imposter syndrome

For incoming freshman and transfer students, dressing and acting like a local, seasoned student is just as important as having a post-grad job offer before you graduate. I’ve made this comprehensive list of all the things you will need daily for school in order to not only fit in but remain prepared for the rest of your time here!

My one piece of advice for any student at UC Berkeley is that it is okay to not have an internship. Time taken to recuperate and figure your life out is not time that is wasted. You are on the right track, and you are doing enough. If you aren’t, like I am, that’s okay too.

Lately, it seems like all my conversations with my friends are about the future and what they’re doing, which inevitably reminds me of what I’m not doing.

Here, I’ve welcomed the intricacies of human life by unconsciously paying attention to those around me. People-watching can do that for you, as taking account of the way humans move and act around you is like another way of captivating an art form in a casual manner. 

Although summer has just begun, I feel a warmth to life that I haven’t felt in a while. As I try to mend the wounds of my own insecurities, I want to learn once again the joys of simple existence and remind myself of the things worth being proud of.

While I’m still getting used to calling Berkeley my home, these are my experiences this semester. I want to offer some insight on the transition to other prospective transfers and also reflect on the growth and strength it takes to choose to take on a whole new journey.

There was no veil of anonymity for me to hide behind, no auto-generated username that would serve as an online persona that I could keep distinctly separate from the “real world.”

Shouting and dancing in a black shirt and bright pink corset, girli bridged feminine strength and confident defiance in her playful pop-rock show. 

College can be awfully suffocating. For these four integral years, we are pigeonholed into majors that supposedly define our entire personality.

Being an impostor is the chip on my shoulder. A reminder of the fact that even with all my flaws and failures, I still managed to get to where I’m at.