When college kids "Feel like a Fraud"

Marian
Tue, 11 Jul 2017 11:40:23 +0000

I understand imposter syndrome because I have it. A lot of people my age – I’m 62 – feel this way, probably because we’re the children of the legitimately named Greatest Generation (the people who were young adults during World War II). We have never matched our parents’ accomplishments and maturity at the same ages, and we never will.

I’m about to turn off this computer and go to work, but even after all these years, I’m shocked every morning that there’s a company that’s willing to employ me. What could I possibly have to offer them? I think this despite a graduate degree and 40 years of experience!

But it sounds like the OP’s niece and nephew have a different problem – adjusting to the independence and academic demands of college after having attended not-particularly-demanding high schools. That’s a tough challenge, but I don’t think it necessarily indicates a propensity to lifelong imposter syndrome.

Also, for what it’s worth, I don’t think either of my kids felt that way, both because they came from more demanding high schools and because both of them ended up at universities where they were in the top quarter of the population in terms of academic credentials. The adjustment to college work wasn’t a big deal for either of them. But perhaps they missed out on a valuable learning experience because they didn’t need to learn how to step up their game at college?