I made the mistake of going on Linkedin after a few years last night just to browse around and see what all my friends / classmates were up to and I think I just found a new insecurity. They all have these really impressive internships or research programs or national level honors and certs from Ivy League programs, a bunch of them even have actual medals from the govenment, while im stuck here with a few part time jobs and some mediocre EC’s in the bottom 50% of my class. I think I finally know what imposter syndrome feels like becuase what justified me getting into a good college when all of these incredibly talented people who are so smart and are also just really nice to hang out with didn’t. If these are the people I’m competing with what chance do I have to stand out in a college where every single person is going to just as smart and driven as they are?
Are you in HS or college? It’s a little unclear. Most HS’ers do not have linked in profiles. Would question the veracity of the info. Your bigger challenge, if this is true, is your being in the bottom half of your class. Do your best to bring up those grades.
Im in senior HS and the since my school is a super competitive public anyone worth anything has a linkedin. Plus I know it’s not fake since they have receipts to back it up and I know them and their not the type to lie about that stuff.
On the bottom 50% thing I’ve deffinetly worked to get it up since my first two years and I’m happy with the progress I’ve made but putting it next to the people I hang out with who are top 1-5% of the class it kinda makes it feel insignifigant.
That’s great, focus on this! It’s important that you run your own race in HS, college, and beyond. Comparison is the thief of joy and all that. Good luck to you on your next steps!
Please step away from linked in. It isn’t reality, or at least not at your age.
If you are in a super competitive high school, your fellow students probably have super competitive parents how pay for them to do super competitive things and who get them a consultant who writes up their super competitive resumes.
You do not need to have an amazing resume when your full time job is still high school student. Please relax and don’t compare yourself to others, the majority of whom almost certainly have embellished profiles.
These don’t carry much weight. Anyone can pay for and take these certification programs online.
Meaningful internships for high schoolers are quite rare. In my experience—personally knowing students who’ve listed such ‘internships’—they’re usually arranged through family connections or with small local firms willing to take on high schoolers. Typically, the actual experience is far less impressive than it’s made to sound.
Anyone can create a LinkedIn profile for free. Not a big deal!
Don’t measure yourself with other people’s yardsticks. Focus on doing as well as you can, and look for colleges that are a great fit for you. People on this forum are very experienced and can help you find good matches that work well for you.
Same. I do think if HS students are working and/or looking to be recruited for their sport in college that they should have a LinkedIn profile (i’m sure there are many other legit reasons a HSer might have a LinkedIn page)
Learning how to set up a LinkedIn page is like learning to write a resume. HS students should learn how to do this…and setting up a page is one thing they probably would do in the learning process.
But that doesn’t mean that having a LinkedIn page makes a high school student “better” than a student who does not have a LinkedIn page.
You mention impostor syndrome and getting into a “good college” when others (who you consider to be more qualified) didn’t.
Colleges, including selective ones, are well aware of economic differences among applicants. Increasingly, in recent years, regular jobs are honored as a significant EC’s. Accomplishments like non-profits and internships are often viewed with skepticism and/or a result of parents who pay.
As others have said, the bigger question is about your academic performance. If you have gotten into a college that you like, it seems you are fine. Stop comparing, work hard, and you will do fine.
OP, “imposter syndrome” is doubting one’s abilities, that their successes are undeserved and that they will eventually be discovered as a fraud b/c they achieved successes/accomplishments that they didn’t believe they had the abilities that they actually demonstrated. Does that describe you?
You might find it helpful to become familiar with the idea of the Spheres of Control, Influence, and Anxiety (sometimes with different names). Here’s one article about it, though it was just the first that came up; there are plenty of others on it.
The gist is that there’s the world you have control over — your habits, your decisions, your behaviors, etc. — and the world that you don’t. And if you let your anxieties / concerns expand too far beyond that boundary, you’ll be worrying about things that are wholly outside your ability to do anything about. Your classmates’ honors and awards is a good example of that.
If knowing what others are doing (something outside your ability to control) gives you ideas for ways that you can lovingly challenge yourself (something inside you ability to control), great! But if you find that you’re comparing yourself with them and feeling worse about yourself — especially in a context like LinkedIn, where, like Facebook/Instagram/etc., people really only post the highlights and humblebrags — think about looking for new ways you can direct your attention and energy, in ways that focus on the goals you have for yourself, or the things you’re doing to move closer to them.
I agree with this advice. My daughter has had a LinkedIn since sophomore year of high school - as with your school, this was common for her school. She is now a sophomore in college and she no longer updates her profile and stays off of it as much as possible. There are two reasons for this: like you, it sometimes made her feel bad when she compared herself to others and saw the amazing things they were doing and, sort of ironically, when she posted her updates, she noticed other people getting salty and competitive with her. It all just felt too toxic.
Start working on a resume, if you want something to do. That will be useful when you start applying for internships and jobs and you don’t have to show it to anyone but your potential employer. Stay off LinkedIn until you’re more established and secure.
I believe you said in another thread you’re going to be attending UCB college of engineering. My S23 was originally admitted to UCB off the wait list, and because of that, he started out with a wicked case of imposter syndrome! He worried that he wasn’t as talented and experienced as other students in engineering, especially those who had been admitted to the most selective majors (like EECS… my S started out in materials science).
It turned out that my S landed in exactly the right place for him. He has had no trouble doing well and is finishing his sophomore year with a 3.9+ GPA in EECS (he decided to switch majors due to his interest in electronic materials & semiconductors).
Trust that you were admitted to the right place. Focus on keeping ahead of your studies, exploring your interests, and finding your people. There are so many great clubs and labs and other opportunies. Advising is very good in engineering (my son says it’s a lot more accessible than what friends experience in L&S) and there is plenty of flexibility to adjust your path based on your evolving interests. Don’t be intimidated by other students… enjoy being surrounded by other smart people. If you were admitted, you have what it takes to thrive there, if you put your mind to it
It’s nice to hear about someone in a similar situation. If they felt the same way and they’re able to do so well its at least a little boost of the self confidence. Thanks for the help.
I dont know either lol . At this point i’m just accepting it was an act of god after getting rejected from all 20 schools exept for my safety. But since I was so lucky and after reading some of yall’s answers I’ve resolved not to question god and just do the best I can with the bessing i was given.