This was a great event for anyone feeling overwhelmed by grad school. The Impostor Syndrome is a common phenomenon among graduate students, characterized by a feeling of personal inadequacy. It’s certainly something that I’ve struggled with throughout my three years at UMass, and unfortunately, the panelists confirmed that these feelings rarely go away completely, but it it does get easier to control them. They shared some of their coping mechanisms, and it really was comforting to hear that I’m not alone but actually in great company!
After introducing the panelists and grabbing food, the room split into groups to talk to the panelists more naturally. The conversation I attended felt personal and organic. It was extremely gratifying to have a panelist suddenly be interested in what I and other event participants had to say. I was really glad I attended the event, especially since this topic has been near and dear to my heart ever since my first article for GQM. If you attended – I truly hope you were as encouraged and comfortable as I was. If you didn’t, but are struggling with feelings of inadequacy or are thinking that you don’t belong here, I hope you read over this and know that you’re not alone, you do belong, and you’ll get better at handling these feelings over time.
