I have always been interested in majoring in a STEM field. I never saw myself as a scientist (I abhor labs) but I always thought I would major in physics, math, or computer science. However, recently I have been very offset by the relatively low grades given out in my STEM classes than in my humanities classes. I easily get As in classes like philosophy and english (even though my school requires that all classes be curved to a B+) while I work hard to attain B/B+ in my physics and mathematics classes. At this point I am tempted to pursue an economics major. I know I shouldn’t focus too much on grades but I am someone that really values doing well (I’m a perfectionist).
However, I don’t want to be yet another girl who comes into college thinking they will pursue STEM and then drop it. I want to be a woman in STEM. But everyone tells me to just major in Econ since I don’t want to go to grad school anyway and a physics major isn’t all that practical.
Does anyone have any advice for staying motivated? Am I really better off with a STEM degree and a 3.3 GPA (even astrophysics) then an International Relations or Economics degree with a 3.7+ GPA?
You are better off with most STEM degrees (biology might be an exception) at a 3.3 GPA than an IR or Economics degree with a 3.7+ GPA.
STEM classes are harder than non-STEM classes for almost everybody, so the lower STEM GPA is absolutely normal. I majored in CS, and had a much lower grades for classes in my major than classes outside my major like history and communications.
Econ degrees are a dime a dozen. My wife has one, and in retrospect thought it was worthless. It wasn’t until she got a Masters in IT Management that she could find a decent job.
With a CS degree, nobody will care about your GPA after you’ve worked 2 or 3 years. If you go the math or physics route, make sure you take a few CS classes, as most math or physics grads seem to end up as programmers in the end.
A 3.3 in physics is good and if you add in some scientific computing courses, then you can easily get a job in the financial world. You say you don’t like labs so working as a tech in an R&D company might not be your interest but that is also a good opportunity for physics majors.
For your overall GPA, keep peppering in a few classes where it is easier to get As. And hustle HARD for the best grades you can get in your major. I bailed out of a STEM major 30 years ago due to a poor grade in a Chem weeder class. I am sorry now that I did. Should have taken that C+, gotten a tutor for the following semesters in that subject, and stuck with it. Instead I took a path where I got better grades, but haven’t been all that happy with my career. Keep your eye on the long game… a career doing something you really want to do.
If you want to do a combo, I am a fan of doing one thing that is more practical (Econ or CS), and one thing that is pure fun (art, philosophy, English, history, whatever you like). If Math is really fun for you, then by all means do that as your second thing.
What ideas do you have for a future career? You say that you don’t see yourself as a scientist…what DO you imagine yourself doing ultimately?
I majored in math b/c I thought it was fun how it made my brain grow, then I went to medical school. Its fine to major in math even if you don’t want to go to grad school in math. My classmates were recruited to do finance, went to law school, and some went to grad school in math/stats/comp sci. There are a lot of possibilities.
I’m actually interested in medical school, just not sure I’ll be able to handle taking SO many STEM courses at one time, since pre med requirements are basically a second major. I actually really would like to major in CS with a concentration in bioinformatics. Otherwise, I’m interested in Economics and Astrophysics and doing some sort of research in those fields. I just don’t want to be a scientist because I abhor labs for the science courses I take. I just feel like it is all so trivial and honestly a waste of time.
Some kind of volunteer or paid experience in a medicine environment (summers are fine)
Low student loan debt. Med school is very expensive, and you don’t want to carry much debt into it.
Other than that, you can major in what you want to. Remember that GPA is important – some students who are serious about med school choose to go schools where they are not at the bottom of the accepted pool of students and/or avoid schools with a reputation for no grade inflation so they can keep their GPAs where they need to be.
How was your experience majoring in math and pursuing pre-med? If I wanted to major in CS, physics, or economics, how could I offset the inherently lower grades in these departments?
You can’t really offset lower grades in the med school application process. You have to make some decisions about major and/or difficulty of the school you choose if you are serious about med school.