Non-parametric lessons: Learning between the lines of a STEM degree
In the course of my two STEM degrees, I have undoubtedly learned many science-y things. From how our atmosphere traps carbon, to how isotopes dissolve in water, and even how birds are really just extant dinosaurs, I have absorbed an ocean of valuable information that helps me understand the natural world and contextualize new pieces of information. But even more valuable than this content knowledge, in my opinion, are the lessons I learned about science outside of textbooks and lecture halls and what it means to do research. Through the trials and tribulations of getting a C on my very first chemistry exam, surviving 8 am biology lectures, and completing my master’s degree through the onset of a global pandemic, I feel strongly that science has built my character and given me much of the resilience and problem-solving abilities that help me succeed outside of school in my personal and professional life. Here are what I consider my top “non-parametric” lessons learned:
Take failure in stride
Being bad at something is the first step to being kinda good at anything. When I think back to the despair I felt after getting a bad test grade in my first chemistry class or the embarrassment that flushed my face red when answering a question wrong in lecture, I don’t wish things would have gone differently. I only wish I had understood earlier that failure or being wrong is a natural component of learning and discovery! I would not have gotten very far in my academic career (or life in general) if I stopped every time something went wrong or read a harsh critique of my work (thank you, anonymous thesis manuscript reviewers). Learning to not take failure personally let me find the scientific process much more enjoyable and fulfilling.
Learn how to learn
I fondly recall the day I sat in a counselor’s office, ready to switch my degree from a B.S. to a B.A. and save myself from required math and science courses. The first few weeks of college classes had proven themselves more challenging than I was prepared to handle as a perfectionist who graduated high school with straight A’s. I can’t be more grateful for the Educational Opportunity Program counselor who pulled up my high school transcript, stared at me through the filtered afternoon sunlight of his office, and said “Girl, look at this GPA. 4.6? This tells me everything I need to know.” He explained he would not be changing my major for me that day because, clearly, I knew how to learn. And he was right. Once I realized that the study habits that worked in high school were not serving me at the university level, I was able to discover other methods that fostered comprehension and problem-solving over memorization and what I call “multiple-choice” understanding. I began studying with the end goal of learning rather than passing a test and observed a steady improvement in my grades across the board.
Be comfortable with not knowing
I have never felt more immersed in the state of not knowing than while I was working on my master’s thesis in a new topic area using analytical skills I was just learning. I think I would have found myself in a much deeper existential crisis if I hadn’t already spent so many hours completely lost in a lecture only to show up the next week after a weekend of studying to tutor my classmates and ace the exam. One of the most valuable skills I learned through my undergrad and graduate STEM degrees was to be comfortable with the initial state of not knowing or not understanding an equation, an analysis, or a challenging concept at first. It’s very easy to feel overwhelmed by new information or ideas, but adopting a growth mindset and proving to yourself over and over again that you can learn science makes it a little bit easier every time.
So, what does it mean to be a STEM major after you graduate? For some of us, it’s a vestigial understanding of how the sodium-potassium pump operates in our cells, a lifelong appreciation of natural history museums, a soft spot for popular science podcasts, or maybe a healthy skepticism for vaguely-sourced statistics. The many hours spent at a lab bench or studying late at night undoubtedly leave their mark on a person in more ways than one. I think that you never stop thinking like a STEM student and it’s for the better.
