Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
anxiety and stress reading
anxiety and stress reading
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels
WSU | Wellness > Mental Health

Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

Updated Published
Aspen Harder Student Contributor, Washington State University
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at WSU chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

What is Imposter Syndrome?

Imposter syndrome has gained recognition as a term recently, but it’s not just one of those “buzz words.” It is related to a fairly common feeling defined by the American Psychological Association as the “ongoing fear that [you’re] going to be ‘found out’ or unmasked as being incompetent or unable to replicate past successes.” Imposter syndrome is fairly common in college students. We often find ourselves in the most difficult classes of our majors and may think that we don’t belong there because we’re struggling with it. Personally, I have considered changing my major and often ask myself why I chose Neuroscience as a major because I knew that it was going to be difficult. It is really easy to get in your head about “not being good enough” or “not belonging.

Dangers of Imposter Syndrome

Imposter syndrome can lead to more serious negative emotional states, such as anxiety or depression, if it continues for a longer period of time and to a higher degree than occasional passive thoughts. It is fairly normal to feel like you’re struggling so you just want to give up, but the constant feeling that you don’t deserve to be where you are because you “aren’t successful enough” is unhealthy, especially if it is a common thread of negative thoughts.

Imposter syndrome can be dangerous for your mental health because you may be doing perfectly fine in school (a little bit of a struggle can be normal), but it can suck you into rabbit holes of self-negativity. You may also attribute your own struggles to things that are wrong with you, when it could be that the class is taught in a way that doesn’t work well for you, or the content is just really difficult. If you decide to give up in a class because you “don’t belong there,” you may fail it. That could lead to a confirmation of your negative thoughts about your abilities despite the fact that you failed because you gave up, not because you weren’t capable.

stress in college classroom
Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

While passive thoughts about not being capable or not being enough may seem harmless in the short-term, they can build up and hurt you more in the long-term. How do you deal with these thoughts? Learning about what imposter syndrome is can in a way help you feel like you aren’t abnormal for having these thoughts. It can help to talk to others about these feelings, and you may even find that some other people are feeling the same way about themselves. I have found that I talked about it with people I was in classes with while struggling with studying, and they felt the same exact way. This can help you feel less alone and isolated in a difficult situation. One thing that I have found to be the most helpful was giving myself grace for not doing as well as I had hoped, and celebrating my successes more. It’s really easy to get hung up on a poor exam grade even if you are succeeding in other places in life. Give yourself a pat on the back for your successes!

Aspen Harder

WSU '25

Aspen is a writer for the Her Campus Washington State University chapter. When she isn't writing lab reports, she loves writing about the college experience, outdoor activities, and lifestyle.

She is a senior at Washington State University, majoring in neuroscience with minors in psychology and biology. While many of the courses she takes require scientific writing, Aspen also loves to write for fun! She is very interested in writing about the experience of a STEM student, different outdoor activities for college students, and how to maintain physical and mental health during college. Outside of Her Campus, she is also an undergraduate researcher in the Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, a student mentor in the Team Mentoring Program, a member of Psi Chi, and the public relations officer in Neuroscience Club.

She is from Mill Creek, near Seattle, WA, so she loves outdoor activities. Some of these activities include skiing, hiking, rock climbing, and camping. She also loves going to concerts whenever possible, especially rock and metal concerts. Some of her favorite bands include Bring Me the Horizon, Pierce the Veil, The Requiem, and Bad Omens. You will definitely catch her in the pit, on the barrier, or even crowd surfing!