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Dear Future Bruin…

My name is Adriana Espino, and I’m a first-year Education and Social Transformation major, working to double major in Psychology. I’m from South-East Los Angeles (Maywood, to be more specific) and moved to Bakersfield following the pandemic, where I spent the entirety of my high school years!
I am certainly not the first to have faced a challenge like this one, but rather, I joined a very common human experience of imposter syndrome (whatever could I mean?) My academic life can be characterized as a big fish in a small pond—to then, a teeny-tiny fish trying to keep up with the current of a ginormous river! At no fault of my educators, but rather the disparity of resources, I lacked the academic rigor of courses that may have been advantageous. Therefore, the indifference to challenging myself meant my younger self did not fully tap into my potential.

Upon receiving my acceptance letter, I acknowledged that UCLA would lead me to uncharted territory in academic rigor and content, but at the time, I did not truly grasp the reality of it. Therefore, as I entered the Public Affairs Building for my first lecture in the Freshman Summer Program (FSP), I experienced an immense jumble of intense feelings, most particularly self-doubt—all of which felt so alien to me. What stood out to me the most was how well-articulated my peers were, both through their written prose and verbal presentations. In one particular discussion during a lecture, I began to wonder if I was fit for UCLA, experiencing deep embarrassment and lack of self-confidence from the self-perceived “underdeveloped” nature of my ideas. So, here is what helped me, which I hope can help you:

1) Identify certain areas that need growth, and learn from them!
Again, it’s completely normal to experience imposter syndrome in any form. At times, I felt extremely frustrated with my lack of knowledge—however, by acknowledging my imperfections, I opened the door for growth. Thus, allowing me to work on those certain areas to demonstrate the best of my abilities. Along the way, I met so many amazingly accomplished people and applied their key insights for my personal and academic development! Following the end of the Freshman Summer Program, I left as a slightly more solidified and integrated UCLA student! The feeling may linger from time to time, but I transform it into motivation to do my best! If you are ever going through any form of impostor syndrome:

1) Remember that you’re not alone! Maybe the person closest to you feels the same way! Sharing your experience with others may help them feel seen—and make you feel less alone through that way.

2) Recognize your positive qualities! Sometimes we get too caught up in our flaws, that we never stop and think about our positive qualities and traits—through recognizing them, you can grow more confident as a student!

3) Surround yourself with a supportive community! At the current moment, UCLA has over 33,000 undergraduate students. All have their own unique strengths, qualities, traits, and imperfections, which we can learn and grow with one another!

I’ll leave you with this: The biggest disservice you can do is doubting yourself!