Getting into STEM
When getting into STEM, as with most other things, it is important to have some degree of interest for the subject or individual topics. Otherwise it just feels like a hassle.
But in a world that's becoming more and more technological, I think there is also a general benefit of a decent technological education and understanding. We don't need to understand stuff down to the last detail, but it can already be very hepful in everyday life. And with the rise of AI, it's also useful when trying to tell reasonable stuff apart from false claims.
For me, STEM was always present in some form. As a son of two physicists (PhD and laboratory technician) one might expect the love for science comes natural to some degree. But that's really not the case. There was a lot of input from my parents and also a certain level of interest among my friends. My mother often practiced stuff like mental arithmetic with me and my siblings and both my parents were able to support us in all kinds of topics, because they were well educated themselves. We also learned a bunch of practical skills, like basic woodworking, changing tires on the car or basic electronics.
In hindsight I am very happy for what they gave me. By now I'm a studied engineer with a job that - for the most part - I love as much as my hobbies. And it feels very rewarding to explain stuff to my parents, after they've explained stuff to me for many years.
Would be cool to know how others got into STEM or how they are getting their children into it. Is it even a big topic for families here or is it just within the flow of things?
Though I don't have any kids myself, I get in touch with many different kids through friends or my sports club. There I always love spreading some fascination for the STEM world and how useful it can be.
As a small bonus, here some photos from my big fascination for Electronics and Microelectronics, both a job and a hobby. And definitely something quite artful.
Nice. Having 2 scientists for parents sounds fun. Where I'm from, people are quick to label themselves by saying things like "oh, I'm not a math person". I think anyone can like STEM if they can somehow develop a personal relationship with it. I think having parents who can nurture that curiosity helps with that. You mentioned that science didn't exactly come naturally to you? Did you ever struggle with science or math in school? Could you always ask your parents for help with math or science homework? Did pursuing a career in electronics even feel like a decision to you or did you decide on it early? I messed around with electronics a bit when I was a kid. I liked making LEDs light up and tried (unsuccessfully) assembling really basic circuits from schematics I found online. I didn't really know what I was doing though, and educational resources on sites like youtube weren't as good as they are now. Do you have any tips or beginner project ideas for someone who wants to pick up electronics as a hobby? I think it'd be cool to look at a schematic and understand how each component works (transistors, capacitors, diodes, etc). But it's obviously a super huge field and I can see myself getting overwhelmed really fast.