Science is not an easy field to be in. Some students pursuing science degrees say challenges such as gatekeeping and unwelcoming academic cultures can make staying in the field more difficult.

Students have reported facing exclusionary behavior from professors, and at times, even recruiters for professional programs.

​“I don’t like going to a class where they do not cover background beforehand,” said Malik Barbrie, a student majoring in chemistry. “I have not had a good foundation for some topics, and I feel like we are judged for things that we may not always know.”

​This sentiment is not uncommon among students majoring in the sciences. Many students feel judged by their professors and hesitate to approach them even when they are struggling in their classes. A lot of students who have a different learning style or a different personality that is not typically seen in the sciences also struggle to fit within the sciences.

​Many students who have taken science classes, whether majoring in the field or not, have encountered dismissive attitudes from instructors while trying to learn. They have complained that it seems like a lot of people in the sciences, including processors and sometimes even other students and recruiters, tend to gatekeep the field intentionally or unintentionally. A student also mentioned recruiters for professional programs shaming and discouraging them from applying because of their grade point average.

​Gatekeeping new students from the sciences has been a conflicting topic, with some believing that science needs to be more welcoming and others wondering where the line is drawn between obstacles in the field and accountability.

​“If we gatekeep and we only allow certain people to the table, the perspective gets narrow, and it doesn’t drive innovation,” Dr. Hugh Broome, an associate teaching professor of chemistry, said. “It leads to blind spots in research which other people who have different life experiences can bring to light.”

​Broome also added how many people think that science needs to be hard, and while some people try to maintain a high standard of knowledge, they fail to help students achieve that standard. Broome acknowledged the importance of challenging themselves to be better in their field, but also mentioned that it is important to guide and support students who are not as confident in their abilities yet.

​On the opposing side of the argument, some people question if claiming that gatekeeping is driving them away from science is just a way to dodge accountability. They claim that science is not easy to understand, and that can be frustrating for a lot of students. In such cases, students could be placing the blame on other people to avoid introspection and accountability.

​The sentiment of people trying to dodge accountability by other people is also not uncommon in the sciences. However, that does not account for the people who might already be in disadvantaged positions when they enter the field.

​“I grew up in an area that did not really place much emphasis on education, so it is harder to have resources to further my education,” Barbrie said. “There are some things you can fix, but then there is accessibility.”

​Some people also hold the opinion that it is very important to be encouraging and supportive because of the current lens that is being used to view scientists. They explained that while being a scientist has been prestigious for most of history, scientists are being depicted as non-transparent and calculative.

​“Unfortunately, science is being seen in a negative light recently,” said Peyton Champion, a graduate student. “It is very important now to be united and inviting to young and eager minds.”