In the latest episode of Victors in Grad School, Dr. Christopher Lewis and Darien Wilkerson tackle a challenge nearly every graduate student faces: imposter syndrome. Through a thoughtful conversation, the episode explores what imposter syndrome looks like, why it happens, and—most importantly—how you can manage it to foster success throughout your graduate experience.

Defining Imposter Syndrome

Right from the start, Darien Wilkerson clarifies that imposter syndrome isn’t a mental health disorder, but rather a common “thinking error”—a cognitive distortion that leads capable, accomplished people to doubt their worth or believe their success is due to luck. If you’ve ever questioned whether you truly deserved an achievement, wondered when others would “find out” you’re not as competent as they think, or attributed accomplishments to external factors, you’re not alone. Many students, regardless of their background or experience, feel this way at some point.

Recognizing the Signs and the Cycle

The conversation delves into the broader impacts of imposter syndrome: chronic anxiety, burnout, perfectionism, and the need for external validation. Darien Wilkerson draws attention to how these feelings can create a repeating cycle—doubt leads to over-preparation, achievement brings only brief relief, and then the process repeats itself.

Crucially, the episode discusses different “types” of imposter syndrome, based on research by Dr. Valerie Young: the perfectionist, the expert, the soloist, the natural genius, and the superhuman. Recognizing your own tendencies in these categories can be the first step to addressing them.

Why Does It Happen?

Many factors contribute: family and cultural expectations, pre-existing mental health challenges, negative comparisons to others, new or unfamiliar environments, and even being part of a minority group in an academic setting. Understanding the root causes can help frame your feelings and set the stage for effective strategies to manage them.

Practical Strategies for Management

Most empowering, the episode offers actionable steps for listeners. Darien Wilkerson encourages acknowledging feelings without judgment, challenging negative self-talk, celebrating accomplishments (even small ones), and embracing a growth mindset. Simple exercises—like naming your achievements or reframing negative thoughts—can shift your perspective and boost confidence.

Listen and Grow

This episode isn’t just an exploration—it’s a toolkit for students, offering both understanding and real-world steps to thrive, not just survive, in grad school. If you’ve ever struggled with doubt or the pressure to be perfect, tune into this episode of Victors in Grad School for practical guidance and a reminder: you absolutely belong.

TRANSCRIPT

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:00:01]:
Welcome to Victors in Grad School, where we have conversations with students, alumni, and experts about what it takes to find success in graduate school.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:00:11]:
Tonight we’re going to be talking about the imposter syndrome and understanding imposter syndrome. It’s definitely something that most graduate students are going to have happen to them at some point, and it’s important to have some some hints, some tricks, some things that you can do to be able to prepare yourself, but also to know what to do when it happens. And I’m excited to be able to have another colleague friend from our university here. Darien Wilkerson is with us. Darien is with our Counseling and Psychological Services Office. You’re also gonna hear it called CAPS, and that is our Counseling and Psychological Services Office on campus. And they’re here to support you. And I know that Darien will talk about that as well.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:00:54]:
So I’m gonna turn it over to Darien. Darien, thanks so much for being here tonight.

Darien Wilkerson [00:00:57]:
Yeah, likewise. Thank you, Dr. Lewis. And again, welcome everyone who’s about to be joining U of M Flint in your graduate studies here. So my role this evening is just going to be walking you guys through understanding imposter syndrome just a little bit. So having a little bit more context, ideas, and some strategies, because like Dr. Lewis said, at some point, whether that’s in the program or beyond, we’re going to potentially navigate Or go through our own process of this phenomenon, right? And just trying to figure out how do we work through it? What do we do? So we will jump into that. So some quick learning objectives.

Darien Wilkerson [00:01:35]:
Again, we’re gonna understand that defining that definition of imposter syndrome, identify those self-patterns associated with imposter syndrome. So as we’re going through this PowerPoint, start to really reflect on yourself currently. What could be possible? What’s currently happening right now? Getting into graduate program in itself can feel like that too, right? So just really start to reflect currently where you’re at and just kind of examine those factors that contribute to self-doubt and perceived inadequacy. Going to learn a little bit about applying those strategies to challenge imposter thoughts and reframing those negative self-talk, and then ultimately learn to develop those healthier approaches to success. And hopefully trying to get more self-compassion, growth, and recognition of your current accomplishments and future accomplishments. So I will try to stay mindful of the chat in case there’s questions that kind of come through. Hopefully with time we’ll be able to get to some questions, but just let everyone know I am trying to stay mindful of that. So feel free to kind of put those in the chat when it comes to mind.

Darien Wilkerson [00:02:40]:
But I just want to set the stage for us. As we’re kind of talking about imposter syndrome, I think it’s fair for us to get into a headspace, right? So I start with this slide. Have you ever— these are some of the go-to questions, right? Felt like you didn’t deserve an accomplishment? Wondered when someone would realize you weren’t capable of something? Attributed your success to luck or good timing? Or you felt like everyone else knew what they were doing except you? These are really the starting blocks of questioning that we put on ourselves that makes imposter syndrome start to become active. So it’s good to recognize, man, do I really say this to myself? Are these common themes of questioning that I do? And if so, how do we start to start— how do we start to address those things now so they don’t move into an introduction of imposter syndrome? So let’s get into a little bit of the definition. So imposter syndrome is a psychological cognitive distortion. That’s a fancy word, but it’s basically just saying a thinking error. We all have thinking errors. They come up from time to time.

Darien Wilkerson [00:03:50]:
But really, imposter syndrome is not a mental health disorder or a challenge. It’s just a thinking— how we’re thinking, how we’re processing something, right? And that involves feelings of self-doubt. Inadequacy, personal incompetence, and that persists despite the education, experience, or accomplishments that you already have. So it’s really this thing that says you’re not capable when there’s so much evidence that says the opposite, right? It’s like I said, a large amount of people will probably experience that within their life, and it’s not a diagnosable mental health challenge. This is something that we could go through depending on various different factors. So how does it present? That questioning on the last slide is typically how it starts. So it starts to— it starts with questioning ourselves. We have negative self-talk, which is more so just like really saying negative things about ourselves on a regular basis.

Darien Wilkerson [00:04:46]:
Inability to internalize accomplishments. So maybe if you’re hearing an accomplishment, you might start to question or doubt it. And that continues that feeling of inadequacy, right? Because we don’t leave room for Positives. So those are quick definitions, quick, you know, symptoms, if you will, when it comes to what imposter syndrome can look like. So future concerns. So this is happening on a regular basis. What are some of these concerns long term if we don’t find management? So that imposter syndrome can lead to anxiety, you know, where we have high levels of chronic anxiety. Because we’re questioning everything, right, and our capabilities.

Darien Wilkerson [00:05:28]:
Depression, low mood can come up. Burnout, overworking, meaning you might have to feel like you have to prove yourself. So in proving yourself, you’re working more and more and more just to try to, you know, show people I am worthy, I am capable. And that could potentially lead to burnout, overworking. That also leads to perfectionism. You don’t really have a lot of room or space to want to make mistakes because if you don’t feel like you belong, You feel like you constantly have to be perfect. So perfectionism can be a challenge or a concern. And then external validation, you might be craving that external validation all the time.

Darien Wilkerson [00:06:07]:
And that could be good or bad, right? And how that shapes us. Self-sabotage, right? So we might quit a job. We may not want to pursue the degree that we want to pursue because we feel like we just aren’t able to do it. That can lead to procrastination because procrastination typically is trying to protect us from failure, right? So we delay starting something in fear of us potentially failing that thing. And then self-criticism and low self-esteem, they kind of unfortunately go hand in hand together. But this is talking about our image. How do we view ourselves? And how are we talking to ourselves on a regular basis? So those are some of those feature concerns when we talk about imposter syndrome, which is really important that we’re We’re trying to have this conversation now so these future concerns don’t become so pressing. Okay, so the next one, I think it’s good to talk about the cycle that imposter syndrome can have for us.

Darien Wilkerson [00:07:07]:
So really, when you’re thinking about imposter syndrome, it starts with a task. You get assigned a task, you get assigned a responsibility, or you move into a new role in your life, right? And that can create a flooding of anxiety or overpreparation. Right? From that anxiety over preparation, it can go into the yellow, which is task. It’ll eventually get into a task finish, like you either complete the assignment, you complete the degree, right? And there’s a quick moment of relief from that experience. But then we start rationalizing our accomplishments. I got lucky. Someone else would be better. There’s something that starts to scale down our our accomplishment, right? Which leads to more self-doubt, less confidence, and the cycle continues there and there and there and just repeats itself, right? So if you recognize where you’re at potentially in this cycle, that can probably help you slow down and stop and reflect.

Darien Wilkerson [00:08:05]:
What is going on? Why am I in this situation? How can I get myself out of this cycle so it doesn’t continue on again? So I just thought it was a good idea to introduce what the imposter phenomenon cycle can look like, just so we can be mindful moving forward. Another thing I think that’s important is that there’s different types of imposter syndrome. We’re talking broadly, but there are different, like, distinguishable features of imposter syndrome, right? So this researcher, psychologist, Dr. Valerie Young, she did research And really composed of 5 different presentations and how imposter syndrome can come up. So we talked about it a little bit, but the perfectionist— so you don’t have any— you don’t have a lot of room to make errors. If you make an error, then that’s automatically associated with shame. You have to be the expert in something. If you feel like you’re not the expert, then you feel like you’re failing, and that brings up shame as well.

Darien Wilkerson [00:09:03]:
So you have to be the best of the best. That’s what the expert imposter is trying to say. If you’re not the best at this, then You’re not going to be good at this. Now, the soloist, basically meaning that it’s wrong to ask for help, or you have a lot of anxiety or shame for asking for help. You should be able to accomplish this by yourself, right? The natural genius is talking about aptitude. You should have an aptitude to get this done with ease or speed. And if you start to struggle, then that starts to make us question, am I capable? Am I deserving, right? So then the last one is just talking about the superhuman. So that measures competence based on how many roles you can juggle or excel in.

Darien Wilkerson [00:09:47]:
So if you’re someone again who wants to be seen as like, I can do this, this, this, and this, and this at the same time, that’s overwhelming to us, right? And we might not be able to manage that. So the superhuman is trying to say, I can do everything. Like, you can look at me, I can— I’m the person for the job. So again, these are 5 distinct ones, and I also believe if we are aware of which ones we fall into, our personalities lean towards, we can kind of start to rectify that so it doesn’t get to a very severe state. So those would be the 5 types of imposter syndromes, right? Or presentations. So I am keeping an eye on that chat. So, all right, move forward. So causes.

Darien Wilkerson [00:10:38]:
So we’re talking about imposter syndrome. How does it occur? You know, what does occur, but what’s the causes? Why do people get into this headspace, right? So there’s a couple of different reasons. One is family dynamics, maybe, and that can also go into cultural expectations. So those kind of tie in together. So what does our family say about failure? What does our family say about being successful? What does that look like? And that could be tied into cultural expectations as well. So if you feel like you’re failing based off of what you grew up knowing in your culture and your household, imposter syndrome can really flare up, unfortunately. Preexisting mental health challenges, so anxiety, depression, you know, these kind of common mental health challenges can be a precursor. Doesn’t mean it’s going to happen, but You just have to be more mindful around how you’re internalizing setbacks, failures, challenges, because imposter syndrome can come up when it comes to that.

Darien Wilkerson [00:11:38]:
Negative fear-based comparisons. So if we’re constantly comparing ourselves to other people, we don’t look at comparison as a way of improving. We look at it as a way of being negative towards ourselves. I’ll never amount to that, or they’re better than me in this. We start to say these things to rationalize our position, and then it just makes us feel down, right? Novelty, while novelty can be good, like I said, those new opportunities and responsibilities can also create imposter syndrome. I’m new into this program. I’m new into this field. How— like, I don’t have the backing or experience to say that I’m going to be good.

Darien Wilkerson [00:12:18]:
So since I don’t have that prior experience, you start to question and doubt, am I even going to be good at this thing, right? Lastly, I think the last one goes to cultural expectations, but holding minority identities Can also be room for imposter syndrome. Doesn’t always happen, but if you’re a minority going into a certain space, that can create imposter syndrome just initially, because you’re trying to want to prove yourself, right? So there’s a couple ideas to kind of think about for ourselves, right? But if any of those speak to you, this is time to reflect and just be mindful of how we’re carrying some of those things. Okay, so conquering it. What are some of these strategies? So 4 steps for you, just quick things to keep in mind as you’re trying to tackle the imposter syndrome if it does ever occur for you. Number 1, you just want to acknowledge the feeling. Whatever’s coming up for you emotionally, you want to validate the presence of the emotion, minimize judgment towards that present feeling, and remind yourself that feelings don’t always mean that they’re facts. The only thing feelings do is gives us a direction to go towards. It doesn’t say that’s definitive or that’s proof, right? So one, you just want to be mindful and just acknowledge that feeling.

Darien Wilkerson [00:13:39]:
If you feel like you’re disappointing someone, you feel like you’re failing, if you’re getting sad, start there and acknowledge that feeling. Step 2, challenge inner critic. So there’s a critic that comes up, right? We talked about negative self-talk. So if you’re saying negative things, you want to start to challenge the doubt. You want to challenge those things that come up for you. Ask for the evidence, whether that’s internally to yourself or you start having conversations with other people. And also try to identify overlooked strengths. Identify successes you’re not taking ownership of.

Darien Wilkerson [00:14:12]:
It’s probably a handful of things that we do that we just expect ourselves to do. But when you slow it down, you’re like, oh, That’s a big thing. I actually did excel in that. I did get into this program. I did get the grades and the test scores to actually show that I’m capable, right? So you want to start challenging those inner critic voices that come up. You want to do that early in. So that’s step 1, acknowledging the feeling. Step 2 is challenging those— that inner critic.

Darien Wilkerson [00:14:43]:
Okay, so this is a Brief reframing example. So the thought can say, I only got this opportunity because I got lucky. And then you want to start to challenge that thought, right? So some questions you might ask yourself is, what’s the evidence for this thought? Is there any proof that supports it? And then what’s the evidence against it? And you start to kind of put your thoughts on trial, basically, right? And then you start to create this catalog of information. And that will help you rationally understand, well, this thought doesn’t have a lot of weight to it at all. And then you start asking more questions like, what would you tell a friend who had this thought? If you shift the perspective and you put it back to a friend sharing with you, well, I got this opportunity because I got lucky, what would you say to that friend? So that perspective-taking kind of helps us rationalize a little bit differently how we’re talking to ourselves. And then the last one is, am I holding space for compassion? Am I really being compassionate to myself right now? Right? So I would say those are some of those 4 guided prompt questions just to ask ourselves when we’re trying to challenge a thought. And I thought that was just probably something hopefully of value just to really start the conversation with ourselves or with somebody else if we had to. Okay, step 3.

Darien Wilkerson [00:16:08]:
Own your accomplishments. Easier said than done, right? But you want to start to reflect on your accomplishments and also celebrate those accomplishments. That could be celebration is pat yourself on the back, go out to eat, let somebody know. Just do something that celebrates and acknowledges, no, I did this thing. It actually happened. And then embrace the praise objectively. Right? Just allow the praise to occur. Acknowledge the discomfort internally if you hear the praise, but also to say, yeah, they have a point there.

Darien Wilkerson [00:16:40]:
They’re right. I did do this thing. And then ask an unbiased observer for evidence of your ability. So if you really feel like you need to have the extra mile, go the extra mile, ask someone else. Like, hey, did you like— and that could be a manager, that could be a boss, whoever. Those people are the ones that can really give you hopefully unbiased evidence or answers to some of your questions. And next to this is about an exercise you can try to do on the regular. Just 3 accomplishments that you’re, you know, that you’re proud of, 2 strengths you used to achieve them, and 1 piece of evidence that shows that you are capable of ongoing success.

Darien Wilkerson [00:17:21]:
It’s something you can try to do every now and then just to remind yourself, like, Yes, I have accomplishments in my past. Yes, I have these strengths, and this is the evidence of that strength. That might be helpful to continue to form positive thinking and reflection of our success, just so we can start to own up— own our accomplishments for step 3.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:17:44]:
Okay.

Darien Wilkerson [00:17:47]:
Then getting into step 4, recognizing Perfection is not a real thing, right? So you want to go from perfection to growth. So recognize progress is more important than perfection. Success does not require perfection. Failure can be a teachable moment. So if you’re in— as you’re in school moving forward, if you feel like there’s times that you feel like you failed, that does not mean that’s the end of your story or end of learning or growing. It just means that you have a moment where you can actually get the most out of the opportunity. You can ask questions, clarifying questions, consult with people, try to figure out how do I ensure that this doesn’t happen to me again, right? And that can hopefully lead to self-compassion, which removes you from going from a place of judgment and shame to actually being able to grow from that situation. So really, step 4 is talking about just being, being kind to yourself and just trying to be in a growth mentality versus a perfectionist mentality.

Darien Wilkerson [00:18:51]:
And that should hopefully guide us through any kind of imposter syndrome that could come up. So the finalized toolkit list is just talking about, you know, start to finish what we just discussed. Acknowledge the feeling, check the evidence, challenge the thought, avoid negative comparisons. If anything, use comparison as a motivator versus anything that could bring us down. Practice self-compassion. That could be through the accomplishments that we talked about. And also just remember the accomplishments, accept the praise, and focus on the growth. So those are just, just a quick toolkit list of just reminders, just so you have those.

Darien Wilkerson [00:19:33]:
But yeah, that’s what I have for you when it comes to imposter syndrome. How do you tackle it? What it, what it is. So now questions. If anyone had any of those questions, that would be a good time to do that.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:19:47]:
Darien, this is great. Really appreciate you sharing all of this. It definitely opened my eyes to some things that I hadn’t even thought of, and so I really appreciate you walking us through this.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:20:00]:
The University of Michigan-Flint has a full array of master’s and doctorate programs if you are interested in continuing your education. Whether you’re looking for in-person or online learning options, the University of Michigan-Flint has programs that meet your needs. For more information on any of our graduate programs, visit umflint.edu/graduateprograms to find out more. Thanks again for spending time with me as you prepare to be a Victor in grad school. I look forward to speaking with you again soon as we embark together on your graduate school journey. If you have any questions or want to reach out, email me at flintgradoffice@umflint.edu.