Everyone goes through it at some point.

On first year move-in day last year at Barnard, President Rosenbury gave a speech stating that we all deserved to be at Barnard, and then proceeded to list the accomplishments of a few students. She didn’t say the names of these students, but the accolades that she listed were pretty prestigious. Listening to this speech as a first year, on my first day, I began to feel like I didn’t deserve to be at Barnard as much as these other people. 

Imposter syndrome is a pretty common feeling for students at Barnard and Columbia. It is most common in female and minority students, but I haven’t met a single person who has said that they’ve never felt like they didn’t belong here at some point. The thing about high academic institutions is that they are designed to pit us against each other and make us feel like others are better or more deserving. 

One way I’ve found you can fight imposter syndrome is by having conversations with your peers. You aren’t surrounded by academic robots, as some want you to think—you’re surrounded by humans that are feeling the same way as you. Additionally, whether you feel that you deserve something is often so irrelevant. It comes down to how badly you want it. Don’t let the institution tell you that you can’t have it. You may feel like you’re struggling, but everyone else is too. Be open about it. Don’t wallow, but allow yourself to share your experiences with others. 

Another type of imposter syndrome seldom talked about is the specific experience of being a Barnard student, if you are one. It’s easy to feel like you didn’t work as hard to get here as everyone at Columbia because of the difference in acceptance rate or because Barnard has “less prestige” or whatever other silly reason you may have been told. These “reasons” by no means indicate that you don’t deserve to be at or aren’t a part of Columbia University, and they’re rooted in harmful stereotypes. Some Columbia students just hate to see a girlboss winning. Nine times out of ten, Barnard baddies slay the hardest academically, in my unbiased opinion. Plus, since Barnard’s applicant pool is women and other gender minorities, around 50% of the population can’t apply. Thus, the Barnard and Columbia acceptance rates are fairly similar proportionally. 

Let’s also try to tackle this logically. Try to think hard about what your specific case of imposter syndrome is telling you. Is it that you don’t belong? Well, logically, you do—you got into this school. You were chosen for a reason. Is it that you don’t think you’re as smart as those around you? Well, if your GPA is better than at least one student at Columbia, then you’re smarter than them. And compared to the general population of the world, you’ve gotten into this school! You’re smarter than the vast majority of the population—who cares if you’re not the smartest person at Columbia? 

However, that’s also a pretty pretentious and elitist way of looking at it, even though it’s true. Make sure to understand that even though it’s okay to want to be book smart, there are so many different forms of intelligence, success, and value. Make an effort to overcome your imposter syndrome, but don’t let it make you narcissistic and look down on others. And above all, don’t let academic measures define your self-worth. Find value in other things—positive traits you possess, moral values you hold, your quality and type of friendships, etc. Your college GPA matters so little—it’s your personality that makes the difference. 

To sum it up, imposter syndrome is a pretty difficult feeling, and there’s no easy fix for it. Just know that you’re definitely not alone in feeling this way, and you do deserve to be here. Fake it ’til you make it, and you will make it!

Imposter via Wikimedia Commons and Bwog Staff