Discovering and Pursuing Your Interests in STEM
If you find yourself excelling at math, favoring your science classes over all others, or naturally being drawn to technology, you may benefit from engaging in STEM. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Sometimes, an A is added in for art. The umbrella of STEM, or STEAM, is a broad one, and at first, it may seem intimidating and overwhelming to get started. However, if you start by taking small steps, it will feel much easier to get involved.
One of the simplest ways to discover your interests in STEM is by signing up for classes at your school. Look into the courses offered by your school and see if they align with your interests. If you’re a high schooler, try looking into taking honors or AP classes. These classes are more advanced than on-level classes and typically go deeper into the topic at hand due to the rigorous coursework.
Additionally, to have a good background in any STEM-related field, you should have a strong foundation in math. Science, technology, and engineering all require math, although some demand more than others. If you’re able to, try to take the most advanced math classes offered for your grade level. Also, if you’re in high school, take at least one year of physics, chemistry, and biology. Of course, everybody has different plans for their future, so classes and schedules may differ from person to person. Some may take two math classes, while others may take two science classes. This brings us to our next point, which is to explore electives.
In your free periods, enroll in classes that match your STEM interests. For instance, if you like computer science, enroll in your school’s coding class. If you’re not sure which topic you want to specialize in yet, try taking a variety of STEM classes, if your schedule permits. If your school does not offer you these opportunities, there are a variety of online courses that teach the same material. For example, there are websites like Edx and Coursera which have thousands of free courses ranging in anything from Python to Japanese architecture.
To further pursue your STEM interests at a school-wide level, you can join extracurriculars and clubs like robotics. There are a variety of robotics competitions, like First Tech Challenge and First Robotics, which are very accessible for high schoolers. If your school does not offer any clubs that align with your interests, make your own! At most schools, it is relatively easy to make a club, provided you find enough people who are interested. By starting your own club, you can form a pathway that is specifically tailored to your interests instead of having to bend to the desires of others. Lastly, there are a plethora of online STEM opportunities, like Hackathons. Hackathons are online coding competitions, typically with the aim to solve a problem. The winners often get monetary rewards.
Breaking into STEM, especially as a young person, can be very daunting. That is why it is important to start small, like on a school level. By putting stepping into the world of STEM, you can open the door for a variety of rewarding future opportunities.
It’s important to remember that everything in this article is just a suggestion, and should not necessarily define one’s decisions. Instead of getting caught up in what you “should” do, explore your true passions and how you would like to pursue them!
