After two years and seven honors courses, how can I choose just ONE as my favorite?

Okay fine. If I had to choose, it would probably be…Developmental Psychology (PSYCH212H). The class centered on psychological and cognitive development and other related topics, focusing on development from conception through the teenage years. The structure of this class was not like most classes I have taken, because we had no exams (yay!) and every class session was largely discussion-based, instead of lecture-based. And although I was highly interested in the class because of my interest in going to medical school and perhaps working with kids one day, I thought this class also provided information applicable to everyday, real-life. Because this was an honors course, we not only covered the basic terms and concepts around childhood development and methods for boosting development at all ages. We also took a practical approach, applying what we learned in class to develop games geared towards boosting early childhood development (Because who doesn’t like spending an entire class period playing games and getting a grade for it?!), coordinate mock presentations to lawmakers to enact laws beneficial to the development of multiple age groups, and work in groups to analyze current social, behavioral, cognitive, and mental issues affecting development. I know this sounds like a lot of work, but the class was so much fun, and I really enjoyed going to class everyday because this was an area that I was interested in.

What I love about honors courses is that they come in all shapes and sizes. I am a double major in Biobehavioral Health and Psychology with a pre-med focus, and I have taken honors classes in Greek Mythology, Civil War history, Developmental Psychology, Biobehavioral Health, and so many more. And what’s great about honors courses (and honors credit requirements) is that they do not have to be in your major. They are a great way to take courses in areas you enjoy outside of your area of study. In fact, I think that most of mine have NOT been in my major! I love that honors classes are smaller (one of my classes only had 8 students!) and promote greater class interaction and participation, as well as allowing professors to get to know their students better. Also, I would not say that honors classes are more work, but that the work you do is just more in-depth or takes a different perspective than you would have had you taken the non-honors section. While I absolutely do NOT recommend scheduling only honors courses (1-2 per semester is typical), I do prefer honors courses because the smaller environment and increased ability to ask questions and interact and discuss topics with the professor and other classmates has really helped me to better understand what I am studying. And learning how to break down new information and maintain it has helped me to not only improve my study habits and how I approach new material, but also to be a better student in general.