Compared to the beginning of the quarter I have changed a lot.

I have changed my
opinions, answered my doubts, and filled in many blank spaces. I did not start out with many
concrete goals or expectations but now feel as if I at least have a direction I would like to go. I
have a better idea of which general path I would like to take at the UW and through this
realization have learned more about specific opportunities directly involved with my path. As of
now I have a better understanding of how to function in this environment that they call College
which has helped me develop habits, goals, and interests in which I would like to pursue in the
short-run in the next couple of quarters. I still believe that the quality over quantity saying still
applies when I think of how I want to approach my potential extracurricular on and off of
campus. I already have set short-term goals of jobs, internships, and clubs I want to join next
quarter.
What surprised me the most about my first quarter in Honors is actually how much I did
not know about the program itself. I did not know about the interdisciplinary aspect of the
Honors curriculum and how it translates to the rigor of the courses themselves. I am taking the
Teaching to Transgress class next quarter, which will be my first Honors class. I know I will
learn even more after taking this class, as it will expose how I will be able to balance taking one
Honors class and two other classes at the same time. On the other hand I am super excited for
this class, which makes me excited for winter quarter. I was also surprised at the size of the
Honors program itself. I knew it was smaller but not as small as it proved to be. I also did not
expect my Honors 100 class to be as interactive, let alone that I would be one of nine students in
the class! I guess I did not have many other expectations for the UW in terms of difficulty or
classroom environment. What I did not expect, though, was to like the quarter system as much as
I do. I love the pace of the classes and the ability to either change or continue on a track if you
choose to.
In particular I have learned that I want to be a peer educator next year. My peer educator
did an amazing job of conveying everything and anything I wanted to know about honors in a
clear and genuine way. She gave great and honest advice not only about Honors classes but also
about other classes and majors. I was really lucky to have her as a peer mentor because there
were a lot of similarities that I feel we shared. I was not fully on board with studying abroad and
had always pushed it aside, but my peer mentor gave me a million and one reasons why I should.
I also did not think that I wanted to do research at the UW, but was referenced to a bunch of
different opportunities that I did not even know existed like the UW sleep lab. Once I have fully
locked down my major, I want to see if conducting research is a possibility.
By my first year in Honors, I hope to know learn more about how I learn best and what I
am truly interested in. This will not only help me be more successful in the long run, but will
also help me determine my major and graduate school options as well. I want to be able to take
classes where the teachers make me excited to do my homework and excited to come to class. I
want to be intellectually challenged and pushed to my full academic ability. By the end of my
time at UW I want to be able to say I did everything to my best ability. I want to be able to say I
tried everything I wanted to try and lived every day to its fullest. I wish to have picked a major
that represents what I would like to learn more about and hope that it opens doors as to what I
would like to accomplish post undergraduate studies. I hope to have had worked at a job and
internship and also conduct some sort of research. I hope to have studied abroad and to have had
my life change from it. I hope to have been a part of a club and climbed the ranks to a position of
leadership. Above anything else, I hope that I am able to say that I did not regret not taking an
opportunity just because it might have been new or outside of my initial comfort zone. Honors

100 has really shown me how limitless my time at UW can be if I follow my interests and peruse
them with an open mind.