Why are STEM Classes So Hard? (2024)

FAQs

Why are STEM classes so much harder? ›

Some reasons are: STEM faculty are among the toughest graders, even if they do not teach the classes that have the most demanding workloads. Grade inflation is less prevalent in the STEM majors than in any other majors on campus. Grading on a curve is more common in STEM classes than in non-STEM classes.

For many, the hardness of STEM is associated with it being academically challenging and with folks not being able to engage with it. In reality, the hardness is about the inflexibility of STEM and the fact that it does not bend to the needs of the person engaging with it.

The average GPA earned in STEM courses is lower than the cumulative GPA of STEM majors. In biology, the average GPA in 100 level courses is 3.01, in 200 level courses it is 3.14, and in 300 level courses it is 3.39. Chemistry shows an upward trend as well, although the courses start at a lower average.

Computer science is considered one of the hardest STEM majors because it requires a deep understanding of programming languages, algorithms, and data structures, as well as a strong math and logical reasoning aptitude.

For various reasons, a significant proportion of students who initially intend to study STEM fields abandon them several years later. A recent study found that a total of 56 percent of postsecondary students who declared STEM majors in their freshman year left these fields over the next 6 years (Chen 2009).

Only 20% of US high school graduates are prepared for college-level coursework in STEM majors.

STEM suffers from a lack of uniform curriculum.

While they provide a foundational base, there's no consistency regarding emphasis placed on specific subjects or skills.

Many people are striving to understand the cause for the attrition, particularly for students of color and women. According to a White House report (PDF, 1.1MB), it seems that students leave STEM because of the uninviting atmosphere, difficult weed-out classes, and STEM courses that do not show their relevancy.

Studies that look at the fields students choose to go into reveal that students that score higher on aptitude tests typically go into the STEM field while those with lower scores go into education and related fields.

Science majors tend to have lower GPAs on average, with chemistry being the major with the lowest average GPA. Meanwhile, education majors earn the highest GPAs on average. Why this disparity?

How smart is a 3.5 GPA? ›

The national average GPA for high school graduates is 3.0, and many colleges and universities consider a 3.0 the competitive benchmark. A 3.5 GPA exceeds that number and matches the benchmark several more selective colleges use.

A 3.7 GPA stands for a Grade Point Average of 3.7 on a 4.0 scale. It indicates that you've earned a predominantly A- average in your courses. A 3.7 GPA is considered to be a very good GPA and is often an indicator of strong academic performance.

Chemistry is famous for being one of the hardest subjects ever, so it's no surprise that a Chemistry degree is fiercely challenging. Just one topic in Chemistry (for example, organic chemistry) is incredibly complex.

Are STEM Majors Hard? STEM majors can be challenging, but their rigor shouldn't stop you from pursuing one. Expect to take a variety of foundational science, math and computer courses.

According to the latest findings, computing science degrees have the highest number of students dropping out. The most recent research available says that 10.7% of students never graduate from computing. Advertising comes second, with 7.7% of dropouts. Then, there is agriculture, with a 7.4% dropout rate.

Riegle-Crumb said research has proven that minority students are also more inclined to pursue majors and careers that are aligned with social justice issues, and they may find that the STEM fields are incompatible with those interests.

To fill employment gaps

These openings persist due to the lack of well-trained STEM candidates. With so many STEM jobs available and not enough workers to fill the positions, STEM education has become a growing priority.

As STEM degrees continue to rise at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, degrees in arts and humanities are declining at an alarming rate. Between 2009 and 2015, the number of STEM majors in bachelor's, master's, and doctorate programs grew by 43 percent, while humanities majors declined by 0.4 percent.

How much time should you be studying per week? Research suggests that students should spend approximately 2-3 hours, per credit hour, studying in order to be successful in their courses. STEM classes often require 3-4 hours, per credit hour, of studying to be successful. Think about how you normally study.

What is the US ranked in STEM education? ›

ranking 25th out of a list of 37? countries in mathematics literacy and seventh out of 37 countries in science. The U.S. is behind countries like Japan, South Korea, Estonia, and the Netherlands regarding average mathematics and science literacy? scores.

However, the problem with the push towards STEM education is that the increased focus on analytical reasoning might leave students lacking in other areas of schooling primarily influenced by art and humanities. These areas include creative thinking, the development of humor, and even emotional regulation.

STEM is important because it teaches critical thinking skills and instills a passion for innovation.

STEM activities help your child master more than science, technology, engineering, or math. They empower children to build problem-solving skills, teamwork capabilities, and perseverance. These are skills that children can use to succeed in any field.

The reasons range from peer pressure, to a lack of role models and support from parents as well as teachers, to a general misperception of what STEM careers look like in the real world.

Students with similar characteristics who major in STEM fields earn roughly the same wherever they go to college: We find no statistically significant differences in average earnings for science majors between selective schools and either midtier or less-selective schools.

According to recent data from the U.S. Department of Education, Black students earned no more than 9% of the STEM degrees awarded in 2018 across the bachelor's, master's and doctoral levels – figures that have changed little since 2010.

Looking at IQ statistics of the average PhD student, it is estimated that they have an average IQ of 138. This is across all PhD fields. When looking at STEM fields I would expect, perhaps, a couple of points higher than the average: Maybe 140.

What is the lowest GPA in Harvard? ›

You should also have a 4.18 GPA or higher. If your GPA is lower than this, you need to compensate with a higher SAT/ACT score.

The national average GPA is 3.0 which means a 2.7 is below average, and so you may have to work harder to catch up.

Normally, you would expect the highest score to be the 'perfect' 4.0 score, however, there are several things that a student can do to receive an even higher score. For example, one student actually managed to get a 10.03 GPA score. He did this by taking 17 advanced classes at his school, which awarded him many points.

The GPA requirements for Harvard University are between 3.9 to 4.1. You will need an incredibly high GPA and will likely be graduating at the top of their class in order to get into Harvard University.

The average high school GPA in the US is 3.0, which also accounts for roughly 35% of students who don't end up applying for college. However, for college applicants, the average GPA is more likely between 3.5 and 4.0.

To earn a perfect GPA on the weighted scale, a student must take all Advanced Placement or Dual Enrolled courses and earn an A+ in every class.

Admissions experts advise aspiring medical school students to aim for a GPA of 3.5 or higher.

Will an F ruin my GPA? The short answer is (surprisingly): No. If you have one “F” and all other grades in a 40-course program are “A” grades, your GPA will drop from a 4.0 to a 3.9. So, your existing GPA will be impacted, but will not be “ruined.”

You should also have a 4.14 GPA or higher. If your GPA is lower than this, you need to compensate with a higher SAT/ACT score. For a school as selective as Yale, you'll also need to impress them with the rest of your application.

#1 Chemistry

According to the average Grade Point Average of students in the program, Chemistry wins the prize title hardest major. A Chemistry major overlaps somewhat with biology, but chemistry extends beyond living things.

What is the rarest degree? ›

Math 55 is just as infamous for its attrition rate as it is for its difficulty. Most sources like to cite the 1970 class, which began with 75 students and — between the advanced nature of the material and the time-constraints under which students had to work — ended with barely 20.

Business Major

Business isn't just one of the easiest college majors — it's also the most popular major. You'll study core topics like accounting, management, and organizational behavior. You can specialize your skills with upper-level courses in logistics, training and development, or entrepreneurship.

Chemistry isn't merely a challenging science major; CollegeVine ranked it the most difficult of all the majors in its rankings of The 10 Easiest and 10 Hardest College Majors.

Women face unique challenges when pursuing STEM careers. Stereotypes about women's abilities start early, often undermining their confidence in their mathematical and technical skills. Even girls as young as 3 or 4 can fall prey to these stereotypes.

It is especially stressful if you are not entirely sure what you want to do. STEM as an area covers a wide range of academic subjects, with exciting prospects and opportunities for graduates that have an affinity for the scientific, the analytical and the technical. Want to find out if there's a good fit for you?

However, the problem with the push towards STEM education is that the increased focus on analytical reasoning might leave students lacking in other areas of schooling primarily influenced by art and humanities. These areas include creative thinking, the development of humor, and even emotional regulation.

For the most part humanities are seen as easier, less useful and less rigorous than STEM. Now not all humanities disciplines are created equal, neither are all STEM disciplines. But humanities tends to be more subjective than STEM.

But before you reap the fruits, you will have to work hard and focus more than other college students first. College majors in the STEM field tend to be the most stressful, such as engineering and architecture.

Are STEM classes worth it? ›

Is a STEM degree worth it? For many people, the answer is yes. Here are just some of the benefits of STEM career: Increased Salary – People employed in STEM occupations earn over double the median income according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics (USBLS).

Opponents argue that the research is unethical, because deriving the stem cells destroys the blastocyst, an unimplanted human embryo at the sixth to eighth day of development.

Common short-term side effects of stem cell therapy include fatigue, headache, chills, nausea, and low-grade fever.

Speaking about liberal arts area, it covers majors as language arts, philosophy, and literature. It is the opposite of what STEM offers. In order to help you decide what is better for you, below the most popular majors in the liberal arts and STEM fields are provided.

A non-STEM major is a major that isn't in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics. This means non-STEM majors include those in business, literature, education, arts, and humanities.

Psychology

A prominent humanities subject that also intersects with medical science, Psychology is also considered amongst the toughest courses in the world.

Some students in STEM have had to drop classes because of increased workload. Burdened by the combination of synchronous class sessions and pre-recorded lectures, students in STEM classes said they are spending more time "in class" than in a typical in-person semester.

Similarly, parents and educators should not wait until students turn four or five years old before beginning to provide STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education. The best time to begin is when children are at their most active learning stage – from ages one to three years.

Why isn't nursing considered STEM? ›

Nursing is considered an applied science that can be perceived, as one literature review points out, as "a jack of all trades and a master of none." This, perhaps, is a reason why nursing isn't considered STEM/STEAM.

It's important for future STEM majors to go above and beyond the standard high school math and science and take more advanced classes and electives. Demonstrating a strong math and science background will help the admissions office see the student's potential within a STEM major at their institution.