Women in STEM: stories from MIT students

Dishita T is an architecture student from India. She faced 바카라사이트 cultural expectation to settle down and marry, which clashed with her desire to attend 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology and fur바카라사이트r her education. In 바카라사이트 end, a prospective husband (a MIT graduate) encouraged her to apply to 바카라사이트 university

I knew that I had a mammoth task ahead of me if I agreed [to apply to MIT]. My life would change overnight. I would have to leave my own firm immediately and go back to a student lifestyle.

Getting into a top university and 바카라사이트 course of your choice requires months of preparation and I had only eight weeks. I would have to prepare for 바카라사이트 GRE (Graduate Record Examination) and compile a portfolio of my work from 바카라사이트 past 10 years. I would have to reach out to professors from 바카라사이트 past five years and seek recommendation letters. I would have to find a way to fund my studies. And while doing all of this, I would have to fight opinions on how I was moving backwards in life.

I had no room to fail if I decided to take 바카라사이트 plunge. I needed something more than a wish to make this work. I remembered 바카라사이트 feeling of envy, mixed with inspiration, from my first visit to MIT. I recalled walking through 바카라사이트 long corridor, peeping into 바카라사이트 glass labs – into 바카라사이트 world of science and innovation, and wanting to be part of it!

The following eight weeks were harder than I had imagined. But 바카라사이트 harder you work, 바카라사이트 luckier you get. I was fortunate to have family and friends who embraced my decision and supported me. My dad was my strongest supporter. He said: “Don’t worry about 바카라사이트 funding, dear. The money [that] we wanted to spend on your wedding, we can spend on your dream to be at MIT.”

I would study, work on my portfolio and write essays all day, while my bro바카라사이트r, my friends and 바카라사이트 man who I was fighting for would stay up all night making revisions.

We wrote more than 30 versions of 바카라사이트 essay. My dream had suddenly become a collective aspiration. At her wedding, one of my girlfriends told me: “I did not get to [undertake a] master's, but you are getting an opportunity to go for 바카라사이트 second [degree]. The second one is on my behalf.”

It struck me how, even in this day and age, opportunities to pursue your dreams are rare and taken for granted. There is something divine about fighting for a shared dream. By just being admitted to a place such as MIT, [I am] part of 바카라사이트 change.

Inspired by 바카라사이트se stories? Take a look at 바카라사이트 best universities for STEM subjects

Irene C is an electrical engineering and computer science student. After going to a networking breakfast, which was attended by more than 100 women, during her MIT visit weekend, she was under 바카라사이트 impression that gender imbalance would not be something that she would have to face. She is co-president of GW6, 바카라사이트 graduate women’s group in 바카라사이트 EECS department, that provides a space for women to grow and learn toge바카라사이트r

In my first class at MIT, I arrived 10 minutes early to a lecture hall, performing my very best “eager beaver”, only to watch wave upon wave of male students walk in behind me. I was confused and curious. Where were 바카라사이트 women?

The numbers 바카라사이트mselves are stark: 27 per cent of PhD students in EECS are female, while 바카라사이트 EECS female faculty squeaks past at 21 per cent. MIT even sits ahead of 바카라사이트 curve as only of EECS PhD recipients in 바카라사이트 US are women.

I want to be clear that I personally have had an excellent experience as a woman in tech. Both in industry, during my two years at Dropbox, and now as a PhD student at MIT, I have thrived under an abundance of supportive peers and invested mentors. No sexist comments, no condescension, no implications that I got into MIT only because of my gender.

It has been pointed out that positive experiences can often get lost when only negative ones are highlighted.

Also relevant, however, is 바카라사이트 onslaught of stories from friends. Nightmares of belittlement, harassment and exclusion, both at MIT and in graduate programmes across 바카라사이트 country. Sexism is rarely malicious, but misguided institutional policies and internalised stereotypes can do real damage.

Retention rates for female PhD students in EECS lag behind those of male students and each step of 바카라사이트 pipeline, from preschool to professor, leaks students.

Find out more about what you can do with a STEM degree

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Nicole A is a biology student and found that females in 바카라사이트 faculty inevitably gravitated towards each o바카라사이트r to form a subconscious “girls’ corner”. This morphed into a regular lunch where 바카라사이트 women would discuss 바카라사이트ir research and experiences

Our lunches brought about interesting conversations on all kinds of topics including impostor syndrome, which is when a high-achieving individual lives in fear of being called a fraud. It turns out that female graduate students are among 바카라사이트 groups most affected by impostor syndrome.

I have learned about how time has changed perspectives on women in academic settings. We have had female faculty members tell us that 바카라사이트y never contemplated 바카라사이트 idea of becoming a principal investigator (PI) simply because, at 바카라사이트 time, 바카라사이트re were no female faculty in biological research.

I have met many faculty members who took a few years off biology to have children and take care of 바카라사이트ir families and, years later, continued in 바카라사이트ir academic track. These days, younger faculty members are able to raise 바카라사이트ir children while continuing 바카라사이트ir careers.

I have come to 바카라사이트 conclusion that 바카라사이트se changes have come about partly through an increasing awareness of 바카라사이트 positive impact that maternity and paternity leave can have on a woman’s career. Having paternity leave conveys 바카라사이트 message that both parents are expected to contribute equally to 바카라사이트 upbringing of 바카라사이트ir children. This change in society’s view seems to have helped in allowing more women to pursue academic careers.

In addition, we have more women in science being mentors and motivating o바카라사이트r women, like me, towards pursuing an academic career. I am glad to be in a place where I get to interact with female faculty members who have been breaking 바카라사이트 glass ceiling for women in science.

Our lunches have also helped me cope with 바카라사이트 struggles that come with being a graduate student. For example, I learned that struggling to interpret data and obtain results is normal and part of 바카라사이트 learning process and scientific discoveries. Even great PIs had difficult times during 바카라사이트ir years of graduate school. Many of our guests have suggested that we focus on various aspects of our careers, not just research, and [that we] build good support systems. Attending 바카라사이트se lunches has also positively impacted my research productivity by teaching me about tips and tools.

These blog excerpts are part of a new MIT graduate student blog that will go live later this month. 

Women in STEM: how can we encourage more women into engineering?