So the long and short of it is, I've got an invitation to the Honors program at my school, and I'm wondering if I ought to try it out? There's a seminar being held about two weeks from now that I'm going to attend which should hopefully give me more information, but at the very least, it will entail doing an independent study as well as being under more pressure to keep my grades up which is. Hm. Problems: I am not actually sure how much good it will do me (I'm on a business track, and while I probably would be jumping for joy if I were still aiming for that degree in literature, I'm not as sure now) and I was planning on picking up an internship by next semester, and I'm not entirely sure if that will make it harder for me to spread my spoons out evenly. I do well under pressure until I crack, at which point I crash and burn like the goddamn Hidenburg. I'm already uncertain about my ability to maintain a 3.5+ GPA, because of specific things relating to a course I'm already taking. I don't like responsibility, and while I do enjoy a certain amount of high-stress relating to schoolwork, that frequently comes as "more busywork, more things to do" and less "high risk/reward ratios with significant pressure on personal responsibility." I mean, this isn't the first time I've had a chance like this and waived it for mental health reasons, but I'm willing to take the plunge if it will have significant benefits down the line so uh. People who have graduated and gone into the working world, thoughts?
I was in an honors community for all four years of undergrad, which got me some extra benefits, and I'm not sure which are honors program versus honors community, but it all didn't add up to much, especially in the long run. The biggest thing I got was priority class registration, at a school where seats could be tight. I had to maintain a 3.5 gpa (screwed the pooch my first semester and got to stress the fuck out over it for the next three years) and take a 1/2 credit course each semester (mostly just fluff discussion junk, but it was an extra time sink). I had the option of going for a bigger honors degree, all I had to do was write an undergrad thesis on the research work I'd already been doing, but by that point I was overworked enough I didn't care anymore. I had the thing on my grad school applications and early resumes, but I don't think it was really made much of an impact. Caveat: I am an engineer and have gotten the impression that other engineers tend to focus on more concrete achievements, I don't know if this holds true for everyone else. I feel like it's nice to have on there, but not something people are LOOKING for. I've gotten much more mileage out of being in an honors engineering society (tau beta pi), which was just a one-time entry process, then very, very occasional meetings. I think Phi Kappa Phi is a general honors society some of my friends were in? But by then I was just too exhausted to follow through with another society. I hear it's a good bump on a resume. I loved my honors community for the intangible community benefits, but it really hasn't had much of an impact since I got out of school. eta: also, I loathe independent study, and every time I've done something along those lines, it's felt like my professors have hung me out to dry and I've just been set up to fail. Some of that is on me, because I need at least a little structure to function or I don't get anything done, but I've had a few really, really negative experiences. I guess it works for some people, but I distrust it intensely.
That's helpful to know! (And yeah I'm... pretty much the same way when it comes to independent study, which is why I'm a little leery of it.)
