When I entered my
junior year of college, I expected all of my classes to be focused in my major.
What I always forget to realize is the beauty of an honors education. Within
the first thirty minutes of class with Dr. Williams, I was ready to broaden my education
experience. Humor—it is not a subject people usually talk about. In fact, I
have never asked myself the definition of humor. When Dr. Williams asked the
class this question, we had a hard time piecing together a response. That being
said, after a few months, I feel as if I could form a definition. Honors
classes provide students the ability to learn a variety of subjects in a
discussion based setting, cultivating a diverse intellect among students.
I
have taken a wide variety of honors classes, and each of them has provided me a
unique experience. My freshman year I took Africa and the African Diaspora. I
was pushed outside of my comfort zone and encouraged to learn about a culture I
had never studied. It was in this class that I wrote the essay for which I am proudest.
I thoroughly enjoyed writing the essay, and I continued to present it in the AddRan
college of liberal arts festival. I stood in front of five scholars and
presented material that I would have never learned if not for the honors
college.
My
first semester of sophomore year, I took an honors political theory class.
While this is not an incredible creative topic, my teacher pushed me in ways I
had never been pushed. Each day we were required to study famous thinker and
philosophers, arguing their positions on issues going on in the world. There
were times when I was frustrated and times when I was happy with the
conversation. My professor evoked passion and determination from each student,
motivating us to argue our positions and dive deeper into the material. While
most political theory classes would consist of lecture, she never lectured
once. She let the class take the discussion where it needed to go my throwing
in a key idea that we then discussed. Again, the honors education is evidently different
from a normal education. A topic that I would normally dislike became something
I was passionate about because of the discussion based classroom.
My
second semester of sophomore year, I hopped back into the creative classes. I
took a class titled “College Life and Identity.” This class was much different
than political theory, but it diversified my education. I learned about what it
meant to be a college student and what it meant to face all of the different
social pressures that exist on a college campus. I presented research on
diversity, education, and religion. Topics that are not usually covered in a
normal classroom were unveiled in this class, further growing my passion for my
honors classes.
Now
I am in my junior year, and I am taking a class on Literature and Civilization—with
an emphasis on humor. Each day we speak our minds and discuss different forms
of humor. Honors classes have the ability to take a topic or experience, such
as humor, that people do not normally discuss and find a way to study and learn
more about the root of the topic. Again, humor is not usually talked about, but
from the class readings and class discussions, I have widened my perspective as
a student. I treasure the ability to partake in classes such as this one, for I
have friends at others schools that have completely different experiences in
their classrooms. I am taking this class for the sole purpose of experience. I
have already earned the credits this class offers, and I am enrolled in two
other honors classes this semester. I am in it to simply learn.
For
the past few years, I have watched what my honors education diversify my
educational experience. Through a wide range of topics and different teaching
styles of professors, I am proud to say that I have polished a part of me that
will benefit me in the future. If the person reading this is considering
whether or not to pursue an honors education, I highly recommend he/she does
it. There truly is something special about learning a wide variety of topics
that will push one to be a thinker—a skill that will reap rewards in the future
as an individual.
