Words from the Honors Coordinator

by Regina Fletcher

Fall quarter is a time of transition. First-year students and many transfers are trading the familiarity of home for a variety of experiences at our first-rate research university. Continuing students are finding themselves closer to their goal of earning a degree and making lists of "to-dos" to enhance their stay at UCSB, considering ways to design their remaining quarters for maximum benefits on a personal, educational, and career level. (We do hope that you will make the most of honors sections and honors contracts to intensify your classroom experiences.)

Advisors in the college office are familiar with issues related to transition and recognize the up and the downsides of change. There's the excitement of unknown possibilities: studying abroad, exploring your field through undergraduate research, internships, and jobs; taking advantage of minors or certificate programs; and finding a niche in the wide range of clubs and volunteer programs.

What you might consider the downside - the anxiety related to indecision, the fear that you won't make the "right" choices - is an expected, though uncomfortable, part of the process of defining yourself as a student. Check in with seasoned student honors coordinators, Courtney Lewis and Allison Stuart, and with advisors in Letters and Science, to evaluate your path toward your degree. You'll find us in 1117 Cheadle Hall. (For appointments, phone 893-3201.) And remember, transition and change can lead to surprising results, as the following quote from an unknown source demonstrates: "Establishing goals is all right as long as you don't let them deprive you of interesting detours."

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