The inevitability of STEM?

[Anonymous]

Last night I attended an awards dinner for the top 5% of high school seniors at a large public in a DC suburb. Of the thirty top students, roughly 70% said they were planning to major in Engineering, Biology, Premed or some other science or technology. There was one maybe music major, a couple of econ/public policy types, one foreign language major and one political science major. I was really struck by how different the world seems to be from when I went to college. Of course, I do realize some of these kids will start off intending STEM and switch to something else, but it is still clear where kids feel the jobs are.

Is this the inevitable trend, and what do the humanities and social science types do for a living (besides the obvious -- law school )??

Care to discuss?

[Anonymous]

What they have always done nonprofits/government/law

AND

consulting and managers

STEM is so overrated. Sure its a great way to get an entry level job somewhere but you are always competing against people younger/cheaper/not from the US all the h1b crap than you the technology keeps changing, there is no career path and even if you do become a technical sme at some point a non-technical person in your position is still going to make more money as the project manager

The only way to make money is to go into management and a liberal arts education is much better because in management its all about the social/soft skills and critical thinking which liberal arts gives you in spades

[Anonymous]

There's always Wall Street.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Last night I attended an awards dinner for the top 5% of high school seniors at a large public in a DC suburb. Of the thirty top students, roughly 70% said they were planning to major in Engineering, Biology, Premed or some other science or technology. There was one maybe music major, a couple of econ/public policy types, one foreign language major and one political science major. I was really struck by how different the world seems to be from when I went to college. Of course, I do realize some of these kids will start off intending STEM and switch to something else, but it is still clear where kids feel the jobs are.

Is this the inevitable trend, and what do the humanities and social science types do for a living (besides the obvious -- law school )??

Care to discuss?

I really think you could have posted this same message 30 years ago - except that they was no DCUM at the time.

People have been making the same point since shortly after Sputinik, but it never quite turns out as they expect. STEM is a secure path that will lead to a safe career, but STEM careers are just not valued as much in American society as those in the STEM profession think they should be.

[Anonymous]

I am telling you to encourage your kids to major in a STEM major. But, and this is a big but, go into management. Lots of unemployed middle aged STEM folks. It really is mostly about the people skills. So bust their butts and get the damn degree no matter how shifty the grades as long as they have high EQ life will be good.

[Anonymous]

I am so tired of STEM, STEM, STEM everything these days. Sure, some people are cut out for the math and sciences, but so many are just not interested. What would this world be without historians, linguists, geographers, poets, authors, etc.? I think the push for STEM careers will eventually create a huge backlash.

[Anonymous]

When I started college at an Ivy 25 years ago, half the class identified itself as pre-med. I don't know how many more started off studying engineering or other science paths but I would not be surprised if those intending to pursue some type of science career was not at least 70%. So I don't think you are seeing that much change.

[Anonymous]

The US should make STEM education a requirement for all children so we can raise our own STEM employees and not have to recruit foreigners who take jobs from Americans.

[Anonymous]

Search threads about what TJ students end up doing. One won an award at Sundance this year (and the Berlin International Film Festival) after getting an undergrad and MD at Harvard and MPH as a Rhodes scholar. A smart math and science kid can easily transition to artistic expression of the same (think Isaac Asimov) or historic representations (think Carl Sagan) or business. Not so for arts or language or history majors who can't "compute" science or math. That's why the smartest kids are STEM oriented. And many do become great lawyers, BTW.

[Anonymous]

And BTW, PP,linguistics is a classic STEM subject. So much so that Noam Chomsky is at MIT. Read about it - huge applications of linguistics to artificial intelligence and programming.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Search threads about what TJ students end up doing. One won an award at Sundance this year (and the Berlin International Film Festival) after getting an undergrad and MD at Harvard and MPH as a Rhodes scholar. A smart math and science kid can easily transition to artistic expression of the same (think Isaac Asimov) or historic representations (think Carl Sagan) or business. Not so for arts or language or history majors who can't "compute" science or math. That's why the smartest kids are STEM oriented. And many do become great lawyers, BTW.

Then there's Julia Louis-Dreyfus who graduated from one of the top private schools and wasted her education by studying theatre at Northwestern. Imagine what she might have become if she had only pursued a STEM degree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am so tired of STEM, STEM, STEM everything these days. Sure, some people are cut out for the math and sciences, but so many are just not interested. What would this world be without historians, linguists, geographers, poets, authors, etc.? I think the push for STEM careers will eventually create a huge backlash.

The problem is that if lots of people are interested are interested in those fields, so the lkabor supply is abundant, and salaries are very low. Also, with fewer people reading poetry, etc., the demand is low. The demand for a cool app, however, seems limitless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Search threads about what TJ students end up doing. One won an award at Sundance this year (and the Berlin International Film Festival) after getting an undergrad and MD at Harvard and MPH as a Rhodes scholar. A smart math and science kid can easily transition to artistic expression of the same (think Isaac Asimov) or historic representations (think Carl Sagan) or business. Not so for arts or language or history majors who can't "compute" science or math. That's why the smartest kids are STEM oriented. And many do become great lawyers, BTW.

Umm, no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Search threads about what TJ students end up doing. One won an award at Sundance this year (and the Berlin International Film Festival) after getting an undergrad and MD at Harvard and MPH as a Rhodes scholar. A smart math and science kid can easily transition to artistic expression of the same (think Isaac Asimov) or historic representations (think Carl Sagan) or business. Not so for arts or language or history majors who can't "compute" science or math. That's why the smartest kids are STEM oriented. And many do become great lawyers, BTW.

Then there's Julia Louis-Dreyfus who graduated from one of the top private schools and wasted her education by studying theatre at Northwestern. Imagine what she might have become if she had only pursued a STEM degree.

So true. Poor Julia and her non-STEM degree.

[Anonymous]

All I know is that of the top 10% in my DC's MoCo high school roughly 75% say they are majoring in a STEM discipline. Sometimes I wonder if kids just say this to please their parents, many of whom expect them to focus on STEM.