Why Join Honors?

Honors students can achieve their Honors requirements in a variety of ways (see Honors Requirements); however, the defining feature of your Honors course work is that you will benefit from small class sizes that allow you to form stronger bonds with your classmates, forge important connections with your professors, and deepen your learning experience.

As a case in point – Honors students frequently enroll in Honors sections of Core Curriculum classes. This means that rather than sitting in a large lecture hall in a class with 100 other students, you’ll be in a smaller class with 15-20 of your peers. This means you’ll have much more individual attention from your instructors and that you’ll be able to take a deeper dive into the content.

Honors students have priority registration and are able to register for classes for the upcoming semester the first day that registration opens. This ensures that Honors students will have access to the classes that best fit their schedules and that they will not need to worry about classes they need reaching full capacity before they’ve had a chance to register.

Honors students are assigned a peer mentor in their first year of study at Fairmont State University. Your peer mentor will likely be involved in a field of study that is similar to your own and they will support you as you make the transition into college life. This might include giving you advice on which classes to take, providing you with information about campus resources, or participating in social activities with you.

Honors students also have the benefit of working with two academic advisors – the Honors Director, who will help guide you through the Honors Program, and a Faculty Advisor in your field of study, who will help with the particulars of your major and with your future career plans. 

In addition to the academic benefits, many of our Honors students report that the most attractive feature of the Honors Program is the sense of community and purpose that comes with the program. Beginning with your first semester, you’ll become part of an Honors cohort that will be alongside you as you progress towards your degree. Though you may find that your major and/or interests are quite different from those of other students in that cohort, you’ll benefit exponentially from being exposed to a wide range of perspectives and forging a sense of solidarity as you hit important mile markers together along the way.

Other opportunities to engage in our Honors community involve:

• • The opportunity to live at Prichard Hall – the Honors Program’s Living-Learning Community (LLC). NOTE: even if you choose not to life in Prichard, many of our social activities will be held there. You’re always welcome to join in!
  • Access to the Honors Lab in the Honors Office (231 Turley) – Whether you just need to print out a paper quickly before class, want a quiet place to relax between classes, or have a space to chat with your fellow Honors students – the Honors Lab in 231 Turley will be available to you during regular business hours. Stop by and see us!
  • The chance to participate in our student group – the Honors Association – and its wide range of social and academic activities, opportunities in community engagement, and the chance to become a student leader.

Honors students have the opportunity to travel as part of the Honors community. Those opportunities run the gamut from attending one of our “Field Day” trips to destinations like Washington, D.C. for a day of sightseeing to participating in our annual study abroad class, which involves eight weeks of curriculum followed by a week-long trip abroad. To date, Honors students have visited exciting places around the world like London, Paris, Rome, Istanbul, and Brussels.

NOTE: many of our Honors students also elect to study abroad for an entire semester – an experience that most find truly worthwhile