As my freshman year of college comes to a close, I find myself reflecting on the past eight months and all I’ve learned. I have been so grateful for my time at UConn so far, and part of that comes from my experience with the University of Connecticut Honors Program. This is everything I wish I knew about it coming into UConn.
1) Buckley and Shippee
The John Buckley and Lester E. Shippee residence halls, commonly known as Buckley and Shippee, are where all first-year Honors students are housed. Buckley, comprised of the North and South towers, has five floors in the North tower and six floors in the South. These are also single-gender floors. On the other hand, Shippee has six floors, with three being single-gender and three being coed.
The majority of rooms in both buildings are traditional double with communal bathrooms, but there are some rooms in Shippee, known as “C-rooms,” that have their own bathroom. These are available for a different rate than the other rooms, but mostly luck determines who gets them. Each building has a laundry room, but the mailroom is in Buckley. Buckley also has a small dining hall, which is closed on weekends, but very convenient during the week.
Buckley and Shippee are located across Storrs Road from Mirror Lake, and they are also right next to Downtown Storrs. I will say that the convenience of being so close to CVS, Price Chopper, and all of the restaurants is unmatched. Although they are somewhat far from the center of campus, there truly is a sense of community, and I’ve met some of my best friends while living there.
2) Honors GPS Office
The Honors GPS, or Guides for Peer Success, has an office located in Buckley residence hall. The GPS team is available every weekday to answer any questions a student may have about all things Honors. Their primary focus is helping students through the University Honors Laureate (UHL), process, but they are also knowledgeable about the Honors Scholar award, and lots more.
3) University Honors Laureate vs. Honors Scholar
Something I was confused about on coming into UConn was the difference between the University Honors Laureate and Honors Scholar, so I’ll break it down in the simplest terms I can.
The Honors Scholar requirements are as follows: 12 Honors credits in the major or related (in 2000+ level classes) with three additional credits earned at any level and at least three of the 12 geared towards the Honors thesis. Engagement in the field is also required, which means something different for everyone. Finally, there is a cumulative GPA requirement of at least 3.4 by graduation, and a completed Honors thesis.
For the University Honors Laureate, all of the above is required, along with the following: Earn a total of 30 Honors credits, including those for Honors Scholar. These can be in any subject, but at least six must be 2000-level or higher. These will come from a list of designated categories, found here. Furthermore, a leadership experience of the student’s choosing must be completed, along with an Academics in Action project, and 10 Honors events must be attended.
For more information on all of these requirements, visit the Honors website.
4) UNIV 1784
Every first-semester Honors student is required to enroll in a UNIV 1784 course. This is a first-year seminar class capped at 19 students each. They meet twice per week and one day is taught by the professor, while the other is taught by two student facilitators, who are also in the Honors Program, usually in the first semester of their sophomore year. There are tons of options for class topics, from politics to chemistry. I took one where we read The Wizard of Oz and Wicked and talked about how stories stay relevant over time. This class is designed to create a sense of community among first-year Honors students. I am currently taking the class to become one of these facilitators, and it has been a great experience so far.
5) Honors Classes
This is going to be more of a general overview of Honors classes, as they greatly depend on the major and class itself. In general, though, Honors classes are going to be smaller and may have some more work to create a more engaging learning experience. Some lecture-style classes that are typically over 100 students may have Honors sections closer to 50, while an English class that normally has 40 students may be capped at 20 for Honors. These are not specific numbers, but they are meant to put the smaller class sizes and close-knit learning experience into perspective.
I have had a great experience in the Honors Program, met some of my best friends in Buckley and Shippee, and had the chance to engage with students and experiences outside of my major. Above all, the Honors program made this really big university feel smaller, which was so important to me as a freshman. Welcome to all of the new Huskies!!!