A small fish in a big pond — that’s what I felt like. Despite being so excited to attend UCLA, I couldn’t help but feel lost in a crowd of highly accomplished people and plagued by a mild case of imposter syndrome. But your college experience is what you make out of it, and I was determined to live out my undergraduate years to its fullest potential.
The journey to receiving that acceptance letter is not easy. A student — let’s call her Jamie — must complete all necessary prerequisite courses with good grades, then accumulate a competitive overall and science GPA. Additionally, Jamie must show her dedication to service and her interest in the health care field through extracurricular activities.
Do you ever think that your success is just a result of luck, or you didn’t really earn your achievements? Do you feel like you tricked everyone into thinking that you are smarter than you really are, and it is just a matter of time before someone discovers your secret and exposes you as a fake? Do you believe that your accomplishments aren’t that special because you think “anyone could have done that”? If so, you may be dealing with imposter syndrome, like me.
