Imposter or Not? Maybe I'm Just Learning.

Starting graduate school can be overwhelming. It can feel like you are suddenly surrounded by people who know exactly what they are doing. It can be easy to compare yourself to the people around you and wonder whether you really belong there. I have definitely had moments when I felt like I should already know the answer, or I hesitated to ask a question because I thought it was something I was supposed to know. 

One thing I have been learning throughout grad school is that you are not supposed to know everything and that it isn't expected of you either. Grad school is an opportunity to dive deeper into topics that interest you, learn new skills, and explore questions that may not even have clear answers yet. It's easy to forget that if we already knew everything at the beginning of our school journey, there would not be much of a reason to even be in school to learn. 

Asking for help is not something to be embarrassed about either, it is part of how we can grow as students and as individuals. Whether it is asking a supervisor for guidance, talking through an idea with peers, or admitting that you do not understand something, there are people around you who want to see you succeed. Some of the most helpful conversations I have had started with simply saying, “I’m not sure how to do this.” 

Imposter syndrome probably will not disappear overnight, and I am still learning how to navigate it myself, but whenever I start feeling like I should know more than I do, I try to remind myself why I am in grad school in the first place. I am here to learn. There is nothing wrong with not knowing something, asking questions, making mistakes, and leaning on the people around you. Grad school is not about proving that you already know everything, it is about allowing yourself to learn more. Whatever it is you have set out to do, you've got this, Warrior!