Dreams of failure

[79andnotout]

I have recurrent dreams where I've skipped a lot of classes and I'm going to fail my physics A level. I didn't do physics, have been a straight A student all my life and have a science PhD and a good career. I don't think I have imposter syndrome, I feel like I'm pretty good at what I do.

Does anyone else get these dreams? Maybe I have an inner stoner in me who just wants to jack in all responsibilities and set off into the sunset in a campervan with my dogs. Or maybe I should have studied physics! Or need to eat less cheese before bed.

Is it just me?

I have the same recurrent dreams of finding out my A-levels were somehow fraudulent and that I need to retake really weird ones in order to hold on to my PhD.

I think it’s about feeling like I don’t know enough. I also think it’s about cheese.

This is really common, isn't it? It's like the academic equivalent of being naked in a dream- you don't know enough/revised the wrong things/didn't know you were having an exam.

Well glad to know I'm not the only one! My colleagues think I'm mental.

I have the same dream where someone tracks me down and informs me that I've failed my PhD (I finished in 2002). I lose my job and end up working in the same job selling hotdogs that I did as an undergraduate (which I hated!) I always wake up in such a panic and it takes me a few moments to realise it's not true.

I have a version where I'm about to take A levels and I haven't done any revision at all