Pembroke Students Engage in ‘Imposter Syndrome’ Workshop

On Monday the 12th of October, Dr Tim Knowlson from the University Counselling Service joined 50 Pembroke students via Zoom to deliver a Workshop on Imposter Syndrome. The term Imposter Syndrome describes the feelings of self-doubt that can lead an individual to believe that they don't belong in a particular environment (e.g., Oxford), are unworthy of their successes, and will at some point be exposed as a "fraud".

As one of the first major virtual welfare events of Michaelmas Term, the workshop was very well received by organisers and attendees alike. Our Welfare Coordinator, Rebekah White, commented that: "It was such an uplifting and inspiring talk. I am very grateful to Tim for providing the space for us to reflect on how imposter syndrome may hold us back in our studies and professional lives. I am also very thankful that he allowed us to record the talk to share with the wider Pembroke community".

Reflecting on the Workshop, JCR Welfare Rep, Maddie Judge noted that: "It's always comforting to hear that everyone gets imposter syndrome, no matter what year you're in, how smart you are or how confident you are. It's also nice to hear stuff like that so that when you're in a low moment, you can think back to those calls and remember how normal it is to feel a bit out of your depth."

JCR Welfare Rep Hakan Ozoran shared that: "The workshop really highlighted how Oxford is and always will be a high-pressure environment but it's one that every student studying here deserves to be a part of! The commonplace nature of the issues expressed by most people on the call really put me at ease regarding my own experiences with imposter syndrome. The workshop was really brilliant and I'm sure has made so many people far more confident in themselves."

You can watch a replay of the workshop here.