What is Imposter syndrome, what are its effects, and how many people are affected by it?
Imposter syndrome is an internal experience of believing that you are not as competent as other perceive you to be. Doubt in ones abilities can lead to a persistent fear of failure and can be a detriment to success. In a 2020 study regarding the prevalence of imposter syndrome highlighted by Jane Leonard, 9%-82% of the global population experience the syndrome.
Have you experienced Imposter syndrome as a computer science student? If so, how did it affect you?
Within both my studies for computer science, I have personally experienced imposter syndrome a number of times. These feelings arise when debugging a given assignment takes longer than expected, or in the case of not knowing what path to take in order to achieve the desired solution. It has especially affected my ability to focus on the task at hand, as my diminished personal self-worth makes me lose the motivation to readily continue, thus delaying the problem.
Summarize the referenced article. Discuss the author’s tips for dealing with the issue and talk about whether or not they would be effective.
The article, “Programmer Imposter Syndrome: 6 Ways to Get Over Yours,” details that, although Imposter syndrome cannot be stopped in the long-run, becoming comfortable with the uncomfortable and adapting oneself to plan and consider strengths rather than weaknesses will be important in subsiding its affects. The author relates the following as tips for combating the issue:
- Get comfortable with the uncomfortable
- Adapt a growth mindset
- Keep track of accomplishments
- Find out how your manager thinks you’re doing
- Figure out how you learn best
- Plan your career goals to reduce doubt
These tips could be effective, especially with the knowledge of how one reacts when feeling in such a way. For myself, I find that reducing doubt is especially difficult, and often belittle many of my accomplishments for the sake of focusing on my mistakes. This happens in coding environments as well as everyday life. I do however find the author’s tip of “keeping track of accomplishments” to be potentially effective, reminding the brain of how doubt it unnecessary when the individual has done great things before.
What’s another way one might combat Imposter syndrome?
When approached with doubt, taking a step away from the situation triggering it may be an acceptable strategy. Considering computer science, stepping away from a coding assignment and getting a breath of fresh air can clear one’s mind before re-entering the problem. This might additionally help concentration and comprehension.