The S.T.E.M. Opportunity
In recent years, huge steps have been taken to encourage students into STEM fields: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The primary motivation for such encouragement has been need. We, as people, need more unique minds in this field, we need creativity and innovation to solve many of the problems which have begun to plague us. For example, the cars and phones we have grown so reliant upon are made of fairly rare materials which may run out. We need to find new ways to provide such efficient instruments. We need more people in STEM.
Some common reasons that cause many individuals to be turned off by STEM include fear of failure due to the difficulty of the subject matter, boredom, and lack of understanding. Many STEM educators in the past have relied a great deal on requiring their students to memorize facts rather than teaching them how to use those facts to discover new ones. While this has begun to change it is also important for parents and students to come to recognize the importance of STEM, as well as learn to appreciate the ever-growing opportunities that are involved in getting a STEM degree.
Within the last decade alone, job opportunities and salaries have grown exponentially. In biology alone, as an example, one can do anything from marine research, to genetic counseling (helping people know what diseases they could be at risk for based on genetics), to biochemist. And the salaries in each of these areas just keep increasing.
Recently, there has also been a huge push for both women and other minorities to get more involved in STEM fields. Every individual has their own unique vision of the world due to different backgrounds and experiences. As the number of different types of people increases, so does the chance of productive creativity and efficient innovation. Essentially, everyone has something they can bring to the table and it’s needed!
Wherever you are at in your education, consider the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. It may seem difficult, but the rewards will be exponential. Not only do these fields offer great rewards financially, they also provide great opportunity for creativity, innovation, and discovery that can be found nowhere else.
Resources
Science, Technology, Engineering and Math: Education for Global Leadership. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ed.gov/stem
Walters, H. (2014, October 31). A Sputnik moment for STEM education: Ainissa Ramirez at TED2012. Retrieved from https://blog.ted.com/a-sputnik-moment-for-stem-education-ainissa-ramirez-at-ted2012/
Women & Minorities in STEM. (2019, February 11). Retrieved from https://www.onlinecolleges.net/for-students/women-and-minorities-stem/