STEM majors (science, technology, engineering, and math) are rising in popularity because of their relevance to the growing sectors of the economy and because of their strong connection to good job options upon graduation from college. STEM fields like computer science, pharmacy, and engineering offer nearly guaranteed employment at a solid salary for new college grads. Yet this great potential comes with a major hitch.

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Those who are considering STEM options as their prospective college major must be certain that their skills and study habits match appropriately with the intellectual and workload demands of the college STEM curriculum. Attrition rates in STEM (the rate of those who change majors to non-STEM fields) are high because many students are not up for the challenge. The skills and work habits required for success in STEM are not widely distributed throughout the population of college students.

Approximately 50% of initial enrollees in STEM majors will not receive a STEM diploma at graduation time, according to recent Department of Education research.  If you are not a standout math and science student in higher level and advanced placement courses in high school, then you must think twice before committing to STEM majors.  The cost of misjudgment is high: poor academic performance, delayed graduation from college, and possible loss of self-esteem. Avoid these pitfalls with proper research into the STEM curriculum, honest assessment of habits and time-management/executive function skills, and with appropriate planning for the rigor of STEM coursework.

Steps for Success:

• Review 4 year plan for prospective STEM major on college website(s)
• Find syllabi for 1st and 2nd year coursework
• Speak with current students in the major and ask about typical workload. How many hours per week are they studying? U.S. average in STEM is between 20 and 30 hours outside of class each week.
• Learn how to break assignments and projects into small steps
• Learn how to efficiently break down texts and materials, how to take notes for retained understanding, and how to properly prepare for exams and essays
• Learn how to use a consistent time-management and organization system