Last month SPS hosted Dr Terri Simpkin from University of Nottingham to deliver a workshop on the imposter phenomenon – Learn Braver, Stronger, Smarter.
The 90 minute event, which was funded by the Student Success Project, looked at how fear of success, fear of failure and limited confidence can stifle satisfaction, creativity and achievement in students – especially in higher education – as well as looking at ways to help students learn how their true capabilities can be revealed.
The workshop drew on Dr Simpkin’s personal experience and gave students real-life examples of IP as well as tips for combating it and ensuring that they can realise their potential.
When asked about how the event impacted how the attendees felt about their potential, the responses were over-whelmingly positive, with comments including “I feel more confident in my place in uni” and “I am motivated to take on the upcoming challenges with renewed energy, with the desire to conquer my thoughts and achieve the goals I’ve set out.”
And it seems the short 90 minute workshop will see some of our students make positive changes to address their feelings. One attendee said that following the event they would “be more proud of my achievements, acknowledge my failures but not take too much to heart. Ask for help more – ask more questions in lectures.” While another commented that they would “take coursework feedback as a positive incentive to potentially incorporate in future work.”
Dr Victoria Mason from SPS also attended the event and says the following:
“From an academic perspective, it was very enlightening to hear from students about their feelings, in particular with regards to interacting in lectures. There are many reasons why a student may not wish to interact in a lecture, and this workshop allowed us to discuss some of these, and also discuss how we might overcome them. As a result of this workshop I decided to utilise Ombea, the University in class response system more in my lectures to enable students to feedback in a way they feel comfortable.”
Following the success of the event, the School is looking at offering the workshop again in October as part of our Welcome Week events. If you’re interested in attending, please get in touch with the SPS marketing team to find out more. In the meantime, you can learn more about the Dr Simpkin’s workshop on the Braver Stronger Smarter website, or read about Imposter Phenomenon in a recent THE article.
If you are struggling with any aspect of University life, and want to talk to someone don’t forget that we have our very own student support officer in the School – contact spssupport@kent.ac.uk. You can also talk to your Academic Adviser or course reps.