My Story: Imposter Syndrome

Being rejected from Cambridge massively affected my self-confidence. Even when I was offered a place months later. Everyone here experiences imposter syndrome to some extent. The constant thoughts of “Am I good enough?” and “Do I deserve to be here?” and “Someone else should be here instead of me?” and “I got lucky.” And hundreds upon thousands more. Of course I experienced this. The difference for me was that my rejection amplified these thoughts. Within the first week of being here, I had decided Cambridge was not for people like me, especially those who had been rejected initially. I decided to draft an email saying I was going to drop out and go somewhere else for university. My friend called me right before I was about to send it and convinced me to stay. So, I stayed. And I could not be more thankful for that decision because this has been the best year of my life. Although, it has been difficult. I scraped an offer and that mentality led me to struggle academically in my first year. I would constantly tell myself I could not be one of the best students at Cambridge, and that constant negativity led to me being one of the worst. Next year, I am ready. Imposter syndrome will not defeat me, because I deserve my place here.