6 Tips to Help Prepare You for College-Level STEM Courses
Do your college and career dreams include one or more of the fields of science, technology, engineering, computer science, or mathematics? These areas of study are frequently labeled STEM fields. We’ve compiled our top six tips for how you can better be prepared to succeed in STEM courses in college before you even visit the college campus you’ll ultimately apply to attend with the help of Cornell College’s Associate Director of Dimensions Program for Health Professions Mark Kendall.
1. Complete high-level math courses in high school:
Go all in and take on Algebra 2, Pre-Calc, and/or Calculus.
2. Complete high-level science courses in high school:
Sign up for courses that include time spent in the lab like Biology, Physics, and/or Chemistry.
3. Join STEM-related student organizations or clubs:
Find like-minded friends in Robotics Club, Computer Science Club, Earth Science Club, Math Bowl, or 4-H.
4. Develop strong note-taking skills in high school.
Find a way to prioritize taking notes even while listening, says Kendall. Experiment with effective note-taking strategies and refine them to suit your own style of learning. Does using different colors help you separate key ideas? What about rewriting your notes the night after class to reinforce the key points in your mind?
5. Develop a strong work ethic ...
... and find ways to put in the extra time when you need to do so for a class, while also improving your time management skills so you schedule in breaks, determining how long is just the right amount of time for a break before getting back to your studies, says Kendall.