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Anyone here an honors student?

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Delphi
Posts: 3748 - Karma: 36
Honors students? The reason I am asking is because I have some decisions to make. Is graduating with honors worth it? I don't really want to have to deal with the whole dissertation process, but part of me feels it would look great to prospective future employers. I have a 3.97, so I'm in no danger of losing my credentials as an honors student, but I was wondering if any of you are in the same situation. I have 2 more years left at UVM and I am majoring in history and hopefully applying and getting into a rad grad school when I'm done here, so in that sense, I suppose honors status may look good for grad school?
Feb 23 2009 1:55PM
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Meh42
Posts: 2431 - Karma: 14
I've got no answers to your questions except "I hope so"

I fucking hate my honors classes, they're all useless trivia for a business major.  I just want to put graduated with honors on my grad school apps.
Feb 23 2009 2:07PM
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*rkp*
Posts: 8198 - Karma: 257
Future employers rarely take GPA into consideration.

A high GPA is essential when applying for grad schools (usually accounts for between 50-70% of your application, along with interview processes, references, letters, portfolios etc.)
Again, I'm not sure if your standing as an "honors student" holds much ground, unless your honors courses are relevant to your graduate studies.

My personal university experience (because I'm in a fairly similar position) tell me that "honors" just means more work and stress with minimal advantages.

Just my 2cents.
Feb 23 2009 2:09PM
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Delphi
Posts: 3748 - Karma: 36
Yeah man, I hear you. Honors classes are getting on my nerves too. At UVM we have to take one each semester. I was up til 4 last night reading for honors and I just asked myself, "is there a point to doing this much work??"
Feb 23 2009 2:16PM
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J-Wallz
Posts: 1264 - Karma: 54

yah im wondering if it is worth it too.... i got invited to apply for honors at some of my colleges i am accepted into and is it worth it? are there really any "perks" or just alot of extra work

Feb 23 2009 2:32PM
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An10a_Eng
Posts: 2505 - Karma: 28
worth it
Feb 23 2009 2:34PM
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Delphi
Posts: 3748 - Karma: 36
^ There are definitely perks. Here, you get some of the sickest housing options on campus. Also, you get huge borrow periods at the library, which means you can just check out textbooks and keep them for the whole semester instead of having to return them so other people can use them. You get to sign up for classes in the earliest slot as well, giving you plenty of time to secure the classes you want before they get filled up. I don't know about other places though, it may be a good thing to look into.
Feb 23 2009 2:34PM
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Quinny
Posts: 3477 - Karma: 163
Honors are only as good as the next institution you want to apply for.

If you're shooting for a good college or a scholarship, stick with your honors classes. If you're thinking of graduate school, definitely stick with them.
Feb 23 2009 2:37PM
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Barefootin_Fiend
Posts: 7618 - Karma: 4,727
This man speaks the truth. They are definitely important if you want to go to grad school. Not to mention that they'll prepare you for the workload you'll actually face in grad school.

And whoever said that employers don't even look at GPAs is an idiot. Well, maybe not an idiot, but they're definitely wrong. Many major corporations won't even look at you if you've got below a 3.25. And do you honestly think that the candidate with a 3.3 gets the same consideration as someone with a 3.95? It may be the one thing that differentiates you from another candidate....
Feb 23 2009 3:27PM
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gnarlygoodski22
Posts: 429 - Karma: 18
do it! that way you can get a little more credit for trying so hard over the four years...if you didnt try that hard than you are lucky at being good at school.
Feb 23 2009 3:45PM
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ECfreeski3
Posts: 12019 - Karma: 125
yeah a lot of times i wonder if its worth it. although mine are boring and annoying, rather than crazy hard. but i figure i would really regret it in a few years if i didnt put in that tiny extra bit of effort. certainly cant hurt in the future
Feb 23 2009 4:12PM
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cannabisshane
Posts: 178 - Karma: 20
Yes!
Feb 23 2009 4:33PM
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Quinny
Posts: 3477 - Karma: 163
Thats actually not true. The majority of potential employers value your work experience far more than your academic record. If an accounting firm has the option of hieing a CPA with 5 years of experience with a 3.0 GPA vesus a fresh graduate with 4.0, odds are they will pick the person with 5 years of experience because the skills you learn in the workplace are more valuable than the ones you learn in a classroom. The real purpose of school (in relation to work) is not to help you get your first job, its to help you go farther in your career.
Feb 23 2009 4:35PM
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Budzi
Posts: 35 - Karma: 10
This man is spot on, companies value experience more than marks, unless you want to work for Google or some other major corporation in which case they snatch up the graduating students with perfect marks.
Feb 23 2009 4:57PM
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Barefootin_Fiend
Posts: 7618 - Karma: 4,727
That's not a very fair comparison. What you're saying is that someone with a PhD is more likely to get the job than someone with a BA. Obviously someone with more professional certifications and experience is going to be the preferred candidate.

Where I was going with it was more along the lines of if you have two candidates that are both recent college grads, and they're pretty equal candidates, your GPA will certainly play a role in the hiring decision. I see it happen all of the time.
Feb 23 2009 5:25PM
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Barefootin_Fiend
Posts: 7618 - Karma: 4,727
And I agree that experience is worth it's weight in gold, but you have to get a job after college before you can gain any experience. Experience doesn't come into play until later on down the line. (Obviously not true for all majors.)
Feb 23 2009 5:27PM
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Quinny
Posts: 3477 - Karma: 163
The GPA is not the only thing and employer looks at. A candidate with lower GPA but more work experience and more compelling extra curricular activities will often get picked. It is however different in the realms of academia or science, which are indeed more geared towards your marks. It honestly depends on the circumstances and the job you are going for. I've seen Harvard MBA's try to come into companies I've worked for that weren't able to crack it against some guy from a State University. Grades are important, but often overstated.
Feb 23 2009 5:34PM
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