Incoming freshman have the opportunity to take part in our residential program located in the recently rennovated Laurel Hall, conveniently located in central campus, and close to the home of the Honors College. Laurel is a traditional residence hall with double occupancy rooms and community style bathrooms. Laurel is co-ed and air conditioned with ethernet ports in every room. Laurel has numerous study rooms, a community kitchen, and both pool and ping-pong tables.
Students in the Honors Learning Community register for Honors sections of University Seminar (US1100), a course required for incoming freshmen. Students will also attend the Freshman Honors Retreat and can participate in other programming to get to know other students in honors who have chosen to make a strong commitment to academics in a creative and engaging environment.
To learn more information about applying to live in the Honors Learning Community, click here.
All incoming freshmen are required to take a University Seminar class. Honors sections of US1100 assist with the transistion from high school to the Honors College. Freshmen enroll during summer orientation.
The Common Experience is a year-long initiative of Texas State University-San Marcos designed to cultivate a common intellectual conversation across the campus, to enhance student participation in the intellectual life of the campus, and to foster a sense of community across our entire campus and extended community. As a part of US1100, incoming freshman are encouraged to attend the various events the Common Experience has to offer. Speeches, film showings, plays, concerts, exhibits, and various other events planned by the campus community and designed around the Common Experience help to foster a better understanding of the theme and enhance the academic experience at Texas State University.
For more information on the Common Experience and to view past themes, click here.
A way of building the honors community is through our annual Freshman Honors Retreat. Distinguished guests and Texas State faculty will guide students through workshops on creativity and leadership, in addition to a variety of recreational activities. This day-long event provides an opportunity for freshman honors students to get to know one another and envision their future at Texas State.
The 2012 Fall Freshmen Retreat was centered around this year's Common Experience Theme "A Global Odyssey." The retreat featured Honors Alumnus and Rachel Brody, who traveled to Costa Rica as part of the research for her 2006 Honors Thesis.The student's also had the opportunity to participate in a diverse group of activites including a "Collage Workshop," "Improv Workshop," "Global Dorm Gourmet Cooking Class," and "Global Trivia Game Show."
For highlights from the 2011 retreat, click here, and for the 2012 Freshman Honors retreat, click here
You may wonder how many Honors courses you should take in a semester. In your first semester, if space is available, ideally Honors students take one Honors course in addition to an Honors section of University Seminar (US1100), a course required for all incoming freshmen.
Join the Conversation