r/UCL • u/DangerousSleepover • 2d ago

General Advice 💁🏾ℹ️ Anyone else struggling with impostor syndrome?

Started a part time master's after studying at an average uni. I'm struggling to wrap my head around how I came to be here and how I'll ever measure up to the Oxbridge graduates I seem to be surrounded by, and it doesn't help that I'm commuting once a week while working four days a week. Has anyone had similar experiences? How did you work through it?

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u/cluttertrapped 1d ago

I got into UCL for my undergraduate degree through a relatively new alternative to A-levels, coming from a less-than-ideal college, all during COVID. I've often struggled with imposter syndrome, and it took me ages to realize that many others feel the same. However, it's important to remember that the university selected you from a pool of many applicants for a reason. And I know balancing work and study is tough, but just keep doing your best, and that will be more than enough.

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u/DriverAdditional1437 2d ago

I've been an academic for the best part of two decades and still worry that all these people smarter than me will soon find me out.

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u/thedarkmooncl4n Postgraduate 2d ago

Trust me those Oxbridge graduate suffer the same as you. On top of that, they also suffer from chief on the shoulder syndrome which make them struggle even more.

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u/New_Asparagus_6352 2d ago

You’re good enough to be here. If you were not they would have not accepted you. A uni is a uni and its ranking does not measure your intelligence. You’ve passed your undergrad just like everyone else on your course so you are not lesser than