HON 301: The Most Valuable Course in the Honors College Curriculum

Many students in the murky middle years of their undergraduate studies face uncertainty, unfamiliarity, and apprehension about their progression through academia. These students could benefit from taking HON 301: Foundations for the Future, which is a course that allows students to further explore their graduate school, career, and research interests. HON 301 provides Honors students with “next steps to preparing for their Honors Capstone project and their future beyond the undergraduate experience,” says Dr. Shannon Williams, Director of TRIO Programs at UIC and a current HON 301 instructor.

HON 301 thoroughly prepares students for scholarship/award/grant applications, future careers, and further education in graduate/professional settings. The course facilitates space for students to explore new opportunities and grow as individuals through weekly lectures, discussions, and assignments on various topics such as proper email etiquette to professors, critical reflection on historically relevant items like improper research methodology leading to poor ethics and lack of replicability in results, and problem solving contemporary issues such as low American civic involvement. The Honors College encourages students to increase their civic engagement.

Dr. Williams emphasizes the need for students to “learn from and build a mentor relationship with faculty, particularly in their area of interest, and to learn about potential next steps, networking, and letters of recommendation.” Students in HON 301 are provided with phenomenal resources, such as opportunities to apply for paid summer research programs, detailed feedback on mock research inquiries to professors in their field, and rehearsing presentations for their Honors Capstone projects. Additionally, Dr. Williams consistently highlights the importance of applying for awards, research, internships, and higher education slots, so that students do not miss out on opportunities, as HON 301 provides guidance for students to obtain valuable, fulfilling, and often funded opportunities.