<p>Hi! Does anyone have details on the Honors Program at TCNJ? When do accepted students receive the application to the program? What are the pros/cons of joining the program if selected? My biggest concern is the housing situation. I'm afraid of being placed in Cromwell and missing out on the TW experience. Or does that not matter because the Cromwell/honors kids are a great group anyway? Any thoughts or insight on this?</p>
<p>Also, I was anticipating the courses I plan to take in college (assuming I decide to attend TCNJ), and started browsing through TCNJ's Freshman Seminar Program (FSP). For those in the honors program, there are only 6 to choose from. Registration requires us to select our top 6, and then they choose for us. They advice us to take ones that interest us, but it shouldn't be related to our major. This advice is contradictory for the honors kids. It looks like the honors students essentially get the short end of the stick because the honors FSPs are uninteresting in my opinion (even though I know the classes could prove to be just the opposite, depending on the professor). Of course I will try to be open-minded, but I honestly can't imagine being place into some of these (listed below). The only honors FSP that genuinely interests me is "The Science Behind HOUSE," but as a bio major I can't take it or I would have to take another bio class to graduate. </p>
<p>These are the 6 honors FSPs:
FSP 104 H1 Irish Cinema
FSP 111 H2 Mind, Morality, and Free Will
FSP 111 H3 & H4 Menace to Society: The Condemnation of Philosophical Ideas in the Bertrand Russell Case
FSP 111 H5 Early Philosophical Cosmology
FSP 131 H1 The Beatles and Their World
FSP 141 H1 & H2 The Science Behind HOUSE</p>
<p>I understand it is recommended for freshmen in the honors program to take the honors FSP, but has anyone had experience otherwise? What other honors classes are available to freshmen during the first semester?</p>
<p>I know the topics of the FSPs are up to the discretion of the professors. Is there any way to encourage the professors to create a new FSP for the fall?</p>
<p>Please share your opinions and personal experience here...thanks :)</p>
<p>Hey! I am a bio major and in the honors program. I receieved an email/letter asking me to apply to the program sometime in March. I’m prety sure the app was due in by mid April and I believe I was notified by May 1st of my acceptance. Personally, I love living in Cromwell. Yes, the rooms and floors are smaller than those in the towers but you get your own “private” bathroom (you share with your 5 suitemates). Things I consider pros are: private bathroom (I can’t tell you how much we love not having communal bathrooms), laundry on every floor (it’s only on every other floor in the towers), REAL windows (the towers have prison like ones IMO), and the floors are quieter. Cons: smaller rooms (though honestly I don’t mind this at all it’s not like we’ve ever really needed the space), slight isolation from the rest of the freshman class cause the majority is in the towers, and you have to clean your own bathroom. Everyone on my floor is really close and we could never imagine living in the towers. With that being said, it seems to me that the people living in Cromwell love Cromwell and the people living in the Towers love the Towers.</p>
<p>I agree it was kind of annoying having to take an FSP not related to my major (I really wanted to take the House one too). I think the honors students may have chosen their top 3 choices. I was in irish cinema and I have to say I really enjoyed the class. The teacher was really chill and very laid back in terms of due dates of things lol. He’s pretty much willing to work with you and the class did not require much work at all. I also heard the Beatles one is pretty cool but it’s popular and fills up fast. Part of the reason why I chose Irish cinema is because it fulfilled the global requirement. </p>
<p>You don’t have to take and honors FSP. If you choose to not take one, you may not end up living in Cromwell because you are housed based on your FSP. </p>
<p>The nice thing about being a bio major and in the honors program is that they offer Honors Gen Chem I & II (and also possibly Honors Orgo although I’m not too sure I’m gonna go for that lol). Because of this I will be finishing my freshman year with 3 of the 5 honors requirements completed. So if you really really don’t want to take an Honors FSP you may be ok cause you could take Honors chem (if they still offer it). I, too, could not really see myself in any of the FSPs but Irish Cinema turned out to be fairly interesting. </p>
<p>The honors courses/FSPs that are offered vary by semester and year. </p>
<p>Wow thanks for your detailed insight. It definitely cleared some things up for me. In fact, it sounds like Cromwell would suit me better than the towers would. The pros far outweigh the cons in my opinion. Now I’m even excited for the honors FSP!</p>
<p>lol glad I could help! it really seems like the FSPs are what you make of them. i know some were better than others and they’re meant to be writing intensive but you can really have a goodd time if you put in the effort. I also think Cromwell suits me better as well.</p>
<p>I was invited to apply to the honors program. And it was definitely nice to read your insight on it <em>HazelEyez</em>.</p>
<p>Really my only concern about being in the honors program is being isolated from the rest of the freshman class. I know the majority of freshman live in the towers, and do you feel like that affects your social life? Do you end up only hanging out with the people from Cromwell?</p>
<p>Hi! Personally, I do not feel isolated at all. I know I mentioned it as a con before, but only because it seemed to be a common concern among other applicants. Overall I think Cromwell is much quieter than the towers, and I prefer it that way. While the majority of the closest friends I’ve made live in Cromwell (this was kind of expected because we do live near each other), that’s not to say I haven’t made friends/socialize with people from the towers. The majority of my classes (except for the honors ones, and for me that’s only been my chem classes and fsp) are filled with non-honors students so I’ve met a lot of people outside of Cromwell. You also meet people through clubs/activities. Hope that helps!</p>
<p>No it’s not weird at all. Cromwell and the towers are literally right next to each other so it’s not like we live so far away and often there are activities in the towers main lounge and such so I’ve been in the towers several times. </p>
<p>As far as the boy girl ratio, I know the college tries to make the floors as even as possible, but the reality is there’s traditionally been more girls than guys in the incoming class. Therefore, there is more girls than guys on my floor, however from what I’ve seen it doesn’t seem to be that much of an issue elsewhere.</p>
<p>Also, there are tons of people in the towers, so you probably won’t even know whether many people in your class are honors/non-honors or live the cromwell/towers (unless you’re in an honors class :P)</p>
<p>Hey there, I am a freshman currently living in Travers, I have heard from friends that the honors program is not really that worth it in the end, all you get is a title for all of that extra work. I’ve been to Cromwell a bunch of times throughout the year, it is a lot quieter than the towers and it is a little isolated. The rooms are veryy small compared to the ones in the towers and its not as nice. Plus, a lot of incoming freshmen don’t realize, you are not above T-Dubs, the eating place at night. The towers is sweet as hell because you are living right above the late night eating place with some of the best food on campus. All you have to do is walk downstairs at night, cromwell tends to be a little more disconnected from that. Since I’m not honors I can’t really comment too much on the academic portion of it, but where you’ll physically live will make a difference. </p>
<p>Not that living in cromwell is a bad thing at all IMO, but I have a few friends that didn’t really get along with their suitemates and just didn’t know a lot of other freshmen since they were limited by the cromwell people they knew. Its not a universal thing, just something to think about. Especially with the extra work, i think honors isnt worth it</p>
<p>Other students (including those who were not accepted before classes began or who did not apply) join the Program at various points in their college careers. Applicants can pick up application materials in the Honors Program Office in Green Hall 109. To apply, current students must have a GPA of at least 3.5 with at least 16 credits earned at TCNJ.</p>
<p>probably not. the only thing you really have to do to complete the program is take 5 honors courses (1 course must be global and another course must be philosophy/religion)</p>