misshapp

This spring I finished my B.S. in 3 years (Yay, less student loans!), packed up and moved 9 hours from my undergraduate university and childhood home to start my PhD in Plant Breeding & Genetics three weeks after graduation. I've known I wanted my PhD since the 2nd year of my undergrad, and the sooner the better for me! I know if I take time off to work/just travel/etc. that I will get out of the swing of things and like the freedom/money making it much harder to go back to school. Just my personality! I'm in my third month now, and I would like some advice on how to deal with this nearly ever present feeling that I'm drowning/stupid. Yeah, I'm aware that this feeling is normal. SUPER normal. I did 3 research projects during my undergrad, so this isn't my first time in a research environment either. But of course I have a LOT more power over my project(s) this time. However, as I've started making decisions towards constructing/executing my research project I feel so much stupider than my co-workers and adviser. The whole age gap isn't helping much (I'm 21, the youngest I've met in the dept that is a PhD student is 25). I don't think they ACTUALLY look down on me for being so young but I can't seem to shake the little voice that says "Wow, people are wondering how the hell someone like you managed to get in here". Or that every little misstep, no matter how understandable, is seen as stupidity. For example, I tried a DNA extraction protocol that was recommended to me by an older/experienced lab technician and it completely flopped (at least for my uses - nextgen sequencers require high quality stuff). I've been sitting here thinking to myself how stupid my adviser must think I am for wasting time on it, and scared to tell this tech his method doesn't live up to my standards! So beyond riding it out, how did everyone deal with this "imposter syndrome". I'm committed to my program no doubt and I'll keep plodding along no matter what, it would just be nice to go to bed slightly satisfied with the work I'm doing, you know.