AmeliaStClair BrendaMcKenna Writing1010 11/1/2013

GradesKeepWomenOutOfSTEM
IrememberwhenIgotmyfirstbadgrade.Abig,redletteronapieceofpaperIhadonce hopedwasperfect.Clearly,itwasnt.Likeeveryoneelseastheweekspassed,Itriedtohideitinthe backofmymind,soitwouldbetoofarawaytoreacheveragain.Asyoucantell,Iwasntableto forgetit. Practicallyeveryonehashadoneofthosemoments.Theyhaveachoicethen:toignorethebad grade,ortoletitaffectthem.Butproblemsemergefrombothofthosedecisions.Iftheyignorethefirst one,thereisnoreasontonotignoreeverythingelse.Butmanystudentsletgradesaffectthem.Theyfeel thestingofthebadgradeforweeks,evenmonths,anditbecomesapainfulmemorythatrefusestobe erased. Ifeltthepainofmybadgrade,andIwasnotalone.Infact,manyotherwomeninSTEM programsfeelthesamestingofdoingbadlyinaclass. STEMstandsforscience,technology,engineeringandmath.Currently,thereisasignificantlack ofwomeninbothSTEMjobsandclasses.Why?AccordingtoCBSNews,STEMclasseshavethe loweststudentGPAspossible. MyfirstbadgradewasinaSTEMclass,andImnotaloneinthatmatter.Manywhohave goneintocollegehadgoodgradesuntilthatoneclass.Forthemajoritythatoneclassreferstoa STEMclass.Thetestsaretypicallymoredifficult,andthecourseworktendstobemorestrenuous.The topicsaresobroadthatwhatyoustudycouldendupnotbeingonthetestwhatsoever. ItisnowonderthatmanyfeeldiscouragedanddontwanttocontinueoninSTEMclasses.

Studentsstartoutexpectingtoreceivegoodgrades,andthenaresurprisedwiththeopposite.Andafter onebadgrade,oftenanotherbadgradefollows. Anditgetsworsewitheachconsecutivebadgrade.Asgradesgodown,sodoesselfesteem andselfworth.InastudypublishedintheJournalofSocialIssues,itwasfoundthat80%ofthe studentssurveyedbasedtheirselfworthonacademicperformance.That80%arethepeoplewho weretrainedfromtheverybeginningtocovetgrades:todoanythingtoavoidgettingabadgrade.But sometimeseventhelargesteffortwillnotleadtogoodgrades.Incollegeclasses,themajorityofthe gradeforaclasscomesfromthegradereceivedonatest.Inthesamestudy,itwasalsofoundthat studentswhobasedtheirselfworthonacademicperformancedidnotreceivehighergradesdespite beinghighlymotivatedandstudyingmorehourseachweekthanstudentswhodidnotrateacademic performanceasimportanttotheirselfesteem.Thestudyleadstothoughtsthatinsteadofgradesbeing motivatorsforlearning,theycaninfactbeaninhibitor.Forthosewhousedthegradesasmotivation, theyappeartohaveahardertimeofgettingthegradestheywant,comparedtothosewhorelyonother meansofmotivation.Infact,thestudentswhousedgradesasmotivationhadreportsofgreaterstress comparedtotheirfellowstudents. Themanywhoarediscouragedbecauseofbadgradeswilltendtostayawayfromclassesthat willgivethemthosebadgrades.Afterall,abadgradeisanunpleasantmemorythatcouldleadtoaloss ofselfesteemandanincreaseofstress.InthewordsofafemalestudentinasurveyfromtheUniversity ofCapeTown,IjustdidntlikethefactthatIhadfailed,soIjustmovedontosomethingelse.Thisis whathappensformanywomenwhoattempttogointoSTEMprograms.Scarredfromabad experience,theymoveontofindgreenerpastures,andwithit,leaveanypossiblecontributionstothe STEMsocietyfarbehind.

FemalestudentsencountermanythingsthathinderthemincontinuingSTEMclassesand programs.Ofthat,seeminglybadgradesarethemostpredominantinkeepingwomenoutofSTEM. Luckily,thatproblemcanbefixed. WhenIgotmyfirstbadgrade,Ididntwanttokeepgoingwithschool.Infact,Iwantedtogive upandgositonmyparentscouchfortherestofmylifeasafailure.ItwouldhavebeeneasytodoifI couldgetmyparentstoletme.ButImadetheharderchoice.Iacceptedthebadgradeandcontinued ontothenextchapter,determinedtogetabettergradesoIcouldprove,totheworldandmyself,thatI wasntthefailuremygradesaidIwas.ThatIcouldbebetter. ThatshowIsurvivedmyfirstbadgrade.Iacceptedthepastandfocusedonthefuture.MyC ingeometrycoulddealwithitself,becausefrankly,Iwasdonewithitoccupyingmymind. TheanswertothelackofwomeninSTEMprogramsistoshowwomenthatonebadgrade doesnotidentifythem,andthatjustbecausetheylostonebattlethewarisntover.Afterall,inthe wordsofBettyShanahan,theCEOoftheSocietyofWomenEngineers,AscientistwithaCin physicsisstillascientist.Whatshouldberegisteredtostudentsasimportantshouldntbethegrades, butthefactthattheyattemptedsomethingdifficult,andthattheworldisntoverjustyet.Withadeep breath,thingscanchange. Therearemanythings,incollegesespecially,thatcanhelpbadgradesaway.Therestutoring, andprofessorsgenerallyenjoyhelpingtoclearupmisunderstandingandanswerquestionsaboutthe subjectstheyteach.Thereisalsoavarietyofonlineresourcestohelpstudentslearn,iftheyarewilling todevoteenougheffortintotheirlearning.Ifthestudentispreparedtotryharder,theycanaccomplish anything. Whenthatcanbeseen,womencanmoveonfromfocusingontheirmistake,andturntheir

focusontothefutureandimprovingthemselves.Theywilldevotetheireffortintonothavingaperfect grade,butgettingabettergradefromthelastone.Realizingthatwhathashappenedinthepastcannot bechangediskey. Everyonewillhaveafirstbadgrade,evenifitdoesntseembadtoothers.Whatshouldbe doneistoshowthatthenextgradedoesnthavetobejustasbad.Doingsowillhelpallowwomento stayinSTEMprogramsandparticipateinchangingtheworldwiththeirfellowstudents. Becauseeveryonedeservestohaveasecondchance.

Sources:

STEMDisconnectLeavesWomen,MinoritiesBehindKelseySheehy http://www.apa.org/monitor/dec02/selfesteem.aspx http://www.now.org/issues/title_ix/20071012oped.html http://www.cbsnews.com/8301505145_16237241878/5hardestandeasiestcollegemajors bygpas/ http://it.stlawu.edu/~lrediehs/grading_files/interp.htm ejse.southwestern.edu/article/download/7748/5515 http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/doublex/2013/05/the_case_against_grades_they_lower _self_esteem_discourage_creativity_and.html