Niki Seligman

Honors 100
Autumn Quarter Reflection
Coming into UW, I had low standards for the honors program.
What I mean by this is that I did not know what my years in the
program would look like but I trusted that the experience would be an
enriching one. The only criteria I had, at the time of my college
decision, was that honors would give me a niche- a group of friends
with which to navigate the 40,000+ sea of people. So far, honors has
given me that, but it has also given me so much more.
Ive never been one to want the encouraging its okay not to
know what you want to major in, etc.; in fact, it was sort of drilled into
me at a young age that it was not okay to know exactly what I wanted
to do- that this is too small minded. It is better to chase interests,
whatever those may be (and the value of which should never be
judged by economic prospects). Perhaps I was raised by two idealist
parents and that if I followed their advice exactly, I would end up just
scraping by for the rest of my days. But one thing is certain- I will not
be boxed in. My future does not hold an office job I despise. And the
honors program seems to foster this same mentality- it is
interdisciplinary after all.
What has been most rewarding in my autumn quarter is the
relevance of the classes I am taking, both to the current times and to
one another (and while this would have been a forced statement if
written in high school, it is truer than true now). My courses cover
three topics: American politics, environmental studies, and philosophy
of gender in western thought. In my honors class discussions, I have
found 90% of my contributions to pertain to things that have been
discussed in my politics course, particularly about patriarchy dynamics
(and the relevance of this to the dynamics between Trump and Hillary).
In my environment class, the relevance of political governance is often
discussed. In addition, a link between my philosophy of gender class
and environment course can be found in the fact that they both discuss
social justice issues, sometimes in overlapping natures. It has been
truly rewarding to expand my knowledge through three pools of
distinct yet linked areas of learning. And this is what honors preaches
about, interdisciplinary learning, making me one happy member of the
honors family this autumn quarter.
In honors 100 specifically, the content has been very valuable in
providing a base for my progression through the quarter includes. Two
concepts were important to me in particular: the mental health
discussion and the activity of interviewing a friend and picking
activities for them. The mental health one was important because I
was most worried about this aspect when moving to college- my goal is
always to be happy and I did not know if I could do so apart from my

family and apart from my home. But I have realized that I am even
happier here. I am currently working with a Seattle Trails Association
and going out every weekend to maintain local trails. This is one
example of the healthy habits that has been enriching to my college
experience, mentally and socially.
The second topic that was important to me, the interview with a
friend, really forced me to look at the opportunities available at UW.
This has influenced me to think critically now-and not to wait until I am
an upperclassman-about what extra activities I want to throw myself
into. Through this assignment and the honors 100 discussion that it
supplemented, I have decided that I will do a study abroad (even if it
means sacrificing a summer with my dog) and that I want to explore
further the idea of working in a lab. Both of these things were distant
ideas until honors 100, and I am very grateful that this class provides a
catalyst into practical action for how I want to spend my time at the
University of Washington.
Looking at an in-between of the short and long term, I have my
eyes set on what I hope to achieve by the end of this year. I want to
have a better idea of what my most important (to me) interests are, so
that I can pick meaningful classes based off of these interests next
year. I want to join two clubs, preferably one academic and one more
social (like a hiking group). I have been considering the Young
Democrats club and various environmental groups on campus but I
need to sit down and seriously consider where I will spend my time
most beneficially. And, finally, I hope to create more friendships by the
end of this year, as this is the most valuable use of time, in my opinion.
Overall, Autumn Quarter has exceeded all my expectations. The
classes are relevant and enriching. The people are passionate and
kind. The opportunities provided by honors are abundant and
meaningful. I am in the right place and Honors 100 has shown me how
lucky I am to be learning in such a program.