How to prepare your high school students for success as an engineering major
For many students, the transition from high school to college is challenging, regardless of their major. Even top performing students (valedictorians, gasp!) are often surprised at how much study time is required at the college level and how critical thinking skills – not memorization – are required for student success. We consulted with academic advisors in The University of Akron’s College of Engineering to hear what they’re seeing when meeting with students for the first time, and what tips they have for high school teachers to better prepare their students for success.
Pictured: Diane Burrowbridge (left) and Gail Tankersley (right)
1. It's no surprise: Students experience growing pains during their first few months at college.
UA engineering freshman spend an average of 8-12 hours per week outside of the classroom studying for a four-credit math course, which can be a big adjustment for students who spend only a few hours a week studying for all their high school courses.
“Many students don’t realize the amount of freedom they’ll have once in college. How to manage their time is a whole new world for them and can lead to distractions and reinforce poor study habits,” says Diane Burrowbridge, Coordinator of Academic Advising for the College of Engineering.
When students get their first low grade on a test (usually a math test) they are shocked.
“I see it all the time. Students haven’t developed strong study skills in high school,” says Gail Tankersley, Academic Advisor for the College of Engineering. “They’re excellent at memorization but when it comes to applying the concepts, they struggle.”
Advisors suggest helping students develop strong study skills in high school, like encouraging students to find their ideal study spot such as their home or coffee shop where there are fewer distractions. Students should designate the same time every day to study there and block out the time on their calendar weeks in advance, so their time is already spoken for.
Also, many college math courses do not allow students to use a calculator so many students have a hard time adjusting. Whenever possible, encourage your students to go without calculators for their classroom work.
2. Help students challenge themselves with math and science.
In recent years, UA academic advisers in the College of Engineering have reported an increase in the number of conversations with students who have expressed an interest in engineering and other STEM careers without understanding the implications of such a choice. For instance, students often report that they enjoy working on cars and thus would like to be a mechanical engineer not realizing what mechanical engineers actually do. More importantly, they often do not realize the role mathematics plays in becoming a successful engineer.
There are always success stories of students who start with Basic Math and then go on to be a brilliant engineer. But – that takes time, money, and patience. Advisors recommend that teachers push students to challenge themselves in high school to develop strong math and science skills. Whenever possible, students should take AP or Honors Chemistry, Physics, and Calculus. In order to take Calculus I at UA, students need to have qualifying placement scores or a 28 ACT.
“Observation tells us that students who do not shrink from the rigors of a strong math and science curriculum in high school stand a much better chance of success in college,” says John Lanshe, Assistant Director in the UA College Academic Advisement Center. “The further students have gone in math the better. Students who complete chemistry and physics do better. Maybe more importantly, students who have done a decent job doing career planning in high school seem to thrive here.”
UA advisors suggest that high school teachers occasionally give students college formatted math exams to show that they will involve comprehending and remembering a greater volume of information. Along with your students, review college curriculum guides online so students know what classes they can better prepare for. Conduct timed drills of math tests.
3. Don’t overlook the importance of writing.
A successful engineer has a deep understanding of the technical skills required to do their jobs, but also demonstrates proficiency in writing for business.
“We see so many talented students who need extra support with their writing skills,” says Tankersley. “Engineers need to write technical reports. Plus, they often work with product developers, marketing and R&D teams. People need to understand what they are explaining, so being able to write using non-technical language is so important.”
Teachers should challenge their students to, when giving presentations or writing reports, write for a non-technical audience. Provide them with basic writing assignments like business emails, executive summaries for a report, even a very simple grant proposal.
4. Continue to develop soft skills.
There is a strong correlation between strong soft skills, such as being able to give presentations, manage your time, listen to others, and contribute to a team project, to engineering student success. Engineering is a wide and varied field that requires much more than technical aptitude.
“Soft skills are absolutely critical,” says Tankersley. “More individual and group presentations need to happen in high school. This helps with team building and cooperative learning. There isn’t a job out there where you don’t work on teams or committees.”
UA academic advisors recommend providing students with long term projects with due dates to get students in the practice of sticking to deadlines and managing projects – and – holding them accountable as a college professor would do. Since design engineers develop new and better ways of doing things and are often required to pitch their ideas to an audience, provide students with fast-pitch challenges and award prizes. Time the pitches, and have the students vote on the winner.
Get students excited about STEM careers.
For many students, high school educators are a student’s “first look” into possible careers. Outside of what their parents or family members do for a living, the impact teachers have at this stage of a student’s development is monumental.
“As a former high school teacher myself, I know how influential teachers are in introducing possible career paths to students,” says Tankersley. “In addition to preparing students for an engineering college curriculum, teachers should balance that with getting get kids excited about all the opportunities available in STEM fields.”
UA academic advisors suggest offering shadowing opportunities where high school students visit professional engineers at the workplace. Inviting engineers to come to class to give a presentation on what their work day is like is another way to expose students to engineering careers and open the door to exciting possibilities.
Dig deep into personal motivations to pursue this path.
Academic advisors at UA report that students come to them having been exposed to the “fun” side of engineering in high school but seem surprised at the rigor and discipline required to succeed in the more challenging coursework of math and science. The engineering field is indeed exciting, fun, and rewarding but students should understand that behind every 3D structural image of a bridge or lab experiment is a process that requires planning, strategic thinking, often complex math equations, and major technical skills. Helping STEM students develop a deeper understanding of the engineering field will help them in the long run.
“For students interested in engineering, teachers should ask the question ‘What is motivating you to be an engineer?’ If the answer is ‘I like to build things’ use that as an opportunity to educate students as to what classes they will take as an engineering major and overall what qualities a successful engineer needs to have,” says Lanshe.
Money isn’t everything, yet too often it is a motivating factor for students in deciding to be an engineer. According to GlassDoor, the average salary of an engineer is $ 89,179. For comparison, nurses make on average $76,710 and graphic designers $52,589.
UA advisors suggest sitting down with students to dig deeper into personal motivations and help to paint an accurate picture of what is involved with engineering careers.
Final words of wisdom.
High school is an exciting time for students to feed their curiosity and develop a greater understanding of the skills needed to be successful in a STEM field. As the field of engineering continues to grow, the UA College of Engineering should be an option for students who demonstrate excellence in their STEM areas and are enthusiastic about the idea of making a difference in the world. Keep challenging your students in math and science, help your students understand college engineering requirements, keep opening their minds to new and exciting possibilities into STEM careers, and help develop strong communication and study skills. With your support, they are well on their way to becoming a successful #FutureEngineer.