So I just started my doctorate, but for the life of me, I still can't understand why I was accepted in the first place. I guess I keep telling myself that it was because I went there for my Masters so they know me. But I don't feel qualified to be there.

I almost had some confidence in my abilities (at least within my career field), but upon returning, I feel extremely stupid and incompetent on an almost daily basis. I wonder how many people are seeing/thinking the same thing about me? I try really hard to hide it, but I have a feeling that at least one of the professors that have known me for years can see it.

I don't even know who to talk to about this either. I can't talk to this professor because I'm not sure if I can trust that he's telling me the complete truth and not just saying what I want to hear. I want to trust him, but I don't know.

And any other professors that I might talk to will likely be on my graduate committee and the last thing I want to do is give the people who allow me to graduate someday the opportunity to start doubting me. And again, I don't know if I can trust them to be completely honest.

I just wonder how many other people are getting a graduate degree right now who also don't feel like they're qualified to be there…and also feel like no amount of work on their part will ever make them qualified.