STEM as well as most other specialized training at the undergraduate university level is probably not a useful choice even for those that intend a career in STEM. The student should supplement deficiencies from high school in one's chosen field, but take advantage of the smorgasboard of interesting and thought provoking offerings that are available at most modern universities. If some odd topic is of enough interest to be the designated major with a minor in the desired STEM the results for the student will be exceptional, especially if the major is obscure enough that a high GPA in the major is relatively easy to achieve. The student can be sure that competition for top grades in the STEM minor will be viscious, but the aim should be adequate grades, and understanding rather than excellence. The technology will be obsolete on graduation in any event, and the ability to rapidly learn the current technology, that is flexible thinking and a good general knowledge will be more important either in the student's chosen graduate study, or work experience to help choose a field for graduate education, or even the need for it.
It is not unusual for STEM graduates to end up in careers far from the STEM field of choice. Two of the more uncommon graduate degrees for STEM majors are MBAs and JDs. If one includes Medicine as a non-STEM career it is clear that success for undergraduate STEM majors is as dependent on their general education background as their STEM skills. This is not to say that STEM training is unimportant, indeed the intellectual challenge of mastering STEM skills at any level is a great background for mastering almost any skill.
Some of the most successful people even in STEM applications were not STEM majors at the University, but did learn how to apply general intelligence and a strong knowledge background to anything they chose to do. One of my favorite Q&A's "What the hell does one do with a Classics Major?" "Anything hesh wants to do." Manage a medical practice? No problem. Install an EMR system in a small office? No problem. Evaluate and install a IDC-10 computer coding system? No problem. Be a Rock Star? No Problem. Support a Career mom in raising exceptional and talented children? No problem. Be a political change agent in herm community. A work in progress but seems to be no problem.
Next year in Jerusalem
6 days ago
1 comment:
your post reminded me a lot of the ancient distinction between "techne" and "episteme". Techne for its own sake creates only domain specific craftspeople. The glorification of software engineers at the expense of say, storytellers, isn't healthy for society in the long run.
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