Overcoming imposter syndrome
Doc Marten boots
There is an imposter among us鈥
Ok, let me preface by apologising for starting off this post with a cringey reference聽but my TikTok 'for you' page has been plagued with random 'Among Us' memes for no reason despite me having only played it once in 2020.聽Who knew that such a meme would light a bulb in my head to talk about overcoming imposter syndrome!聽Yes, that is an actual thing that people go through and no, I swear it鈥檚 not another Among Us reference.
According to an article in Times magazine, imposter syndrome is 鈥the idea that you have only succeeded due to luck, and not because of your talent or qualifications鈥. I first came to know of this word last year when I was catching up with my friends about settling into university聽but I never fully understood it until I read Sally Rooney鈥檚 'Normal People'. In the book, the narrator talks about how Connell feels as though he has 鈥upgraded himself accidently to an intellectual level far above his own鈥 when he attended his first class at Trinity College despite being the smartest student in high school. A line in a book has never depicted my thoughts so clearly as this one did when I first started law school 鈥 I felt dumb, incompetent聽and undeserving. I鈥檓 in my second year now but I鈥檓 still learning how to feel enough about myself and overcome this syndrome. Here鈥檚 how I鈥檓 doing it.
Removing Doubts About Yourself
I鈥檓 guilty of telling myself that I鈥檓 not worthy of doing this degree, that someone else who is smarter than me and who could probably understand the concept of 'Indefeasible Property' faster than I am, would be better suited in my position. I realise that this is an unfair misconception to make about oneself because clearly, if you鈥檙e attending your classes now, then you are no more deserving than the rest of the students here. It takes time to unlearn these thoughts, and I know how easy it is to fall back into this headspace,聽but I think it鈥檚 good to start your day by affirming positive thoughts and telling yourself that you鈥檙e worthy of getting an education. I also like to write about my little 鈥榳ins鈥 that I鈥檝e gained throughout classes in my journal sometimes 鈥 successfully understanding the facts of a case or even getting a simple question right in class 鈥 to remind myself that I am capable of doing this degree!
Participating in Class
And I mean, actually try to participate in class. I find that when I do try to answer my lecturers and tutors, I feel a surge of confidence and any doubts I had about myself learning this course reduce聽like 鈥淗ey, I actually understand this!鈥. Of course, I can鈥檛 deny that sometimes it is scary to throw in your two cents and ask questions for fear of being wrong or afraid that people might think you鈥檙e asking a dumb question. Whenever I find myself getting anxious about participating in class, I gently remind myself that everyone here is on the same journey as I am and that we鈥檙e all learning the same thing, so perhaps the questions that I ask are also the ones lingering in their minds. Take it slow, don鈥檛 rush into it聽but try even if it鈥檚 just nodding or shaking your head in response to a question.
Making Friends with Fellow Classmates
We know that surrounding yourself with the community helps you assimilate with the group. Just like making new friends in a new school or socialising with your new neighbours, being friends with people in your course helps you learn about the collective feelings and hardships that they go through. Having friends in law school has helped me realise that I鈥檓 not a lone traveller on this voyage to obtaining a degree. A lot of my other friends also find it difficult sometimes to grasp a concept or attempt an essay which assures me that I am not the only duckling struggling to keep herself afloat 鈥 we all hit a bump in our classes sometimes and that鈥檚 okay. Besides, having friends in your classes enables you to help each other overcome those difficulties and push through your degrees!
It's a process!
As I鈥檝e mentioned, overcoming imposter syndrome is a process. It鈥檚 not as easy as pressing a button and magically fitting in, it鈥檚 more like when I used to break in聽a new pair of Docs 鈥 it鈥檚 uncomfortable at first but in no time, I was walking around with the coolest pair of boots. Take it slow and constantly remind yourself that you are worthy and deserving of your achievements. We鈥檙e all in this journey together!