I have a classic case of imposter syndrome. Since coming to college, I’ve felt like a fraud. I think all of my classmates are smarter than me. I view my achievements as underwhelming. No one doubts me more than me. Me dumb. They smart. To practice brevity, me = enemy. 

 

College students are sitting ducks for the big fat I-word. I mean, we’re fresh adults, our lives have just seismically shifted, we’re in the pit of pressure of “building our resume” and networking. It’s real life LinkedIn, which I think is quite possibly the scariest thing, ever.

 

And what doesn’t help: Countless emails thanking me for my application. “We appreciate the time and effort you took to apply and your interest in the position. After careful review, we have decided to pursue other candidates for this opportunity.”

 

I didn’t have to scroll far in my email inbox to find that email to copy and paste it into here. I had just received it this morning. It was stored in my delete folder, shoulder to shoulder with approximately 20 others just like it. It’s internship application season and I couldn’t be any more crippled. 

 

It’s easy to be a sitting duck to the I-word. It’s even easier to be squashed by it. A 2019 study by Brigham Young University found that 20% of college students feel imposterism at some point in their time at college. This leads to underperforming, missing out on opportunities and being highly anxious.

 

Just like the hit video game “Among Us,” the “Impostor”– spelled -or, not -er– sabotages. Their goal is to remain hidden among the Crewmates. No one knows who they are while they pretend to carry out the tasks like the rest of the crew. If the Impostor succeeds, they’ve killed everyone.

 

To note, I’ve never played Among Us before. As a part of my journalistic research for this piece, I indulged in multiple Among Us YouTube videos and articles. Never again. 

 

But there’s one good thing that came from my research: Strategies to killing the Impostor (thank you, Game Rant). So, here are a few signs we can look out for to squash our own evil fake:

 

1. Trying to stay away from groups. People who feel inferior to their peers tend to stay away from them. It doesn’t feel good to be around them, feel less than, so we retreat. When you notice yourself self-isolating, don’t. Your classmates and friends can be great sources of inspiration. They can open opportunities for you and be nets of support. 

 

2. Randomly pausing. Because we never feel good enough, we hesitate. Malfunction. Perhaps it’s feeling like we lack the skills for something, or it’s burnout from our overwhelmed brain. Either way, we think instead of do. Do yourself a favor and shut your brain off for a second. That loud voice that's constantly screaming self-deprecating things at you? Don’t listen to it and just do.

 

3. No clear objective. Apparently the “Among Us” Impostor, because they have no assigned tasks, always look like they have no idea what’s going on. That’s a lot of what we do. We have no clear path. We forget the tasks we do have and overlook the objective: Self-fulfillment. Not everything has to land you an internship or an A+ grade. It’s all about what makes you feel good, without all that external pressure. 

 

These are just a few ways we can fight off our inner evil. And a little secret: Many don’t realize that the Impostor has to be skilled and intelligent to remain undetected. So basically, geniuses are prone to imposterism. 

 

But yeah, seriously, you must recognize that you are not your biggest fault, but your biggest enemy. The only way to win a game of “Among Us” is by beating the Impostor. The more skilled we become in spotting the signs, the easier it is to kill our imposter, and the more we can return to our true, most capable selves. 

 

And soon enough, victory.