Becoming part of the equation
The solution to engineering student retention isn’t as complicated as it seems.
As a recent graduate from the University of Florida (UF) College of Engineering, I have had my fair share of trials that had me questioning whether or not engineering was right for me. I have so many memories of people questioning my math ability, crying after a physics exam that didn’t go my way, and looking at other degree audits to see if there was something else that would give me a few less gray hairs during college. Why did I stick with it? Call it insanity. Call it being over-caffeinated. Call it delirium. But I call it something quite different.
Recently, I met an inspirational female corporate executive in the STEM field who was at UF to meet with top leadership in order to address concerns about low retention in the UF College of Engineering, specifically with women. Our conversation was sprinkled with a variety of open-ended questions that probed for solutions to retain women in STEM. Our discussion reflected the frustration and struggle inherent in addressing this challenging topic. Yet, having recently gone through and emerged from this very struggle, I found myself interjecting with some tangible solutions.
Based on my experience, I have an idea of what helped me initially get interested in engineering, pursue STEM-related activities in high school, and get a degree in a STEM field….and what gave me the power to keep pushing even though, at some points, I wanted to give up.
I have compiled a list of actionable items that influenced my choice in pursuing an engineering degree, as well as some less tangible factors (in bold letters throughout the piece) that were accompanied by these events. This is the story of what influenced me to stick with engineering, and I hope you can find value from my experiences, whether you are a younger version of myself who is trying to figure out what you want to do in college and beyond, or if you are a university professional who is interested in more tangible solutions to retention problems. Either way, I encourage everyone to bring current students and professionals into the equation and conversation. The more perspectives you have, the better off you are in creating a well-rounded and sustainable solution.
Exposure at a young age leads to Interest
Growing up on Florida’s Space Coast, I was familiar with the world of engineering and what it could create. Seeing shuttles launched with a view from my own backyard was inspiring, and feeling the sonic boom rattle my house was so exciting. Some of my friends had parents who were engineers for the space program and were always open to answering any questions I had as a wide-eyed elementary school student. At the time, however, I wasn’t totally sold on the concept of being an engineer.
My county had a strong Society of Women in Engineering presence, and every year they hosted these Women in Engineering days, where students could sign up for different fun, hands-on workshops to learn more from actual women engineers in the area. From an elementary school student’s perspective, this event to me was more about the chocolate I could eat while making chocolate asphalt, the makeup I could bring home from the chemistry lesson on how to make lip gloss, and the stuffed animals I could win in the raffle. Honestly, not my proudest thing to admit, but hey, it got me in the door. But every year, I would find myself getting more hooked on the engineering aspect of the event. I would sign up for bottle rocket demos and roller coaster building workshops, where I learned that engineering was this cool thing where you could apply your creativity and some interesting science to make things happen. Engineering, I learned, was a tool set to make anything possible.
These experiences helped me to develop my curiosity about engineering. Because I was interested in these workshops and ideas, I knew I had to work hard at math and science and make sure I was in a good spot to achieve my new goal of becoming an engineer. So when I tried out for the math team and didn’t make the cut, I didn’t give up. I knew that they were underestimating my abilities, and I knew I was successful in engineering workshops, so why couldn’t I do this? I asked to practice with the math team and shadow them at the competitions. I was developing my voice. When I was told I didn’t get the right score to be on the advanced math and science track, I petitioned it, because I know I understood math and science during different engineering seminars I saw. I was learning to not let others define my abilities (shout-out to my parents for being such strong advocates for me during my life through leading by example).
Interest in Topics leads to Mentorship
Any college student in their first or second year experiencing the “weed out” classes of Calculus, Chemistry, and Physics, can tell you about the struggle. You come into college not knowing how to cook, navigate the bus system, or find a professors office number, and you’re immediately thrown into the fire of 300 person classes that go through an entire chapter in 30 minutes. I struggled with chemistry but got through both semesters of it. Calculus was hard but was made doable with the help of new friends who formed a study group and supported me with a newfound understanding of a curved class. But Physics? Yikes. Physics was the hardest class I had taken. I would study diligently, and just bomb exams. Somehow, I passed, but the next semester I was supposed to take physics 2.
During that semester, I had just got assigned to a new research professor, Dr. X, and went to meet with her a couple of weeks into the semester. We started talking about the research project and expectations, and at the end of the conversation she brought up how classes were going. I was used to just breezing over that question, with a polite smile and an “everything is ok” look, even if I was on the verge of crying. Instead, she said, “You’re taking Physics 2? They make that class so much harder than they need to. Physics isn’t that bad, but everyone ends up hating it.” She could sense the shock I felt hearing that statement coming straight from a professor. I told her that honestly, I just failed the last exam and don’t even know how I am going to pass this class. I was bracing for her to show me to the door and never researching ever again. Instead, Dr. X told me to come back the next day with some questions I was struggling with and she would help me learn what I was having trouble with. I was blown away.
Mentorship leads to engagement in the community
Every week of that semester, I would show up to Dr. X’s lab class or office and just grind through problems. I had never felt so supported by a faculty member. She believed in my abilities when I didn’t even believe in myself. This mentorship led to me gaining my self-efficacy, and that self-efficacy helped mold me into a better engineer and student.
This mentorship was especially important for me to have, as I saw a successful woman in STEM who was encouraging me and believing in my abilities. It helped me to push through more difficult times because someone who had already finished the race was on the sidelines cheering me on. I didn’t expect to have a fan base until I had made it across the finish line, so having her there meant a lot. I also believe that having a female mentor was really important for my retention and overall success because it felt normal and appropriate to have such a close mentorship with Dr. X, and I felt like I could go to her to talk about anything.
I started doing extremely well in my classes, I was no longer afraid to approach a professor after class with a question. Dr. X had helped me break down all of my preconceived walls and really harness my capabilities. The next semester, I hit another bump in the road. Statics. I had been dreading this class due to my terrible experience in physics (and statics is 100% build upon physics concepts). I worked hard, only to earn 33% on the first exam. I needed to pass this class in order to continue with the engineering curriculum. The doubts started again: Maybe this really wasn’t for me?
I went to the TA office hours for help. I would go every day and worked tirelessly. One of the head TA’s became a mentor and friend of mine, encouraging me to not give up, and helped me push through problems to truly understand them. She not only developed my skills, but also my self-efficacy related to statics. On the next three exams, I got perfect scores. These mentors during my engineering journey not only taught me self-efficacy but showed me how to work smarter. I learned to apply my critical thinking skills to my engineering courses, and attack questions with methodologies that helped me focus in on the underlying problem instead of getting caught up in the noise.
My mentors then encouraged me to apply to a teaching assistant position the following semester, in order to help others in my situation who were on the verge of dropping the class and their engineering degrees. I ended up TAing for statics for 4 semesters, helping to develop exam questions and curriculum. I held weekly office hours and developed a following of students who thought they wouldn’t be able to recover after a failed first exam. But I helped show them how to attack the problems, and succeed. And this would never have happened if not for mentors who had encouraged me to believe in my abilities and to try something so outside of my comfort zone.
Weed out classes need to be addressed. I am not saying to make engineering easier, but there needs to be more of an emphasis on truly learning and engaging with the material instead of having students focus on strategizing through the class to get a good grade. This can be solved with professors who aren’t trying to prove their intelligence to a class, who really want to teach this material in an engaging way. Physics (as well as calculus and chemistry) should be classes that get students excited and interested in learning more, not a complete turn off to STEM. It can also be solved by realigning departmental incentives to focus on promoting student success, instead of grooming the top X% of students for high earning returns.
Community Engagement builds Retention
In my experience, you are significantly less likely to drop out of engineering if you are successfully involved outside of school in engineering related activities. In future classes where I questioned my abilities, I would always fall back on experiences that had bolstered me — like my TA experiences, internships, and research positions. If I am successful as an engineering TA for a core class, and if my boss over the summer told me I had exceeded expectations and had done a great job on the technical work, then I can get through this! I am a good engineer!
This is especially true for quality summer experiences, like research and internships. If you are able to get an opportunity to apply what you learned in classes to a broader scope, it is amazing to see how your perspective changes when you get back to school. You understand that bigger picture of what being an engineer looks like, and you are able to realize that your problem solving and teamwork skills are immensely important. Grades, while still important, seem less of an emphasis.
These little reminders of past experiences and successes were the source of my strength during harder times. After a while, I stopped crying after exams I thought I didn’t do well on. I wasn’t afraid to ask questions to get extra help. If I failed a quiz, I would just be sure to do better next time. I had built resilience.
If you can keep the bigger picture of why you want to be an engineer in mind, and find ways to help you persevere through, you are going to make it through the engineering curriculum. Your mind shifts to focus on how to apply your skills and what you’ve learned to your engineering career. You now understand that engineering is a long-term goal that takes commitment. The time you spend in the library now instead of being out at a bar will pay off in a secure job you’re passionate about. You will be making a steady income and feel like you’re making a difference. Engineering is not always the easy road, but it is well worth it in the end.
So I encourage you all to think about how you can support your friends, students, colleagues and children in their decision to pursue a STEM degree. It takes a village to raise a child, and it takes multiple villages to help guide individuals through the engineering curriculum. But it can be done, and I encourage everyone to join the conversation on how we can build long-lasting interest in STEM careers for both men and women.
Images from RF images123 and Daphna Krause Photography.
Interested in learning how to leverage critical thinking to drive decision making? Be on the lookout for my upcoming book release (co-authored with my dad)!