By Noah Moster
College is the first step into adulthood many young people take in their lives, and it’s full of new experiences and decisions. “Where do I live?”, “What do I do?” and “How do I learn about my career?” are just a couple of the choices that occupy the average university apprentice’s mind daily. To lighten that mental load, here are four friendly websites that can offer a helping hand in the academic field of majors and midnight studies.
1. PhET Interactive Simulations
Link: https://phet.colorado.edu/
At first glance, PhET’s simulations tab at the University of Colorado Boulder may give off a more juvenile appearance, but don’t be fooled. These visual demonstrations are perfect explanations for those struggling with learning their fundamentals in the STEM field or for those considering a change in their career. While many college juniors and seniors may find this knowledge an excellent refresher, PhET simulations help ensure you have the basics of Kepler’s laws or molecule polarity if you’re just starting your major.
2. OpenStax
Link: https://openstax.org/subjects
Textbooks are expensive. There’s no getting around it: dumping a hundred dollars (if you’re lucky) on a book that’ll get you through to the next semester isn’t a fun experience. That’s where OpenStax comes in. OpenStax provides an online education repertoire on various subjects, such as business, mathematics, social sciences, and even nursing, so money isn’t a limit in searching for knowledge.
3. Desmos Graphing Calculator
Link: https://www.desmos.com/calculator
First free textbooks, and now, there are free calculators? What’s this world coming to? The Desmos graphing calculator is a surprising powerhouse, considering the lack of a price tag. With multiple fields of entry for comparing different equations, the ability to save and load previous graphs, and even a compatibility option for Braille in the settings, one has to wonder why a TI-84 costs around $95 on Amazon. Best of all, an account isn’t even needed to use this “device.” Going to the website on your phone can provide you with an on-the-spot graphing calculator anytime! Convenient.
4. Wolfram Alpha
Link: https://www.wolframalpha.com/
A foundational rule of logic is that things of great benefit often come with or can be used to great detriment. Such is the case with fire, the wheel, the plane, and, of course, recently, with AI.
Wolfram Alpha is akin to ChatGPT but is considerably tuned into the world of education. If you want to compute the properties of a polyhedron, it’s got you. Having issues understanding what a moiré pattern is? It has the answer. As if being a goliath of the STEM field wasn’t enough, it can even assist with hypotheticals, such as how many baseballs can fit into a Boeing 747 or the number of watermelons it would require to touch the sun from Earth. Or perhaps you want to find the top ten most famous people named Spencer. Of course, Wolfram Alpha can provide.
This is a fantastic resource for checking one’s work or seeking a greater understanding of a tenuous concept that wasn’t explained adequately in the classroom. This shouldn’t be a substitute for the act of learning itself. So think twice before using this to scrape through algebra because if you use this to cheat through your work, you’ll only hurt yourself and your potential in the process.
Oh, and it can answer questions about knitting needles, too. Isn’t that cool?
As stated beforehand, college is full of new experiences and decisions, which can feel paralyzing. However, it’s also the opening of the world, an understanding that you can do anything and be anyone, so long as you learn and grow in the field you feel passionate about. These are four tools to help with that goal, and hopefully, if used correctly, they can further your knowledge in the STEM sphere (or any educational sphere, for that matter)!
Do you want more resources on the topic of science college/university websites? NSTEM’s vast resources database provides thousands of searchable STEM resources by category, school level, and state. This comprehensive library includes info on enrichment activities, curricula, internships, scholarships, and more. Check out a free sampling here. Or get an NSTEM membership today to unlock the complete list.
When a college/university student achieves membership in the National STEM Honor Society, the recognition, like many colleges, is in a Greek letter format. For the National STEM Honor Society, Epsilon Theta Mu is the designated recognition for members at the college/university level. Students are distinguished and stand out as a result of this recognition, increasing appealing employment and educational opportunities, click here.
