In STEM or Engineering classes, how much class discussion is expected of students? I have a very introverted son who pretty much can’t participate. He’s very bright, but struggles to express ideas verbally and on the spot. We are comparing small LACs and larger colleges and tech schools.
Because classes are often ~20 kids at small LACs, does this put more pressure on participation? Would a bigger environment be better? I worry that he would be overwhelmed or lost in a large lecture hall.
First of all, intro and required STEM classes are large (much more than 20 kids) even at the smallest colleges. Your son will be extremely unlikely to be called upon to express ideas on the spot. Participation in discussions, whether in larger classes, or smaller sections, or within study groups, are all voluntary. If your son can grasp concepts easily in class and without further discussions with professors or fellow students, he’d do just fine, even though those discussions are always helpful in clarifying one’s thoughts. MIT and Caltech (not sure about the other schools) have required courses to help students develop both oral and written presentation skills.
From reports I’ve heard, this is very individual professor driven and not very correlated with college size or type, though I doubt there’s much discussion expected of any one student in a large class.
There’s no opportunity for professors to demand answers on the spot in large STEM classes. Smaller sections and study groups aren’t led by professors and participation is voluntary.
I would actually worry more about non STEM classes that are requirements. There are definitely some places that you would want to avoid because the have a large requirement of classes that are taught using the Socratic Method.
There are a lot of group work projects and presentations in STEM/engineering. And individual research and poster presentations. Those usually end with a question and answer session. Answering a question from the audience in a lecture is small potatoes to standing at the front where all eyes are on you, rather than just the professors. This is a needed skill your student is going to have to build.
Most universities will have some gen ed courses required that may also be large classes (i.e. freshman English). Much of the participation in large lectures is non-verbal (answer something via laptop).
Most of the time larger classes also have a smaller once per week lab or recitation section that is smaller. Those are often run by TAs. I imagine participation expectations vary class to class.
My impression of at least some engineering programs is that there’s a fair amount of group work, so small group participation may be a bigger factor than lecture participation. Then they interact with TA/professor as a group. How is he working in smaller groups?
For large STEM classes, discussions are left to much smaller recitation sections where professors aren’t present. I wouldn’t claim universality of this model, but it’s common.
@Eeyore123 Socratic method would be the death of him! Open-ended reflective questions make him panic and make me panic just thinking about it.
We are trying to steer clear of colleges with core requirements so he can focus on stem and only stem. This is another topic, but I’m trying to understand if stem will be a safe haven and if college size/class size matters.
@BuckeyeMWDSG He’s looking at some very PBL colleges. Group work isn’t as worrisome as final projects, but public speaking is a soft skill that can be improved over time and one that will be needed for pretty much any job. He can’t hide forever! Or maybe he could just go into computer science and interface with the world electronically?!
@GetCollege19 Small group work is much less stressful for him. On an extreme level, we’re weighing the pros/cons of someplace like Purdue where I assume he would be in many large lectures vs Grinnell where the lectures are 30 kids. I saw one photo of a classroom where all the desks were on wheels and placed in a circle. No place to hide. In one of their videos. Lafayette College highlights the fact that discussion is an important part of their stem classes. On the other hand, it’s so much easier to disengage in a large lecture and hard for an introvert to be “seen.”
I understand wanting to avoid situations that your son finds difficult, but he won’t be able to avoid this his whole life. He is going to have to interview for internships and jobs and will be asked open ended reflexive questions. Wouldn’t it better that he learned communications skills while in college?
@circuitrider I’m having a flashback to middle school!
Maybe an honest conversation with the professor would be useful. Or maybe it just depends on the professor and we should expect some ups and downs based on the prof’s expectations, understanding of learning styles, and general empathy.
As a HS Senior I was as introverted as they come, entered college as an engineering major, hoping to avoid what your son wants to avoid probably moreso than him. Ten years later, I was was working in marketing and attending seminars/group sessions, speaking in front of small and large groups of people all the time, leading projects, talking to strangers in business settings, working with teams from other companies, etc.
Your son will grow and learn new skills. And the smarter he is, the more likely he is to do so exceedingly well. As long as he is not prevented from doing so. Be watchful if you want, but unless he is dealing with some chemical imbalance, he will make it and he will mostly make it without you pulling levers behind the scenes to protect him.
@EconPop Thank you for this anecdote! It’s reassuring to hear stories about introverts acclimating to societal norms through maturation. My son deals with intense anxiety, and I know desensitization through experience will help. Put the kid in as many social experiences as possible (even though he tries to hide)!
I think what I’m aiming for is a nurturing environment that plays to his strengths. I’m trying to avoid full on overwhelm which will only spike his anxiety beyond any benefit.
My very similar brother was a hermit for 4 years at Princeton (followed by Oxford and Columbia). He never spoke in class, wasn’t social, but was a gifted writer. He ended up achieving a wonderful career as policy analyst, researching/writing, working in solitude. His strengths were his saving grace.
Is engineering a must? Most of the small LACs do not have an engineering major. Beware of a 3-2 program which will require him to move to a new university in the middle of his college experience if he’s an introvert.