This post was last updated Nov. 14 at 8:20 p.m.

Does anyone else feel like they don’t belong here? Sometimes I don’t.

College is a time fueled by a variety of underlying emotional and psychological experiences.

Yet one of the most prevalent feelings among college students is only beginning to be fully understood: impostor syndrome.

Impostor syndrome refers to individuals experiencing feelings of self-doubt, anxiety or a fear of being exposed as a “fraud” despite individual successes or strengths.

The term impostor syndrome was first coined in 1978 by Dr. Pauline Clance and Dr. Suzanne Imes, who defined it as “an internal experience of intellectual phonies.”

According to the National Institute of Health, this behavioral health phenomenon occurs often among high-achieving individuals and causes a failure to internalize success, leading to pervasive feelings of anxiety, depression and self-doubt.

There is a harmful cycle associated with this syndrome that is often experienced when students try to complete various academic tasks.

Some feel the need to work more than others to succeed – others become overwhelmed by the pressure of their environment, completing their work at the last minute and feeling like an impostor.

Mia Montillano, a fourth-year psychology and sociology student and workshops co-director of student organization Active Minds at UCLA, talked about the pressure that comes with UCLA being the No. 1 public university.

“I think it just makes it difficult for us to feel like we can be part of such a big title,” Montillano said.

Although UCLA is an environment of ultra-motivated and goal-oriented individuals that fosters a palpable sense of work ethic, it also cultivates an atmosphere of constant comparison, high competition and unrealistic community-imposed standards.

Impostor syndrome is very common at UCLA.

“It seems to exist, in my experience, across the lines of gender and race,” said Jaimie Krems, an associate professor of social psychology, in an emailed statement.

On an average day, taking a stroll through campus is guaranteed to result in one of two things: spotting countless students completely devoted to their studies or professionally dressed students attending club interviews or career fairs.

It is almost as if everyone is being productive at all times, or at least appearing to be.

Alanna Garcia, a second-year communication and sociology student, mentioned the difficulties she encounters in comparing herself to her peers.

“I think it can be really hard because everyone here will flaunt what they do have but very rarely will talk about what they don’t have,” she said.

These feelings of not belonging in an institution of such academic prowess can manifest in different ways. After all, the trajectory of a business economics major is going to look very different than that of an anthropology student.

Perhaps some of these issues with our mindset stem from how each individual approaches college and what they wish to get out of their experience.

Some enter with a very career-oriented outlook with financial incentives. Others want to engage in new areas of study and expand their horizons, while most, despite often not wanting to admit it, are just figuring it out as they go.

There is no correct approach to the college experience, but projecting your sentiments and desires for your own college experience onto others can be harmful.

Each major has a timeline consisting of specific stepping stones that lead to postgraduate life, whether it be entering the workforce or graduate school.

Whether that be admittance into a certain club, acceptance into a competitive internship program or making connections with administrators in their respective fields, students express different sentiments regarding their relationships with these regulated pipelines.

Second-year political science student Anthony Cornejo found comfort in the plan set out for his major on a pre-law track. Knowing what to do and when to do it can be helpful at such a big public school, he said.

Although people may find stability in regimented paths, these specific pipelines are delicious recipes for peer comparison.

Josh Lipman, a second-year mathematics of computation student, described facing the constant anxiety that stems from being surrounded by people who he feels are always one step ahead of him. It is difficult to work toward something when he believes that his peers will always be the ones to reach his desired goals first, he said.

“All these people are going to get in before me, obviously, so what’s the point in me trying?” Lipman said.

Impostor syndrome manifests into limiting perceptions of ourselves and leads to holding ourselves back from reaching our true potential.

“I think you’ll always feel like an impostor if you’re pursuing a goal that isn’t really yours and doesn’t really feel like it belongs to you,” said Montillano.

It goes without saying that we all have rightfully earned our place here at UCLA. How we take up that space is completely up to us and can be extremely intimidating.

Active Minds at UCLA is just one of several organizations that aims to support students’ mental health.

In May, Active Minds held an impostor syndrome and self-confidence workshop in which they explored methods to transform self-deprecating thoughts into growth-oriented mindsets.

Students expressed that once they got over the fear of rejection, they found value in the experiences and connections made in the process of putting themselves out there.

These students’ anecdotes reveal that there is merit in the mere effort of working toward achieving your goals, whatever that may look like.

Even if you artfully stumbled during your club interview, there is knowledge to be gained from that experience.

Surrendering to these false narratives and diminishing our capabilities can lead us to very dark and vulnerable places. It is no secret that it is very easy to feel alone.

Unlearning the thought processes that lead to impostor syndrome, celebrating the small wins in our everyday lives and gaining self-confidence through self-trust are critical to our individual and collective growth.

Each of us must devise unique balances between taking advantage of the opportunities our school has to offer and being self-assured in our own definitions of success. There is so much value and so many accomplishments that can be achieved without succumbing to these harmful internalized beliefs.

So I ask, from one intimidated UCLA student to another, that we move forward having grace with ourselves and faith in our competence and potential.