Thinking the stress response is helpful can transform the way people view stress. As author Stanford Prof. McGonigal brashly suggests: "Normally we interpret physical signs of stress as bad. But what if you viewed them instead as signs that your body was energized, was preparing you to meet this challenge? "
In her TED talk How to Make Stress Your Friend, she uses Math to create stress: "I want you all to count backwards from 996in increments of seven. "
An engineering degree promotes problem solving and financial independence. So it's no wonder that people would like to see more women engineers. A recent NYT Op-Ed How to Attract Female Engineers suggests that girls will choose engineering if it has societal benefits. However, I agree more with Human Resources magazine of the UK:many young women do not have the Math/Science prerequisites to study engineering. Taking Math senior year of high school expands college major and career options but in many places including New York only 3 years of Math are required. Check out these resources for both genders to encourage and retain STEM students:The Value of the Fourth Year of Mathematicsfrom Achieve and Stay With It, the virtual support community for engineering students.
