Define "smart"?
Is it "smart" to enter a field where the barrier to entry is high but your career half-life is only about 10 years? Where employment prospects are severely diminished after middle age?
Maybe if you were paid really well upfront --- like say a professional athlete. But STEM graduates aren't playing in this sort of league.
Quote from a guy who made billions farming potatoes:
I may not be the smartest person but I can buy all the smart people I need.
https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/W/bo206855...