Imposter Syndrome in Adult Students: Solving the ‘Invisible Problem’
By: AJ Lemheney, Ed.D., Vice President and Executive Director, Graduate and Continuing Education, Muhlenberg College Wednesday, January 24, 2024 10:00 AM
You’re a competent, successful employee who has worked hard to build a promising career. So, why do feelings of self-doubt keep creeping in?
The answer could be imposter syndrome, an overwhelming fear that you’re not smart or talented enough, and that people will find out you’re a fraud. Imposter syndrome often pops up at the worst times, including when adults consider returning to school. In fact, in my experience, I’ve seen that the higher-level of educational degree you seek, the more significant these limiting beliefs can become.
How can adult students conquer imposter syndrome? The best steps are to learn more about what it is, become aware of it when it happens, and then talk about it. Once you do this, you’ll reduce its impact. You’ll also discover that you’re far from alone.
Imposter syndrome: Examining the ‘invisible problem’
Imposter syndrome often lives in the shadows. Publicly, whether it’s in person or in social media, we portray the ultimate confidence in our abilities. Privately, however, we feel some level of doubt. And if we’ve been told by others that it’s “weak” to show our insecurities, we’ll tend to keep them to ourselves.
But when we find the courage to share our fears and talk about imposter syndrome with others, we find that it’s a common emotional experience, especially among high achievers.
A 2020 review of multiple studies showed that imposter syndrome affects anywhere between 56% to 82% of graduate students, college students, nurses, medical students and other professionals. The same review indicates that imposter syndrome can be more prevalent in people from underrepresented groups due to racism, social stigmas and microaggressions.
Bringing imposter syndrome out from the shadows
Why do I know that imposter syndrome is a shared experience? Because I went through it myself.
When I returned to school to pursue my graduate degree, I found the entire process incredibly intimidating. My mind flashed back to my undergraduate days. I had a lot of fun then – perhaps a little too much. As a result, I didn’t have the strongest undergraduate transcript. I was concerned my transcript would keep me from getting into my preferred graduate program. Even if I did get in, I was afraid this next step in my educational journey would be overwhelming.
If I was to succeed in graduate school, I knew I had to conquer my own feelings of inferiority. So, I took the risk of talking to a mentor about it. And when I opened up to him, he told me that he, too, had suffered from imposter syndrome. Hearing someone who I respected validate my feelings normalized it for me. It gave me the strength to talk with my admissions counselor about imposter syndrome when I returned to school, a conversation that ultimately set me up for successful completion of my graduate degree.
Today, I try to pay my mentor’s gift forward. When I advise adult students at the Muhlenberg College School of Graduate Studies, I encourage them to share their insecurities. Often, the root of adult learners’ imposter syndrome lies in the unknowns. They wonder how they’ll be able to juggle work, family and school. They worry about what class will look and feel like. They’re concerned they lack the intellectual horsepower to contribute in class. When we bring these fears into the open, it eases students’ uncertainties and builds confidence.
Self-efficacy: A potential antidote for imposter syndrome
One of the keys to overcoming imposter syndrome is to develop a sense of self-efficacy, the belief in yourself and your own abilities. It’s a concept first developed in 1977 by the late Albert Bandura, an influential psychologist and scholar. In the decades since, other scholars have identified self-efficacy as a critical factor in academic achievement.
Self-efficacy connects your life experiences to your self-confidence. It expands as you master skills and persist through adversity to achieve your goals. Self-efficacy can also grow when someone you trust, such as a friend or mentor, expresses their belief in your abilities.
Imposter syndrome is the exact opposite of self-efficacy. While self-efficacy builds you up, imposter syndrome knocks you back down, telling you you’re not good enough even though you’ve accomplished so much in your life. By building self-efficacy, you can quiet negative self-talk and accentuate the positive instead.
Conquering imposter syndrome: Tips for adult learners
Other helpful ways to address imposter syndrome include:
Embrace a growth mindset. When we focus on continuous learning and commit to ongoing self-improvement, we keep our goals front and center, encouraging ourselves to expect more.
Celebrate achievements and milestones. This can include everything from major accomplishments (earning a promotion or starting a new job) to everyday tasks (cooking a delicious meal or exercising for five more minutes than the day before).
Create an affirmation statement. I’ve used this tip with several of my students. I ask them to write a personal reflection that will remind them of all they’ve accomplished so far. When feelings of self-doubt emerge, I ask students to read the statement aloud. Doing so helps them challenge negative thoughts and build self-efficacy.
Seek support from peers, mentors and professionals. Seek out colleagues and peers that you trust and share your story with them. If you find that your struggle with imposter syndrome is worsening, seek professional help, whether it’s through an Employee Assistance Program at work, an in-person appointment with a therapist you trust, or even a telehealth provider.
Pursue your education with certainty
Imposter syndrome happens to almost everyone. By shining a light on it and talking about it with others, you can reduce its impact, enhance your self-worth, and accomplish amazing things.
Interested in learning more about the Muhlenberg College Division of Graduate and Continuing Education?
Set up an appointment with an advisor in Continuing Studies.
Set up an appointment with an advisor in Graduate Studies.