STEM Sister Summit April 4- 5, 2013

We will have a brand new post next week.  In the meantime, please check out the STEM Sister Summit happening April 5-6th. To learn more contact info@sistersummit.org.

Women’s HERstory Month: A Celebration of Women’s Contributions to STEM

By Maranda C. Ward, MPH

It’s Monday morning and you have a class presentation. So you pull out your favorite suit and notice it is filled with crinkles and creases. No problem. Thanks to Sarah Boone, who invented the ironing board in 1892, you can expertly place your suit on the board and get out those pesky wrinkles. Before you get dressed, you will appreciate the fact that you do not have to take a cold shower, but can use hot water thanks to an invention by Ida Forbes because she invented the electric hot water heater in 1917. This wonderfully genius invention allows you to wash your face, brush your teeth and shower in a temperature that suits your fancy. Next, you pull out a clean mug from the dishwasher made by Josephine Cochran in 1872. You can now sip on you coffee and get your day started. As you head out, you notice it’s raining as you run to your car. It’s all good because the windshield wiper was ingeniously crafted by Mary Anderson in 1903 and this invention allows you to see past the raindrops and navigate safely to your destination.

All of these women, and more, have contributed in meaningful ways to advancements in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Today, there are more opportunities to pursue a career in STEM. Many of these STEM oriented schools seek to encourage students (especially those underrepresented such as women and people of color) to pursue a STEM career. March is National Women’s History Month. The 2013 theme is Women Inspiring Innovation through Imagination: Celebrating Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

The Programming Committee of the Tripod Foundation Inc. is supporting the 2013 STEM Sister Summit from April 5-6th for D.C. area middle and high school girls. This overnight summit at the National 4-H Center will introduce a new generation of girls to professional women who currently working in the world of STEM. This event will be a day of shadowing, mentoring, motivational speakers and team building. For more information on National Women’s History Month and the list of STEM women honorees visit http://www.nwhp.org/whm/honorees2012.php.

5 things you should know/do now before heading to college

Read newspapers daily

You may or may not be a news junkie and it might never be your favorite thing to do but reading the newspaper and keeping up with the news is important to your success in school and in life.  Keeping up with the news will help you connect with the info you are learning in class with what is going on in the world. It also helps you look more informed and generally smart.  Even if you only have time to keep up on the headlines you will be ahead of the game.  We recommend reading the NY Times and the Washington Post but there are many other reputable news sources that should be in your regular rotation.  Look at CNN, The Wall Street Journal, Time and Newsweek.  No matter what you do just make sure you are reading a variety of sources and that you are in tune with what is happening in society. 

Don’t be shocked when you are asked to read through the entire textbook in a semester

I think this is one of the most shocking things you will learn within the first few weeks of school.  In college you will go through a textbook that took you a whole year in high school within a few weeks and also have to read supplemental material.  So be aware that college moves fast and you cannot wait until the last minute to read the assigned chapters.  Some professors won’t even reference the book in class but will expect you to speak about it in projects and papers.  So do yourself a favor and make sure you read everything you are asked to.

Actually go to class

The temptation is certainly there to not go to class.  Your mom isn’t there waking you up for class and your dad isn’t there to drive you to school.  It’s all up to you to get it together and actually go to class.  Sure you may not need to go to class but then if you didn’t need to go to class then why are you in college?  You are there to learn from your professors, classmates etc.  So going to class is an important tool in your success kit.  Plus you or someone is paying for it and at more that $1,000 per credit hour missing class ads up and then you aren’t getting your money’s worth and college is way too expensive for that. 

Do your assignments on time

Given the short window you have in college to take classes (a semester fly’s by) you will not have a lot of time to play catch up. In college your professors are far less lenient on accepting late assignments.  So getting your work done on time is imperative to your success and will help you to graduate on time and keep your stress down to a minimum.  Also you will have several classes you need to keep up with and if you fall behind in just one it will be hard to keep up.   

Get organized and get a calendar.

Lastly, which may actually need to be your first objective is to get a calendar.  The syllabus you receive is your contract with the class and it lists out every single date something is due.  Once you receive the syllabuses put all of the dates into your Google calendar or write it down in your planner. Doing this means there are no surprises.  Realizing you have a 10 page paper due before spring break and another research project that will take the entire semester to write will allow you to prioritize your life and put your best foot forward.    Being organized is something you should already be in the habit of doing but if you aren’t that type of person you will need to become that type of person in order to stay ahead in college.

In First Person: My Experience with a College Club

By Crystal Frederick

Everyone gets excited at the prospect of going to college.  New experiences, new locations, new people and then there is the whole higher learning thing too. Yes, college offers freshman numerous possibilities and serves as a crucial gateway to the, ‘real world’.  However, like with most big steps in life the good can come with some potential bad if you are not careful.  One of those areas can happen when one is looking to embark on extracurricular activities. Here is my experience.

I was nervous on my first day of college classes.  The campus was huge and there were a lot of buildings to navigate in a short amount of time.  It was quite a relief after the first day’s hustle and bustle that I made a friendly acquaintance.  She immediately invited me to an event already.  My new friend, let’s call her Amy, had invited me to a bible study/meet and greet happening the next day.  I went, had fun, and met what I thought were some great new people.  So, without a second thought I joined up with this bible study group.

Unfortunately for me things were not as innocent as they first seemed.  I quickly learned that this group was controlling, secretive and manipulative.  They wanted to hang out with me ALL the time.  Amy was always around me, but would never speak about our group activities when non-group members were around.   The group demanded all sorts of personal information from me and then shared it with the entire group.  If all of that wasn’t bad enough Amy informed me that if I was being true to the group and myself I would also need to break up with my boyfriend.

In the end I was able to get out of the group without too much trouble.   I had a great support system that helped me gain some much needed perspective.  Unfortunately my story is not a unique one.

So, here are a few tips to help you avoid finding yourself in a similar situation:

1. Check with your registrar or administration office– colleges and universities keep lists of sanctioned campus groups.  Before joining a perspective organization get this list from the university and make sure they are on it.  I didn’t think to do this, and no this group was not sanctioned by the university.
    
2. Read your mail – Before joyfully going off to college read ALL the material the university sends your way.  Often times if the university is having a problem with a particular group they will send information around warning students about them.  The summer after freshman year I was going through old unopened mail and found an article sent to me by the university prior to the start of the semester warning of this particular group.
   
3. Talk to current members – Before you get to heavy into any new group talk to a few of their current member.  See if they seem well adjusted.  Be very wary of secrecy.  Amy would never talk about the group when my roommates where around.

Finally, if you do find yourself in a group or situation that makes you feel uncomfortable in anyway talk to your advisory or a university counselor.  One thing you should learn early on in college is it’s never a bad thing to ask for help and the sooner you ask the better.  FYI, that goes for your chem. lab as well. College can and should be one of the best times of your life, so do your due diligence and avoid groups with hidden agendas.