In September 1962, amidst the global goal to put the first man on the moon, John F Kennedy delivered his moon speech in Houston where he said “We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard; because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.”
My achievements and ambitions, albeit different and on a smaller scale, share a similar passion and message exhibited in JFK’s speech. Indeed, this quote motivated me to pursue a career in STEM and immerse myself in a community that fosters change — a change that is hard, a change that we are unwilling to postpone and that intends to better our society.
We don’t learn from taking the easy way out and we don’t grow from doing what we are good at. The moments we learn the most about ourselves and reflect on are those which push and challenge us, making us stronger and more ambitious.
Today, I am Lead for one of the largest Google Developers Student Clubs in the world and Women Techmakers Ambassador for London. However, the person I am today is very different from when I embarked on my STEM journey.
The year was 2017, at the termly Parent-Teacher Conference and the moment I dreaded had finally come: the Mathematics review. Many say that mathematics is just a memory game, or that your excellence in it depended on having a certain “knack”. At the time, it seemed like the masses were right; I just never seemed to get the hang of it. I would look at a question and see a combination of letters and numbers and my mind would go blank. But above all the confusion, the thing I hated the most about mathematics was that I was always wrong, and perhaps by sheer dumb luck, I was always wrong in public. As I made more mistakes, my self-confidence correspondingly waned. I was mortified by the thought of messing up, overcome with sensations of embarrassment and frustration, and I felt that I would never get a grasp on STEM. Looking back now, it seems like such a small feat to overcome. But in those moments, these sensations never seemed to end. I still vividly recall the haunting feeling of receiving my papers back, and it seemed that regardless of my ability, there was always something more I could have done as if the subject was taunting me for not being good enough.
When recalling my struggles, many people ask me about when things changed for the better. In response, I don’t think there was an exact moment that changed my outlook on mathematics. But perhaps a more fitting question would be to ask ‘who’ rather than ‘when’. For me, that was my Mathematics teacher. Whenever I did something wrong, she wouldn’t pat my back and tell me everything would be okay; she was the embodiment of tough love. Yet, she quickly became one of the people for whom I am currently most grateful. She was the first person who believed in me. She helped me, despite every shred of evidence proving I was incapable of pursuing Mathematics. But more importantly, she pushed me to develop myself, and I cannot thank her enough.
From my struggles with Mathematics and my time at the London School of Economics, here are a few things I have learned:
Time management is everything
One of the most valuable skills I have gained through STEM is time management and this has helped me in so many aspects of life. Not only has it allowed me to excel in grabbing opportunities and gaining exposure to the industry but also in pursuing a healthy work-life balance. STEM is a field that requires intense concentration and sometimes that leads to frustrating moments where you can’t solve a problem or question. This is where the importance of mindfulness comes in, balancing the quality and quantity of your work whilst allowing yourself to take a breather once in a while are two skills that come hand in hand. Those who realise this sooner are the ones who find themselves to be happier and progress faster.
Separate the teacher from the subject.
The most common reason I hear from junior students for deferring away from STEM subjects is their teacher. Whether you are personally favourited or scared to the core by your STEM teacher, does not, and will not, define your success in the subject. They are one of the many teachers you will encounter through your academic journey and professional career and one of the main things you must realise is that you will not be liked by everyone, and that is okay. So when the time comes when you are judging whether you should pursue a subject or field and you base that entire decision on one or two people you have met, you are making one of the biggest mistakes you can make, creating a missed potential and opportunity!
Don’t let failures define you
I will not sugarcoat it, STEM can be a ruthless subject. In many cases, you are either wrong or right and some cower away from that due to the fear of failure. Failure is bound to happen whether you are a doctoral candidate or a primary school student. Those who grow and develop as STEM students are those who embrace those failures, learn from their mistakes and reflect on their experiences. Failures have gained a societal image of being bad or regressive. But in my opinion, failure is even better than success because it gives us an opportunity to learn, be challenged and thrive.
Since those turbulent years, I have grown and taken countless opportunities I would’ve never imagined possible. From my personal growth of overcoming social anxiety and public speaking to trying new experiences like horse riding, these personal developments have helped me in becoming more comfortable and confident in who I am. Eventually, when people ask me how I have succeeded, I owe it to these small successes that have helped me become who I am today.
Many people I have encountered have envisioned me as “a man with a plan” with a clear path of what I want to do and who I want to be. This couldn’t be any more different to reality. Three years ago, I would have never imagined being where I am today and having had the chance to experience a mix of finance and technology through my time at the London School of Economics I am very excited to see what the future holds.
As I close my chapter for the LSE Google Developer Student Club, my final words are as follows: To those who are struggling, embrace the challenge. To those who are succeeding, acknowledge your accomplishments. To those who are reflecting, be grateful for your experiences. And to those who are dreaming, dream to put a man on the moon.
