfection for both male and females. Women are constantly trying to prove that they can excel in the field that is run by men, whereas men are already expected to succeed in it because they dominate it.

Isha Hussain grew up being the only girl out of three brothers. This came with its own set of biases as she felt in competition with her overachieving siblings. However, she went on to create her own path, attending Farmingdale State College, majoring in psychology. Now, she is attempting to prove to herself and others that she can be a woman in STEM. 

“We all constantly get compared to others and, even if we perform well, someone always performs better. In my own experiences, whenever I would get good grades or achieve something, I would always think that someone out there is smarter than me and that my success didn’t matter,” Hussain said. 

Similar to STEM,  journalism is a highly competitive field with everyone racing to get on news stations and write for big publications. Students are immersed right away in writing, reporting, editing and producing. Everything is thrown at you at once and you have deadlines to meet and good grades to seek. The need to remain perfect and overachieve is huge, as you have to be the best nowadays to even get a foot in the door. 

Jianni Burnett pushes herself to make sure her school projects and her work as being an assistant studio manager comes out perfectly. This constant need to be the best creates self-doubt and leads her to put enormous pressure on herself. 

“I understand that there will always be room for improvement in such a dynamic industry. However imposter syndrome has impacted my perception of my role in the control room as an assistant studio manager,” said Burnett.

External factors can also lead students to feel a sense of self-doubt. For Burnett the external factors were pressures from her family members or people who doubted her abilities. This put her in a tough position, where she felt the need to live up to her parents expectations or prove the people who underestimated her intelligence wrong. 

“I hold myself to such a high standard because of the pressure from my parents and myself, but I believe this intense pressure does more harm than good at times. In high school, my dad would say things like, “That’s great that you got a 98, but where are the extra two points?,” pinpointing where I fell short. After remarks similar to those I began hyperfocusing on my potential faults instead of celebrating my wins that were more frequent than not. I’ve always received high grades and excelled in extracurriculars, but it became the norm for me and if I did anything that felt less than excellent it felt like failure,” said Burnett. 

This was something I could relate to. While I was growing up and being told by my elders I was not good enough and would amount to nothing led me to want to over achieve and be great at everything. However, when things didn’t turn out to be phenomenal in the way I wanted, I began to think the problem was me. As a journalism student at Stony Brook University, I constantly feel the need to overwork and perfect my articles and videos even if it means nit picking every little detail for hours straight. This then leads to the constant stress of making sure things come out flawless when more times than not the idea of perfectionism is simply out of my control. 

“Some come with imposter syndrome but don’t present it that way. They come with a lot of self doubt and when they are presented with the idea of having imposter syndrome, they do relate,” Ebeling said. 

Before my research I didn’t know that imposter syndrome doesn’t assume one form. I always believed only people who thought they were not good enough were the ones with imposter syndrome. Because I was  proud of my accomplishments, I thought I did not suffer from it. However, I couldn’t be more wrong.

This was also the case for Lauren, a business major at the University of North Florida, who wishes to keep her surname private. She always excelled at school but juggled a lot outside of it, like sports and valuing her time with family. This balancing act came with its stressors.

When I asked  Lauren if she suffered from imposter syndrome she replied unhesitatingly, “I’ve never really had imposter syndrome.” 

Yet, she admitted, “I just feel like I set too high of goals for myself and when I don’t reach them I get upset.”

​When unmasking the layers of imposter syndrome, someone like Lauren, who does not think she has this condition, may be surprised to find that she does. Although she previously stated she never had imposter syndrome, she is exhibiting signs of such.

Imposter syndrome is a mental game your mind plays. It mainly centers around an internalized battle to be the best, whether that be perfecting your work, doing things on your own and not seeking help when needed, trying to master a task rapidly, overachieving and equating smarts with how fast you were able to learn something. However, whatever happened to being good enough? Why must people feel like they have to be the best when others who are just as successful or simply don’t care and enjoy going at their own pace. 

There is science behind the madness. According to the self-help website, MentorCruise, “The limbic system, often referred to as the emotional brain, plays a pivotal role in imposter syndrome. The brain’s amygdala, which processes fear and anxiety, can become overactive, triggering feelings of self-doubt and worthlessness.”

You might live by the mantra, “Fake it till you make it” to get through college but hiding behind a facade can affect your performance inside and outside the laboratory or newsroom. Talking to your peers will reveal you are not the only one facing this issue and can help you conquer it together.

Some students have found effective ways to cope. 

Singleton was anxious as a freshman, but realized quickly, “I was fine and that everyone puts on an act in the first few weeks of class,” she said. 

Hussain who had doubts in her abilities initially has now found effective ways around this mentality. “Ways I learned to cope with this thought process includes learning that everyone truly is different. Someone may be bad at something you’re good at and others might be successful in ways that you are not. Everyone is their own person, it’s what makes up our identity,” she said. 

Burnett has also found ways to simmer down her constant desire to overachieve.

“I cope by reminding myself that I have a lot more knowledge than a person that hasn’t been introduced to the skills that I’ve gained. I also have to remind myself of my affirmations that I reiterate to myself: I’m in the position that I’m in not because of luck, but because of what I know and my ability to adapt,” she said.

After Lauren found out she has imposter syndrome she is “trying to take it day by day instead of looking so far into the future. Just looking at what I can accomplish now,” she stated.

Knowing that you’re not alone and you have a sea of peers who are in the same boat can make a huge difference in the way you perceive yourself. 

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