<p>I have decided to not pursue the Honors Program during my freshman/sophomore years at umich. I have instead decided to ease into my first-year of college by hopefully participating in an MLC/other research opportunities. I will also be hoping to pursue a Honors Concentration later on. However, during my first two years, would it be possible to take an honors course without being in the program? Would there be any way to do an override in order to take an honors course if I decided that that's what I wanted?</p>
<p>Any advice on honors courses/pursuing an honors concentration would be greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>If anyone has any advice or comments about first-year seminars, that would also be appreciated!</p>
<p>I don’t think that you can take honors courses without being in the honors program. There are honors tracks within concentrations that don’t require participation in the general honors program. But you have to gain entrance into those concentration level honors as well. I’m not sure of this, but pretty sure.</p>
<p>Why are you passing up honors? Were you invited? I can’t speak for you but I would enter honors if invited. I have been out of school a long time (class of '84) and looking back I think honors would be the place for me. Most all Michigan students are highly intelligent and motivated but honors is a cut above. If you are something of an intellectual, honors is preferable too. There are bright people who are not intellectually inclined. I have several friends like that. High IQs but they never talk about books or ideas. If you are more the latter type, you’ll find compatible people in honors.</p>
<p>You should still be able to take most Honors courses, but I think the majority, or at least a good amount, will require an override from the instructor. If you have certain classes in mind, you can check the [LSA</a> Course Guide](<a href=“http://www.lsa.umich.edu/cg/default.aspx]LSA”>LSA Course Guide). Some classes will have Enforced and Advisory prerequisites listed out, and some will just have sections reserved for students in the Honors College when you click “View All Sections.”</p>
<p>You can definitely take certain honors classes if you’re not in honors, some even without getting permission, but it depends on the course/professor. I know for a fact that general chemistry, both semesters of orgo, and at least physics 135 and probably others have an SSG section you can take that makes the class honors, and anyone can take that. Orgo 2 even has the option of an entirely separate double honors class that anyone can take. I’m sure there are other opportunities like this for other courses as well if you look into it.</p>