Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why is there so much emphasis on writing in the Honors Program?
A: The ability to write clearly and effectively is essential to work in the university and in a career. Students’ success in all courses is dependent on their ability to read, write and think.
Q: Can I ask any professor to do an honors component for a class I'm taking?
A: Only if there is a board approved honors curriculum available for your course. Even then, it is up to the department chair as well as the professor to decide whether he or she will teach it.
Q: Why the emphasis on critical thinking? What do you mean by critical thinking, anyway?
A: Briefly, we mean asking questions, working toward clearer understanding of an argument or position, and objectively evaluating arguments and evidence so that we can decide which elements, if any, we’ll accept. Critical thinking is about developing mental alertness and enhancing your commitment to the truth. We want to strengthen your ability to detect manipulation and faulty logic (including your own). Why stress critical thinking? Because we all need to question and evaluate fairly. This is crucial to being a free and responsible human being.
Q: Will it take longer for me to get through community college if I am in the Honors program?
A: It should not take any longer since honors courses are all transferable general education courses. It will take careful planning; so close contact with your counselor and Honors coordinator is strongly recommended.
Q: How do I find out about workshops and enrichment activities?
A: Your honors professors will announce activities and the honors coordinator will periodically send emails keeping you up to date of new opportunities. Current calendars of activities are available on the blackboard community site. Get informed and get involved.
Q: Is Phi Theta Kappa part of the Honors Program?
A: No. It is a separate organization with its own set of standards and commitment to service. It’s not a program with a curriculum, as is the Honors Program. It is a club, an honors society. But as you might imagine, it’s a natural connection, and we encourage you to join it. You can connect with other serious students and become involved in another area of activities.
Q: What is the HTCC?
A: The Honors Transfer Council of California is a statewide consortium of community colleges. HTCC’s purpose is the same as ours—to enrich your education and enhance your likelihood of transferring to an excellent four-year institution. This is why the Honors Enrichment Program coordinator attends HTCC monthly meetings. This provides us with resources and a forum in which to discuss questions related to honors education, all of which allows us to upgrade our service to you. We strive to maintain realistic standards of excellence that will encourage top four-year institutions to look favorably on graduates of our program. Participation in HTCC facilitates this goal.
Q: What is the HTCC Conference at UCI?
A: Each March the Honors Transfer Council of California, together with the University of California at Irvine, sponsors a gathering at which students present evidence of their scholarly activities. We encourage you to participate in the conference this spring (see your coordinator to sign up) so that you can experience first-hand the kind of work other honors students are engaged in and get motivated to push yourself to new achievements. For those of you who get truly inspired, we encourage you to think about what kind of presentation you might be interested in doing. Your honors professors and coordinators can work with you this fall to develop and submit a proposal for the March 2008 conference.
Q: What if I want to work on the newsletter or the Honors website? How did I go about it?
A: Just contact your honors professor the Honors Coordinator. They’ll be glad to put you in touch with the student editor or the college webmaster.
Q: Should I mention honors experiences in my Personal Statements for university admissions applications?
A: Definitely. That will give you even more of an edge at transfer time. Citing a meaningful learning experience will help admissions personnel get to know you better as an individual. It will also remind them that you’re an honors student, that you value your intellectual life highly enough to work harder and take on extra challenges. As you might imagine, top universities are looking for just that kind of person. And so are we.
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"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat." - Theodore Roosevelt
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