One of the biggest (perhaps the biggest challenges) facing new doctoral researchers is Impostor Syndrome – the overwhelming feeling that you’re a fraud. It’s only a matter of time, you convince yourself, before you’re found out. Everyone will realise that you’re too stupid to do a PhD. What on earth were you thinking? How did you ever imagine you could write a thesis? These are perfectly normal (if unsettling) emotions. The good news is that nearly everyone experiences them; the bad news is that few are prepared to admit it.
The nature of academic research means that just when you think you’ve got the hang of something, you’re challenged by new ideas or data. And the more you succeed, the more visible you become, and the greater the need to protect your expertise. This is why you seldom hear tenured academics admitting their own insecurities.
It’s helpful to think of these feelings, not as a syndrome (this suggests rarity), but rather as part of being an academic. Accept this is part of the process and don’t let it dominate your thinking. If you find it impossible to shake off these feelings and it’s getting in the way of your research, please talk to someone. Your supervisor is unlikely to be honest about his or her own insecurities, so the Student Life Centre is a good alternative. All discussions are confidential, and they’ll have spoken to many researchers in your position.
If you still think it’s just you, take a look at these online resources:
- The Thesis Whisperer – The Lies We Tell Ourselves
- The Research Whisperer – I’m Not Worthy!
- 100 Days to the Doctorate – Impostor Syndrome: Overcoming the fear of doctoral failure