Congratulations on selecting a STEM field for your future career. This is sure to be an exciting, challenging, and lucrative enterprise. There is a shortage of such candidates in the workforce today. President Barack Obama has pledged that the country should have one million STEM graduates in the next ten years, a lofty goal. Not only is it a growing field with lots of opportunities, having the right people in place will also help make our economy flourish. Moreover, with cyberattacks and hackers becoming more brazen, not only is it good for the country, having more science-minded citizens is crucial to our national security.
Anyone who wants to go to college for STEM has to take advanced science and math courses in high school and get good grades. More and more secondary schools are offering specific STEM programs, and inner cities often have magnet schools, such as Science High. Of course a well-rounded application including volunteer opportunities and extracurricular activities helps to make you stand out. Realize that interest in STEM has increased significantly in the last few years. This may be the highpoint. It could soon drop off particularly since the U.S. economy is improving.
Do make sure a degree in STEM is for you. There is a trend today of students pursuing such degrees not because it is what is in their heart, but because they think it is a practical choice. A large number switch into liberal arts programs later on. 40% of those students who enter a STEM major leave it or the field within five years according to one expert. Some students even switch majors in order to get higher grades elsewhere. The takeaway, you do not want to waste time and money on a false choice. It is a sink-or-swim mentality in STEM programs on college campuses today. Many high school students enter and find they are woefully unprepared. Of course, one can work hard and catch up. But these are very competitive fields and not for those who do not have the acuity or commitment to see it through. And since competition has gotten tighter, colleges and universities are more apt to try and weed out those candidates or students who struggle rather than help them along.
Some students believe that once they get to college, they will be moving from one party to the next. Not for STEM majors. Prepare yourself for lots of studying and long hours in the lab. Though everyone needs some off time, rigorous majors such as pre-med, advanced math, computer science, or engineering will offer little respite. If you still want to go to college for a STEM field the highest ranked institutions are as follows: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Tuskegee University, Harvey Mudd College, Texas A&M University, and the University of Connecticut.
Minorities and women are highly underrepresented in these fields. For minority students, historically black colleges tend to offer much more support, rather than trying to weed students out. Some experts have noticed a phenomenon with female students. Many are used to being at the top of their class in high school but sometimes get discouraged when they begin earning B’s in college instead of A’s. Some even move into liberal arts in order to earn higher grades. Those female and minority students passionate about a field in STEM and prepared for the rigors such a program provides will find lots of scholarships available. These include: National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, the National Society of Black Physicists, Blacks at Microsoft, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers Foundation, Gates Millennium Scholars, and The Center for Women in Technology. Here is a list of the best ranking colleges and universities for women and minorities for STEM: http://www.forbes.com/2010/12/10/best-colleges-minorities-women-science-lifestyle-education-stem-table.html.
In closing, realize that higher education is a much different animal than high school. It is important if you are planning to enter a STEM field to assume that you are going to work hard. Temper your expectations, and avoid getting discouraged if you are used to getting easy grades. Understand that there are lots of resources like on-campus tutors, the professor’s office hours, study groups, and more. Don’t go for it just because a good salary, ample opportunities, and prestige stand at the end of your college career. Do it because in your heart you love math and science and want to make a contribution, leaving an indelible mark upon your discipline and perhaps even the world. Acuity is important. But nine times out of ten those with integrity, grit, drive, a good work ethic, and the ability to put one’s ego aside to do what needs to be done, who succeed. Those who possess these qualities will be the ones that make it through to the other side.
References
http://www.thebestcolleges.org/the-best-colleges-for-stem-nerds/
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/09/19/stem-majors-opting-for-other-degrees/2828219/
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