<p>I'll be applying to UW next year. I was wondering if the Honors program is harder (academically) than the regular course?</p>
<p>If so, how by how much?</p>
<p>What type of students are in the program?</p>
<p>Are there any honors people doing premed?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>This is my second year in the Honors Program, and I don't think the courses are any harder academically. Granted, I am an International Studies major so I have avoided the Honors Math, Chem, Bio, and Physics sections which just move at a faster pace than regular. Personally, my cumulative GPA for my Honors courses (mostly civilization courses) is considerably higher than my non-Honors coursework. Here's why I think that is:</p>
<p>Honors, to me, is more about your desire to learn not for the sake of taking a test or getting a grade but purely for nurturing your mind. Honors profs will challenge you to think critically about your ideas, to create theories, and to see things on a deeper level. If you're curious about examples of Honors courses, check out University</a> Honors Program: Core Courses, Winter 2008. I'd scroll all the way through so you have a complete picture of Honors.</p>
<p>There are all types of students in the program, anywhere from Business majors to Music majors to premed students. When I lived on the Honors floor in Lander last year, we had perhaps the most eclectic group of students you'd ever see on campus (athletes, band members, drama lovers, science geeks, you name it). Also, not all Honors students live in the dorms or at home; there are plenty of Honors students in the frats and sororities too. </p>
<p>I do know some students who are premed in the Honors Program, and they're still doing well. Honors is a really neat experience and it's not as hard as people sometimes think. Although the science majors may disagree with me. It might be worth it to get a premed student's opinion. But, honestly, I think it's easier to get a 4.0 in an honors course than non-honors because in a non-honors course the prof crams as much info into your brain as possible and then gives you a final to regurgitate what you learned. Honors, on the other hand, is more about expressing your thoughts and ideas while learning and thinking more critically about subjects the profs are incredibly passionate about (which makes the class so much more fun and interesting). </p>
<p>If I can offer any tips, it'd be that you should not think about Honors in terms of grades and test scores or your typical high school honors/AP/IB course. You won't find any busywork in your classes (in fact, that goes for pretty much all classes). While the homework load for Honors is similar to any other college course, the courses themselves are really designed to help you develop as a thinker. I hope that helps. If you want to get in touch with a premed student, I might be able to get you connected with someone. Shoot me an email.</p>
<p>friends I have in the honors program get better grades in their honors classes than they do in other classes.
They cut honors kids a lot of slack..grade wise..but still a lot is expected of honors students.</p>