STEM at Exeter

By: Tanya Das

 

     STEM. Science, technology, engineering, and math. According to Forbes, the US had 568,000 STEM graduates in 2016. Only 16% of high schoolers are both proficient at math and interested in STEM careers. How are these statistics reflected at Phillips Exeter?

When first coming to Phillips Exeter, the plethora of courses and clubs can be quite intimidating. There are 450+ courses, a fifth of which are STEM courses, and over a 100 clubs, a third of which are also STEM-oriented. How can you ever choose?

     Well, let’s start with what’s required. All high schoolers are required to take math, and Exeter is no different. Exeter Math consists of 7 problem sets with around a 1,000 questions in each. Problems, but no solutions… In classes, instead of having a teacher lecturing, students work together to share their solutions to homework problems and dive deeper into mathematical concepts. Prep Athena Wang says, “In math class here, the way we learn through solving problems is much more fun than just giving info to us like in my old school; each discovery has so much more value!” Athena is also part of the math club, which meets on Sunday mornings for three hours.

     However, not every student loves math at Exeter. Lower Diwura Adesanya was a part of the math club at her old school, and when asked to describe Exeter maths she answered, “It was easy math. Algebra.” Like many other students who were a part of a math club at their old school, Diwura has chosen not to continue participating at Exeter.

     Not only have several students stopped attending math club here, but students also express concern about actual math classes. One new student asked a returning student, “How do you learn in math class?” to which the returning student replied, “Let me know if you figure it out, because I still don’t know.” Not only is the curriculum much more rigorous than some students may be used to, but the approach to learning STEM at Exeter is also very different.

     A student expressed, “Since everyone is so talented and passionate, sometimes I don’t feel qualified to join STEM activities.” Is STEM at Exeter accessible to everyone?

     Past STEM experience shapes students’ involvement at Exeter. A student shared, “I came from Shanghai. I think education in China puts a lot of emphasis on STEM, and so in that dimension, I think I had a lot more access to STEM.” Another student, lower Catherine Uwakwe, said that her minimal involvement in STEM at Exeter stems from a lack of exposure at her past school. According to her, her STEM teachers “didn’t really spark an interest” at her old school, and she expresses “then I brought my lack of exposure [to Exeter] and I felt I couldn’t get involved now because so many people already have so much experience in [STEM].” Based on their past experience, many students don’t have an opportunity to become involved with STEM at Exeter.

     It is common knowledge that in Asian countries being an engineer or doctor are top career choices. This is well-articulated by Athena, who said that, “Being Chinese makes people think that I am very strong in the STEM field, which to some extent makes me feel pressured to be so, but I feel this pressure more so elsewhere than here.” In this perspective, it seems that the smaller, tight-knit community at Exeter allows students to step away from typical stereotype pressures and explore their authentic interests. However, lower Tina Huang still notices the effect of some stereotypes, noting, “I feel like there’s such a gender divide. Like of the people I know in STEM clubs, there are mostly boys and only some girls.”

     The biggest barrier that prevents more students from getting involved in STEM appears to be time commitments, and sometimes students strive to participate in a more “chill” or “low-key” club. While the intensity of STEM, be it in classes or in clubs, can be intimidating for those without much prior involvement, one student noted, “Here it’s to a new level, and I think people are really passionate about what they do.” Passion is what drives commitment, and combined with actions, students at Exeter can make a difference in the world.

     Lower Anya Tang observed that at her old school, “there was very little intersection between school policy and student actions, so it often felt like our work didn’t have an impact.” Although STEM at Exeter is intense, the abundance of classes and clubs allow you to also delve into your own niche of interests.

Tang shared, “Before Exeter, I attended a public school in the midwest with a really strong focus on STEM programs. I was really interested in environmental science, but there weren’t a lot of opportunities to become involved in environmental science at my school.” Here, Anya is an E-proctor and is part of the Environmental Action Committee and Exeter Climate Lobby. These clubs allow her to impact the campus as a whole through the actions of individual students. Many STEM clubs, especially environmental clubs, serve to tie our community together at Exeter. Regardless of which classes and clubs you may choose to explore while at Exeter, there’s always something for students to join and a supportive community to back them up.