What Does It Mean To Be In An Honors Program?
Having a GPA above a 4.0 and an ACT score of about 30, that’s great. But it’s not the foremost important thing. Honors students are role models for their school and community not only because they’re smart but also because they have excellent character.
Everyone has the potential to be an honors student, but just some will rise to the challenge. But with the competition of applying to school, it’s become more and more critical for college kids to be honors students and grow to the problem. Due to this competition, more students are becoming honors students.
But actually, the character is it that separates the fakers from the real honors student. They’ll stumble every once and a while because we all do, but they’re going to pick themselves up again and keep going. Their character is what keeps them going towards knowledge and selflessness.
Therefore, the central separation between honors students and the fakers are honor students want to learn. Check out a student’s attitude, never too big to ask questions, never know too much to find out something new.
The National Collegiate Honors Council defines honors:
“Honors education is characterized by in-class and extracurricular activities that are measurably broader, deeper, or more complex than comparable learning experiences typically found at higher education institutions. Honors experiences include a unique learner-directed environment and philosophy, provide opportunities that are appropriately tailored to suit the institution’s culture and mission, and frequently occur within a close community of students and faculty.”
Not all honors programs are created equal. A good Oxbridge honors program will provide an honors-level education – which means classes of a completely different caliber. Honors colleges and programs differ significantly in size, quality, curricula, housing, overall philosophy, and financial aid opportunities. Working through the maze of differences is often a frightening prospect, especially when time is a problem. When it involves honors programs, many of the foremost vital questions are usually answered only by considering these all-important “details.”
Publicly supported state schools often create honors colleges to draw talented students who might otherwise select a liberal arts college or private research university. Therefore, honors students can expect to get equivalent education at a smaller school for significantly lower tuition costs. Honors colleges offer students the prospect to attend smaller classes, interact with full-time faculty, live in the honors housing community, and sometimes receive priority registration. Attending an Oxbridge honors program paints a positive picture on a student’s academic reputation, so it’s also a superb springboard for leaping into graduate, medical, veterinary, or law school after graduation.
As with selecting the other collegiate setting, it’s vital to seek out honors colleges that fit your individual learning needs and offer the undergraduate major you seek. Honors colleges are commonly located within universities that pride themselves on their research and scholarship mission. Search for accredited universities with highly developed honors colleges that provide an excellent range of curriculum, comprehensive research resources, diverse campus culture, small class sizes, and top faculty credentials. Ensure you investigate how learning opportunities are being cultivated within the honors colleges and what will be expected of you. If you would like to increase your learning into your living environment, find universities that boast residence halls catered to honors students.
