STEM'erica

What I can do better than the Baby Boomers and Generation X is use technology.

I can tell any device what I want it to do and it will do it for me. I can do various technological things without the help of an instruction manual.

Millennials have been conditioned for this. We can almost literally use technology in our sleep.

We have been programmed similar to the computers that we use.

What happens now? We make fancy things to use on the computers. We talk to our friends via computers. We track our meals and exercise with the aid of a computer. We just use our computers.

Since I was about 9 years old, I've had computers and calculators shoved in my face. I do not know how to do mathematics without some sort of electronic device. Even if I attempt a math problem in my head, I have to double-check the answer with some computing device.

Technology has made life easier for Millennials.

We've been told to work and study in the field of technology. I have never been told to focus on any other STEM field.

The future of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics will utilize computers, but we have missed a few steps. I have yet to figure out why these fields were bypassed in our school upbringing.

I'm afraid. I am afraid that we are focusing heavily on technology without considering the rest of the words abbreviated by S.T.E.M.

I am currently in college studying communications and I do not know a single mathematics or engineering major at my college. I do know one biology major.

You may be wondering why I am writing about the future of STEM, as a student that has opted not to study these fields. I say to you, I am a communications major and I am currently exercising my education.

I have also been conditioned to find something that I enjoy and make a life out of it, because "work shouldn't be stressful."

"You should never have to work a day in your life, if you're doing something that you love."

What?

That's one of the things that the other generations tell us.

My job should never feel like work. Well, again I'm not a mathematics major but, I've never run into a math problem that didn't feel like work. Just a simple calculation feels like a little work. I do have to use my brain for it. I would imagine that if I worked in a math related job, I would have to do work every day to fulfill my duties, because I am using my brain.

If I were studying technology, I would imagine that I would have to work to remember the codes that I would use for programming. It would be fair to say that programming a website, or a game, everyday for the rest of my life would require me to work to perform my job.

If I were some sort of scientist or engineer... Don't get me started.

Statements like the one mentioned above actively discourage young minds. The statement suggests that I am not doing what my life was intended for, if some job gets hard.

That is simply not true.

There is someone out there that has heard this statement and will never cure cancer because the research felt like a lot of work.

The is another person out there that has heard this statement and will never find a universal alternative to fossil fuel depletion for power, because the work was excessive.

Encourage those that are actively pursuing a STEM career and stop telling us this... Our future, as a nation, is dependent upon it.

Personal Course Eval: Intro to Business

I am a communications major. I love to speak. I love to present. I love broadcast journalism, print journalism, mobile journalism and public relations.

I can handle reasonable amounts of work and I work great under pressure.

One of the things that has troubled me throughout my entire school career is professors that have worked in the field in which they teach and their desire to drill their experience into the minds of students for their own personal enjoyment.

We are in the last weeks of the semester and I am currently taking an Introduction to Business course at my university. If you were to ask me exactly how much I've learned about business, I would be able to tell you that you have to have a business plan to start a business and you must know what kind of business you would like to start. I will also be able to tell you that small businesses are likely to fail.

Surprisingly (only because this is a BUSINESS course), I will be able to tell you what exactly the Affordable Care Act, the Federal Reserve, the Securities and Exchange Commission and the World Trade Organization are. I will also be able to talk to you about the CEO's that basically siphoned all of the money out of their respective businesses to give themselves larger paychecks, which is a major reason for the recession. Yes, these are GREAT to know about, but these topics do not require 4 page papers and 8 post discussions every week.

What I will not be able to tell you is how to start a business. I do not mean the "textbook" way to start a business. I mean the way that you can ACTUALLY use to START A BUSINESS. I will not be able to tell you how to invest. I won't be able to tell you a great deal about businesses, but a great deal about government.

I have spoken to my prof about this and he says that it's because he likes to keep his students aware of current events. He is a businessman that has worked for a number of big businesses. I get it. Great! Fine and dandy!

What about the basics of business? What about the root of the business world?

I am not only taking this course because it has to do with my major. I hope to one day have a business of my own, but it is very interesting to me that I will NOT learn this in the college course that introduces the student to business.

At this time, I am working on a 10-page paper on Albert Brook's book, "2030: The Real Story of What Happens to America." Get this... I had the option to choose between writing a 10 to 15 page book report on this book or writing a 12 to 15 page report on a topic of my choice.

When will I learn about the foundations of business? How will I be able to compete with those around me when I pursue my aspirations? I'm not sure. I'm too busy trying to make sure my paper meets/exceeds 10 pages without the inclusion of a title page and bibliography.