Many students come in with only inklings of what they want to do with their lives, unsure of what they want to major in. But as classes start and school kicks into full gear, everything begins to shift into place. Certain courses spark a sense of joy and belonging that others may not, and for many students at Colgate University, those classes might be based in science, technology, engineering or mathematics — often known as STEM subjects. Yet, sometimes those STEM majors can feel like there is only one path for them: pre-med.

Senior Teagan Williams, who is concentrating in neuroscience and molecular biology, provided advice to students who are interested in STEM but do not want to enter the medical field.

“[A] STEM major doesn’t necessarily lead to just one path,” Williams said. “There are many different options to consider post-graduation, many of which you may not have even known was a possibility going in.” 

Teagan has chosen to attend graduate school and pursue a PhD in neuroscience, allowing herself to explore her options before choosing what she wants to do for the rest of her life.

Senior Ellen Mannschreck, a chemistry major, is also considering graduate school as a way to find more options within STEM-related fields. However, she has also been looking at joining the workforce, including going into the business side of the STEM field. Her current plan is to take a gap year and then return to school. Many higher-paying jobs within the STEM field require post-graduate education, be it medical school or other graduate schools, opening multiple options for students looking at STEM majors. 

“I’ve always wanted to go corporate and work for a cosmetics company or perfumery, with a focus on formulation,” Mannschrek said. “But a lot of companies need chemists for everything from product design, packaging, lab creation, maintenance testing, etc.”

Mannschrek discussed mixing business and chemistry in a field that she cares about in her daily life, but also the trouble with finding jobs immediately out of college due to a need for outside experience that can be hard to find with just an undergraduate degree.

“Consulting is another option I’ve considered, which allows you to go more into the business side of things, [and] I really like the idea of that,” Mannschrek said. “I can’t speak for all STEM majors, but for chemistry, a lot of specialized jobs require a PhD. [A PhD] opens a ton more doors.”

Senior Carlson Cao, a biochemistry major, echoed similar points.

“Being a chemistry student there are a bunch of choices after Colgate,” Cao said. “Besides pre-med, some people are also considering a pre-engineering degree where they can spend another two years at Columbia University [after completing three years at Colgate] and earn a dual-bachelor’s degree, one in science at Colgate and one in engineering at Columbia.”

Beyond more traditional lab-based work or other kinds of research, Mannschreck also mentioned the possibility of going into the legal industry.

“You can become [an attorney with a chemistry background] where you advise on [things including] intellectual property and patent law which [can be] particularly lucrative,” Mannschrek said. “If you have enough education and you’re good with people, you can also be called in as an expert witness for trials to explain the science.” 

Just like other majors, when it comes to looking for jobs and professions outside of Colgate, it’s important to consider all the different ways of integrating things a student enjoys. 

Within the world of chemistry, there are many career options ranging from law to cosmetics to academia all the way to material chemistry. While working in a more mainstream profession such as law, pharmaceutical or medicine can be seen as more lucrative, the list of possible occupations goes on and on. Each of these seniors has a strong passion for STEM and how they plan to utilize it to benefit society in the future. 

Cao provided valuable advice to students hoping to pursue graduate degrees in STEM fields.

“If considering graduate schools, sticking to the same professor at Colgate for research for a longer time is more helpful than rotating in different labs, […] so deciding who you’re going to work with is important,” Cao said. “Off-campus studies are [also] a valuable experience for understanding how research groups in big universities work. NIH or [the] National University of Singapore are good places based on my own experience.”