Biomedical sciences major Caitlyn Weeks describes one of her favorite aspects of honors classes, which is their interactive character. Of her Interpretation of Ancient Literature class, which focused on ancient Greek and Roman literature, she said: "I never knew how much I would enjoy reading ancient literature... The course was heavily discussion based, allowing us to form our own conceptions of the material. The format of honors courses is not set up to make classes harder, but rather to promote discussion, which is one of my favorite aspects of them."

Dear Prospective Student,

Congratulations on surviving your four years of high school. I know that this time last year when I was graduating high school, I felt oddly sentimental about it. Whether or not this is a happy or sad time for you, great things await you at the University of Iowa. These upcoming years at the University of Iowa will have so much to offer you and the Hawkeye family can’t wait to have you on campus.

Let me introduce myself. Hi, my name is Caitlyn Weeks. I am from Spencer, Iowa— a small town in Northwest Iowa. I am a first-year undergraduate student majoring in biomedical sciences on the pre-medical track and minoring in psychology. For me personally, college has been full of new experiences. I attended my first Hawkeye football game, began volunteering at the hospital, met some of my best friends, and really found my place here on campus!

One major way I have found my place on campus has been through the UI Honors Program. I like to think of the honors program as a small group on a big campus. The University of Iowa is big, so having a smaller group to be a part of just makes the University feel that much smaller. The honors program provides students an opportunity to get to know their peers and professors on a deeper level and creates a place for students to pursue their passions.

One of my favorite experiences within the honors program has been through one of my honors courses. I took a class titled Interpretation of Ancient Literature to fulfill my literature gen-ed credit. This course was the honors version of standard Interpretation of Literature courses and specifically focused on Ancient Greek and Roman literature. I never knew how much I would enjoy reading ancient literature and had this course not been available, that interest might never have come to be. The course was heavily discussion based, allowing us to form our own conceptions of the material. The format of honors courses is not set up to make classes harder, but rather to promote discussion, which is one of my favorite aspects of them.

I wish you the best in whatever it is you do, and I hope I have been of help. Don’t hesitate to reach out to me or the honors staff here at Iowa with any questions. We are happy to help you in any way possible and make this big time in your life any easier.

Best,

Caitlyn Weeks