You may balk at the idea of signing up for another math or science course beyond your school’s core requirements, but enrolling in science, technology, engineering, or math classes – even if you aren’t a STEM major – can provide you with skills that are relevant to many types of employment. If your goal after graduation is to land a job in a competitive field, taking another lab course or an advanced calculus class can help bolster your math skills, boost your resume, and attract the attention of prospective employers. There are hundreds of reasons to care about STEM as you move through school and navigate the job market. Here are some of the top reasons students should care about STEM:
1. STEM courses help you master skills that are important and easily transferable to many types of jobs
You may have learned to wield a micropipette in your biology lab, to titrate an acid in your chemistry lab, or to calculate the rate of flow of a substance in calculus. Though you may have thought you were learning these things just enough to ace the final, the truth is that the calculations, writing skills, and lab techniques you pick up in your STEM-based classes are invaluable in many professional fields. Whether you’re applying to be a pharmaceutical researcher in a big lab or an actuary in an insurance company, mastering STEM skills during your high school or college years can make you an attractive candidate for your dream job and can help you build confidence in your skill set as you work toward your future career.
2. STEM fields have some of the fastest growing and highest paying jobs available
With the explosion of the tech market, the growth of the pharmaceutical industry, and the ongoing need for healthcare professionals, the need for workers in STEM fields continues to rise. The expansion of the human population and constant innovation means that while these STEM careers are constantly shifting, they are also becoming more important. Some of the highest paying and most needed positions in today’s society are available to STEM students; they become engineers, physicians, and computer programmers.
3. STEM subjects have practical application to your daily life
Maybe becoming a rocket scientist or bridge builder isn’t your aim. But even though you don’t see your future in a STEM field, that doesn’t mean STEM shouldn’t matter to you. Being familiar with STEM concepts can help you manage your finances, figure out which detergent to use on a clothing stain, and tackle complex critical thinking problems required of nearly every profession. Remember that cooking is chemistry, that basic first aid requires an understanding of biology, and that setting up your new laptop necessitates some comprehension of computer operating systems. There are many benefits of STEM studies, and these skills are applicable for virtually everyone.
4. Our modern world depends on the innovation of STEM fields to keep moving forward
The most world-changing progress in the last few decades has arisen from STEM fields. From the discovery of the polio vaccine to the invention of the microchip, no fields have rivaled that of STEM fields in defining how we live, work, and think. Taking part in STEM classes or working in a STEM field means being a part of human progress, globalization, and the world economy. Moving forward means embracing what STEM fields can teach.
