Pathway to a STEM Degree From Community College to University

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Chapter 3: Getting to Know STEM

Chapter
Overview

What is
STEM

Why Choose a
STEM Major

Choosing a
STEM Major

Exploring
STEM Careers

Choosing a STEM Major

Find Inspiration

According to the article How to Choose a Major and Career, these are some easy ways to help you gain ideas on what major you should pursue:

Pay attention to what you enjoy, including little things, like organizing
Make a list of what interests you and update it frequently
Look through college pamphlets and course catalogs, and take note of the subjects that catch your interest

Is there a pattern?
Are they concentrated under one major?

Talk to students and professionals already in that field / major
Know the financial benefit of that field (Anderson, 2006).

STEM careers are the “drivers of technological advancement, innovation and provide the foundational infrastructure” for a successful economy. “Knowledge-based economies” are generally the wealthiest economies, so STEM careers are necessary to secure a strong future for our country (Watt, Richardson and Pietsch, 2007, p. 795).

In addition to securing a strong future for our country, STEM careers can secure a strong future for you and your family. Compare STEM career salaries with Non-STEM career salaries below:

Do you like to question the world around you?

STEM degrees have a terrible stigma that comes with them. People think that if you study in a STEM field, you must be a genius or something. This is not necessarily the case. Skills used in STEM fields are instilled in us when we are very little, so if we nurture them, anything is possible within STEM. As stated on the American Scientific Affiliation website they can include, but are not limited to:

Critical Thinking / Evaluative Thinking
Creative Thinking
Problem Solving (Rusbult, 2001).

Critical, or Evaluative thinking, may be the most important of all. This type of thinking causes you to question, test and prove ideas that you have or others have shared with you. These are all crucial steps in the scientific method (Wetzel, 2008). Being ‘critical’ in this sense, is not a bad thing. Without critical thinkers, our society would still believe the Earth was flat or that the Earth is the center of the Universe. Critical thinkers push the envelope and question others ideas and theories. This skill can also help you in determining truth from fiction in advertising or your personal relationships.

Creative Thinking is closely related to critical thinking (Rusbult, 2001). Once you have made the decision to evaluate or question something, what will you do with it? Creative thinking is involved in forming a hypothesis. Creative thinking can help you think ‘outside the box’. It is necessary to think of something that has not already been thought of, or it can help you take a previous idea and expand upon it.

Problem Solving is also important in analyzing data or ideas (Wetzel, 2008). If a situation arises, it is essential for you to be able to assess and work to solve it. For example, if there is something you see in the world, that you feel is not efficient, find a solution. That solution could help many people.

This project is supported by the National Science Foundation.

Award Number: 0507882