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Athena Chen

Nadra Fredj

Honors 100

5 December 2022

Autumn Quarter Reflection

When I officially matriculated at the University of Washington, I was unsure of whether

to join the Interdisciplinary Honors program. In fact, I was unsure that I would even want to
attend a school so close to home. However, I decided to give it a try anyway, and I have since
discovered many valuable resources at the core of this program, as well as the University as a
whole.

The list of honors requirements scared me at first; it seemed like an unnecessary burden
to have to take multiple classes that were not required for my field of study. My mindset has
since changed now that I have taken an honors class. This quarter, I took Law 100, which I
signed up for initially to determine whether I had an interest in law. I did not realize that the
honors section was going to be mostly discussion-based. The discussion-based format of section
works well in conjunction with whole-class lectures to adequately provide the students with a
survey of American law. Our discussions provided me with insight that I would not normally get
in a lecture, including insight into my own thoughts and personal connections with the topics that
we were discussing.

Personally, I did not expect to harness all these advantages in just one course. Yet, the
quarter is not even over and I am already looking forward to my next honors class that I will be
taking winter quarter. Through my first quarter, I have had to make many adjustments to my life
to acclimate to the college lifestyle. I only had to move 20 minutes away, so my life is not as
dramatically different as many of my peers, but learning to live by myself and be truly
independent for the first time has been an exhilarating experience. Additionally, I have learned to
better manage my time and find a support system. I know that I also have many resources inside
the honors program who can help advise my school plans.

In the Honors 100 lectures, we learned about experiential learning opportunities. While
preparing recommendations for my partner, I stumbled upon the UW Study Abroad website and
instantly knew that I wanted to partake in the program. I have looked into the honors study
abroad opportunities and will be attending multiple information sessions to determine which
would be the best fit for me. I am very excited for the opportunity to earn honors credits while
studying in another country. The factor of multiculturalism will surely allow me to continue
learning with an open-minded perspective, resulting in a greater understanding of the world as a
whole. As an interdisciplinary program, honors gives me the resources to continue my UW
journey while expanding my involvement with a wide range of experiences.

I am hopeful that these four years in the honors program will advance my perceptiveness;
the wide range of courses offered will aid me in acknowledging the different perspectives and
biases that everyone carries. As of current, I am very happy with the honors program and do not
intend to drop out. I am expecting that the honors program will continue to benefit me in the way
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that it has this quarter. The transition from high school to university has been difficult, but I
know that I will end my time here with a support system, experience with internships, and
amazing job opportunities ahead.

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