As Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, otherwise known as STEM, become an integral part of our daily lives, comprehensive, multidisciplinary STEM education is essential to keep pace with the changing world. It not only prepares students of all ages to pursue STEM majors in college and future STEM careers. It can also help students of every level and interest become more well-rounded and successful regardless of their plans. Some students will find their passion by exploring STEM education, while others won’t. Whether you plan on going into STEM majors in college or some other field, your high school counselors are sure to strongly suggest a STEM curriculum for the five reasons covered in this post.
1. STEM education makes the most of interdisciplinary learning.
While most classroom learning seems isolated and unrelated to real-world problems, STEM education maximizes its various subjects, so you immediately connect to STEM majors and beyond. Through integrated learning and hands-on experiences, you see the entire picture of how math, technology, and the other disciplines relate to one another in the real world. As a result, STEM education also strengthens your cognitive skills at any age. Furthermore, you train other brain-based skills, including bias recognition, critical thinking, and finally keeping an open mind. These are all positive skills for succeeding in STEM majors in college and careers.
2. STEM education introduces and prepares students of all ages for 21st century STEM careers.
With STEM occupations growing at a 24% rate, degree holders of STEM majors will hold critical roles in the 21st century. STEM education can introduce you to STEM opportunities at any age. STEM subjects can also prepare you with the essential education to graduate in STEM majors. In the end, STEM education is more than science literacy but instilling all the other skills you need to succeed in the 21st century, as covered in the different sections of this post. Non-STEM students will likewise gain valuable know-how that they can apply to STEM components in any field.
3. STEM encourages students of all ages (up to STEM majors in college) to think creatively and “out of the box.”
STEM education’s unique approach is centered around the saying, “think outside the box.” As a STEM student of any age, you are encouraged to think creatively and innovatively, from brainstorming one-of-a-kind ideas to tackling complex problems with a broader interdisciplinary approach that STEM majors need to make the grade. With its focus on hands-on application and limitless thinking, you will develop the priceless “explore and experience” mindset. Thanks to the risk-free environment STEM education nurtures, you are free to discover your passion and better poised to pursue STEM majors and careers.
4. STEM education enhances teamwork and communication skills to prepare students to work with all kinds of collaborators in the future.
No matter what age or ability level student you are, STEM education teaches you a wide range of collaboration and communications skills. These skills aren’t just prerequisites for you to excel in STEM majors but to work with professionals in any field in the future. It includes learning how to work with others to gather data, write reports, solve problems, and present solutions. More importantly, you will learn how to acquire a teamwork mindset that boosts productivity and satisfaction to help get you through completing STEM majors and becoming part of the highly qualified workforce afterward.
5. STEM education instills the critical thinking and resilience required to solve all types of problems confidently.
Finally, STEM education can engage you in critical thinking and empower you to apply processes, like active conceptualizing, analyzing, application, and evaluation, in problem-solving all-important to STEM majors. As a result, your approach won’t limit itself to book-based answering questions and problem-solving but a genuine understanding of the issue and logically solving it. Time and time again, grasping this mindset at an early age through STEM better prepares you for the realities STEM majors and STEM professions face daily.
Full STEM Education Is Key To College Admissions
If you are in high school and ready to explore STEM majors and opportunities, Empowerly can help you get started as early as possible. We hope this post on the top 5 reasons STEM education is essential has opened up a world of possibilities no matter what age. Rest assured that Empowerly doesn’t stop there. Our full menu of college admissions counseling services can help you stand out among thousands of applications in STEM majors and other programs. Book your FREE consultation to get started today!
