Taking Advantage... of all the Honors Program Offers

by Scott Montgomery

When I came to UCSB my freshman year, I had been admitted into the College honors Program but I did not take any honors courses or participate in any honors program activities. The honors program sounded appealing, yet I figured that college was difficult enough and this extra commitment was not something that I wanted. Not getting involved in the Honors Program as a freshman has been one of the greatest regrets of my UCSB experience. When I reapplied to the program after being released for not taking honors courses the following year, I began to participate more and I realized the value of honors program.

Last year, as one of the student honors coordinators, I had the opportunity to get a different perspective on the College Honors Program. In my meetings with UCSB honors students, I learned more about their concerns and aspirations. A huge concern that all students have is what they will do after graduating from UCSB. Admittedly, it may be impossible to know what you will be doing one, five, ten years after you graduate. Yet, an important and significant part of the UCSB experience is finding possible avenues to explore after UCSB, and equally as important, to rule out other paths. This can be achieved by taking advantage of the variety of scholastic and extracurricular activities at UCSB. The honors program is the perfect catalyst.

During my four years at UCSB, I have considered many different possible plans after finishing my degree. These range from being a teacher and coach to going to medical school, going to graduate school, and taking time off to travel. By volunteering at Cottage Hospital, helping coach a high school sports team, and working as a research assistant in a biochemistry lab, I have been exposed to the positive and negative aspects of these careers. Now, I can make a more educated decision on what path will be best for me.

In addition to learning through experiences, it is just as valuable to learn from other people, including peers and professors. If you ask professors if they knew at age twenty that they wanted to become a professor, many will say that they had considered several other options before getting a PhD. Learning how and why they chose to become educators and researchers can be very enlightening and helpful. Through a physiology honors section with Dr. Peter Hasler, an M.D., I learned many things about the medical profession that had never occurred to me before talking with him. This information was extremely helpful when I made the decision to apply to medical school.

In addition to learning through experiences, it is just as valuable to learn from other people, including peers and professors. If you ask professors if they knew at age twenty that they wanted to become a professor, many will say that they had considered several other options before getting a PhD. Learning how and why they chose to become educators and researchers can be very enlightening and helpful. Through a physiology honors section with Dr. Peter Hasler, an M.D., I learned many things about the medical profession that had never occurred to me before talking with him. This information was extremely helpful when I made the decision to apply to medical school.

Scott Montgomery is a senior majoring in biochemistry and political science. He served as the student honors coordinator during the 2003-04 academic year. After graduating in June of 2005, he plans to go to medical school.

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