You can easily feel like an outcast when working with a group of men; but here’s how you can excel
More often than not, men are equated to women when they portray characteristics shy of masculinity. Whether it be phrases such as “you throw like a girl” or “stop being such a girl,” the idea of femininity is constantly depicted as a negative attribute. Still, with the constant berating, females have overcome. Michelle Obama, Ruth Ginsberg, and Malala Yousafzai are prime examples of the unequivocal strength we as women hold within ourselves. That very strength has led me to the path less traveled…. that of a woman in STEM.
The various aspects of medicine have always been a fascination of mine. I love science. I do not, however, love math. Unfortunately, there is no way around the intertwining of subjects such as physics, biology, and calculus in the field of medicine. Knowing this, I figured I better get comfortable with such topics to become the great health professional I know I can be.
Of course, mastery of these topics is easier said than done in general. But it may even be harder for a female. People have a set notion about you before you even have the chance to show off your intellect. For instance, I was recently told a story by an alumna from one of the top universities in America. Being the only female in her mathematics Ph.D. program, a male professor told her to drop the program because it was not her duty to be the breadwinner of the family. It was her duty to be the homemaker, to watch the kids, clean the house, that sort of thing. Little did the professor know though, that by the end of the program, only she and one other male student would obtain their PhDs from that class.
Even more so, you can easily feel like an outcast or feel overpowered when working with a group of men. It is not always the case that they are deliberately ignoring your presence, but because you are outnumbered you may feel a lack of confidence when proving your point. That feeling of being lesser may lead you to have doubts when thinking of pursuing a STEM-based career. That feeling is even more prominent in minority females. I am a black female. When I walk into a room, I can feel people staring at me, as if to say “what are you doing here? You don’t belong here.” In any educational setting, whether it be in the classroom or group project work, I often find my assertions being overlooked and scrutinized. It always takes a lot more work for me to prove my conclusions than my majority counterparts.
So, why on Earth would I go through all of this just to learn about STEM related topics? Why would anybody put themselves in a position where they have to work twice as hard to get half as much? To know that, ten years from now, I will be able to use all that I have learned to help others is the benefit that outweighs the costs. Aside from that future payoff, I am genuinely interested in science. To be able to study something I am passionate about, in such depth, is an opportunity that I cannot pass up; especially since I know that many others are not fortunate enough to have that same chance.
With that being said, I am actively pursuing a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. Although I am only a freshman in college, working towards the degree has been an exciting challenge thus far. Every other day, I am up by 7:45 am to learn new chemistry concepts. From time to time, my professor will have demonstrations in lecture that reignite my love for the subject; this is especially nice when I am feeling a little less than excited to be up so early. Even more interesting than the lectures are the labs. Now, I’ll admit, I know quite a few people who dread lab days, but these are the same people who despise chemistry in general. I, on the other hand, enjoy lab days. Reading a textbook is not nearly as interesting as conducting experiments that apply to real life scenarios. It is even more invigorating when my lab partner and I are required to produce our own procedures for the experiment; it is like a taste of being a real chemist.
In all this excitement though, I am coming to find that chemistry is a lot more involved than I had previously thought. In addition to my chemistry lab, I have calculus lecture/lab because calculus is a prerequisite for physics. Then physics is the prerequisite for physical chemistry. The point is, in order to pursue chemistry, I have to interact with subjects that I do not particularly enjoy. It is an immense amount of studying. Sometimes I have to miss out on outings with friends or miss events that I want to attend. It is such a bummer, but this does not mean I never enjoy myself.
I think many girls may be afraid of not having enough time for themselves if they pursue a STEM major. I know I was. With adequate time management, anything is possible. I am able to participate in activities such as House Council and school performances while still maintaining my grades. I make my dinners social events, so I can catch up with friends and carve a few hours out on the weekends to hangout with them. I have female friends obtaining degrees in engineering, mathematics, and computer science; I can still find these girls hanging around the common room and watching Netflix. So trust me when I say it is very possible to excel with a STEM major while having a social life. However, I am not sure if it is possible to excel, have a social life, and get an adequate amount of sleep. Who needs sleep anyways?
In all seriousness, I have enjoyed studying chemistry. School would be no fun if I had to constantly study something that was boring. Even more rewarding, I am proving to the masses that I can and will achieve in a STEM field. As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said: “life is a journey, not a destination.”So I can tell you right now, your STEM journey is about to be the ride of a lifetime.
Nurah is a content creator @Mascot. She is a freshman studying Chemistry (Pre Med track) at Duke University.
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