Once upon…an honors course! (No more bad jokes after this, I promise! 🙂 )
My first year here at Penn State was highlighted by the four honors courses I took: History 130U (Introduction to the Civil War Era, 1848 through 1877), English 137H and 138T (Rhetoric and Civic Life I and II), and CAMS 045 (Classical Mythology). Each course was great, but my favorite was actually not an honors course to begin with, but rather a regular course that I turned into an honors course. I was able to “honors option” CAMS 045 (Mythology), thereby having it count for honors credits even though it was not originally offered as an honors course. After consulting with my professor and the SHC, we reached an agreement that required me to complete extra readings and write a research paper in exchange for my desire to have the course qualify for honors credit. To honors option a course is not the traditional path scholars take, but it certainly is a valuable alternative to keep in mind. (More information about the process can be found here, though the actual paperwork is online through the Student Records System, which you’ll learn about later.)
I am so happy that I chose to pursue that path with my mythology course. As a regular member of the class I read about the Greek gods, ancient Greek writings and culture, and an overview of ancient Greek history. I took the tests, wrote the papers, and participated in lecture with the other students, but I also did extra readings and wrote an analytical paper comparing extensive aspects of three very different versions of the same classic tale of Electra. While I originally was hesitant about the “willingly signing up for more work” part of this honors course, I absolutely loved this course. Greek mythology has always been an great interest of mine, and the additional writings and period cultural aspects I was granted access to in my research pursuits were invaluable. I was able to explore this interest of mine to levels that I could never have imagined.
Honors courses may be stereotyped as having “more work” and being “much more difficult” than non-honors courses, but my four honors courses have been my favorite classes at Penn State. The smaller class size, more personalized interaction with your professor, and a greater interactive environment are just a few of the pluses that come with taking an honors course. My three honors professors so far (English was the same for parts I and II) were absolutely fantastic, I hold nothing but high regard for them. My History professor may have had a class of eight students, but he actually made that one of the best parts of the class, since it allowed a higher level of discussion between students in class. The small size also allowed us take a day trip to Antietam National Battlefield, which was such a fun day.
My English professor wouldn’t let us call him anything but his first name (shout-out to Adam and section 22!), and the class was both academically productive and highly enjoyable, even though the class was so late in the afternoon. My Mythology/CAMS professor was so easy to talk to, really down to earth, and his office door was always open. I met with him on numerous occasions to discuss my additional work, but the meetings were always lighthearted. While these are not the only phenomenal honors professors at Penn State, they certainly affected me in their dedication to the own work, to their teaching, and most especially to their students.
If you are ever debating over whether or not to take an honors course, or to honors option a course you are currently taking, DO IT. There will be extra work involved, but if you are really interested in the topic of the course, you will NOT regret it. But please do not discredit non-honors courses after reading this, I found my current major of interest by taking a 300-person, 100-level class, but I still fell in love with the subject. The courses here at Penn State can surprise you if you let them, and honors courses more so. I know, the schedule of courses has a lot of courses to go through, but please do not be afraid to check the box that says “honors”. One of those courses may impact you in ways you could never have imagined.
So be brave, freshmen! College courses are not THAT scary. And if you happen to fail a class along the way, it is not the end of the world, I promise. And I’m not trying to sound like your parents or professors, but you will survive, and you will be stronger because of it. “It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all – in which case, you fail by default.” (J K Rowling)
So yup, honors classes are great. Can’t wait to hear your stories about your own honors adventures! 🙂
Olive
