Hang in there! You are somebody’s hope. There is a rumor mulling around in colleges across the land that science, technology, engineering, and math are the “hardcore” fields that some advance, others try, and many avoid. Women and minorities are grossly underrepresented in STEM careers and the numbers continue to decline. In a 2010 Bayer Corp. survey of 1,226 women and underrepresented minority chemists and chemical engineers, 40 percent said they were discouraged from pursuing a STEM career. Sixty percent said college was where most of the discouragement happened. STEM careers offer a rewarding journey of innovation and powerful contributions, solutions, and tools that secure and advance our future. So, what do you need to do to overcome challenges and succeed in these fields? At the end of this workshop, college students will: a. Explore STEM Stats and common reasons students get discouraged b. Create a resource toolbox and networking plan to overcome challenges c. Explore 7 key habits that can increase success d. Examine the benefits and options of a great STEM Career Path

1. October 11–13, 2012
Creating Your Best Future!
The 7 Habits of Successful Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Math Students

2. Today’s Panel
Moderator
Kandice Cole
Administrative Assistant for
Director of Project UNITE, Tarrant NET
Speaker 1
Mike Mozingo
Math Teacher & AVID Teacher/Coordinator
Speaker 2
Sultan H. Cole
Director of Project UNITE, Tarrant NET

3. Although women fill close to half of all jobs in the U.S. economy,
they hold less than 25 percent of STEM jobs. This has been
the case throughout the past decade, even as college-
educated women have increased their share of the overall
workforce. 100
80
52%
60 76%
Men
40
Women
Source: Office of the Chief Economist.
U.S. Department of Commerce,
Economics and Statistics Administration. (2011).
20 48%
Women in stem: A gender gap to innovation
(ESA Issue Brief #04-11). Retrieved from website:
24%
http://www.esa.doc.gov/Reports/
women-stem-gender-gap-innovation
0
All jobs STEM jobs

4. • Women with STEM jobs earned 33 percent more than
comparable women in non-STEM jobs – considerably higher
than the STEM premium for men. As a result, the gender
wage gap is smaller in STEM jobs than in non-STEM jobs.
• Women hold a disproportionately low share of STEM
undergraduate degrees, particularly in engineering.

5. • Women with a STEM degree are less likely than their male
counterparts to work in a STEM occupation; they are more
likely to work in education or healthcare.
Male Female Female
2000 2009 2000 2009 2000 2009
STEM total 5,321 5,640 1,680 1,790 24% 24%
Computer science and math 2,202 2,534 940 929 30% 27%
Engineering 2,185 2,079 318 330 13% 14%
Physical and life sciences 551 553 310 374 36% 40%
STEM managers 382 474 111 157 23% 25%

6. Why STEM?
In the next six years, more than a million jobs will
open up that require specialized technology skills,
according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
But there won’t be enough qualified college
graduates to fill them.
That means job security and increased pay.

7. Why STEM?
• According to a survey by Harris Interactive –
– Forty-nine percent of female STEM students say it
was to make a difference.
– 61% of male students said that games or toys in
their childhoods sparked their interest.
– For 68% of the female respondents, a teacher or
class got them interested in science, math,
engineering or technology.

8. 7 Habits of Successful STEM Students
• Habit 1: Do not wait for someone to tell you
what to do.
– Ask questions.
– Make a plan.
– Read. Read. Read.

9. 7 Habits of Successful STEM Students
• Habit 2: Never lose sight of the goal.
– Set goals for yourself.
– Make a plan to reach those goals.
– Stick to the plan.

10. 7 Habits of Successful STEM Students
• Habit 3: Education Comes First
– Set aside time in your calendar for study and do
not violate it.
– Find peers that can hold you
accountable.
– Remember why you are in school.

11. 7 Habits of Successful STEM Students
• Habit 4: Form a study group.
– Different perspectives and strategies are the key.
– Give as much as you give.
– Respect each others’ times.

12. 7 Habits of Successful STEM Students
• Habit 5: Understand the concept and not just
the solution.
– Your homework, quiz or test is not the end goal.
– If you do not understand why the answer is
correct, you do not understand.
– Concepts are transferable. Tricks are not.

13. 7 Habits of Successful STEM Students
• Habit 6: Join professional and campus STEM
organizations.
– Find mentors in your future career.
– Find peers that are on the same journey.
– Get to know the professors from other fields.

14. 7 Habits of Successful STEM Students
• Habit 7: Find balance.
– Get involved in something artistic.
– Find friends who are not in STEM majors.
– Find time to relax, refuel, and refocus.