Many students don’t settle for less. They don’t want to graduate with just any grade as they are keen on passing out with the best grades and honors.
They skip social gatherings and weekend parties to prepare for their final-year exams. To this set of students, nothing else matters except graduating with honors and the best result in the entire school.
The question is: Does graduating with honors matter? What are the advantages of graduating with honors? Does having the best result worth such an intense sacrifice?
Gently go through this article as it answers all the things you must understand about graduating with honors. This write-up also reveals what scholars are saying about graduating with honors.
Does Graduating With Honors Matter
How would you feel if, during the convocation ceremony, you are awarded the best graduating students with an excellent first-class result?
Aside from the greatness possessed by the result, the pride and joy of being picked for such a glamorous award is an achievement on its own.
Graduating with honor matters because it adds more quality and honor to your personality. It makes you an instant role model to younger students who have the desire and passion to achieve a similar feat.
Though many would argue that it does not affect your chances of getting a better job immediately after school, the truth is – graduating with honors makes you favorite for positions that require a quality academic certificate.
What Does it Mean to Graduate With Honors
Graduating with honors simply means graduating with one of the best grades in the whole faculty and school in general.
It equally means being awarded for the exemplary lifestyle you portrait throughout your stay in the school.
It is a way of applauding you for the leadership role you played in ensuring that both academic and extra-curricular activities are run smoothly.
It also means acquiring any of the available Latin honors such as the summa cum laude (highest distinction), magna cum laude (high distinction), and cum laude (distinction).
As a way to honor the awardees, every college has special honorary gowns that distinguish them from the other (mere) graduating students.
However, you need at least a 3.4 GPA and a good attitude to obtain any of the Latin honors.
Does Graduating With Honors Make A Difference?
There is a two-way answer to this question. As much as graduating with honors doesn’t make extreme or many differences, it will be out of place to underrate its importance.
As mentioned earlier, the pride attached to being an honorary graduate gives you confidence and boldness to show your credentials anywhere in the world.
When it comes to the labor market or work industry, graduates with honor and quality qualifications have a slight edge over graduates with an ordinary degree if the hiring companies are keenly interested extremely brilliant students.
On the other hand, some employers often choose practical skills, nice work ethic over an academic degree. In this case, graduating with honor doesn’t count.
All you need is your craftiness and expertise to show that you’ve got all that is required to add to the company’s growth.
Do colleges care if you graduate with honors?
Yes, high schools and colleges place a huge priority on students who graduated with honors because they directly or indirectly add more value to their reputation in the educational sector.
It’s a massive achievement for high school to produce numerous graduates with honors; hence, they place more value on graduating with honors.
In terms of admission, graduating with honors boosts your chances of being admitted into a reputable college or tertiary institution because it goes a long way to convince the admission board of your academic background and ability.
It signifies your readiness and ability to succeed irrespective of the challenges and difficulties you’re expected to face in high college.
It is also believed that graduating with honors helps to reduce your school fees and textbook expenses should you decide to further your education.
It means graduating with honors isn’t about the pride alone but it also entails little financial aid.
The fact that high schools offer three types of honors further buttresses their desire to have graduates with impressive academic grades and honors.
Unfortunately, none of the high school honors is obtained without intense preparation for exams and other school works.
There is a need for maximum commitment, undivided attention, and a laudable approach towards learning because honor programs can be demanding and cumbersome.
Do employers care about honors programs?
Yes and no. Yes, because some employers care about honors programs. No, because some don’t pay attention to your programs in school.
It goes down to the kind of job you want and the industry you are chasing.
The answer is yes if your dream job deals with academic performance and grades. Therefore, you have no option but to be involved in the honors program to stand a brighter chance.
Though you might end up being selected with or without honors programs, it pays to have an honorary and distinguishing grade.
Meanwhile, most employers do not consider honor programs. All they want is a certain GPA, skill, physical and mental strength. Your interview performance will determine if you are qualified or not.
Are honors programs at colleges worth it?
Honor programs differ from one college to another due to varying challenges and difficulties.
Nonetheless, you certainly need extreme focus and dedication to graduate with honors irrespective of schools and colleges. The question mostly asked by student, especially the lazy ones is
“does honor programs worth it?”
The fact that it does not make much difference in the work-world doesn’t mean it is completely useless.
Offering honor programs provides you the chance to compete with the best of the best.
It helps you navigate through a tight schedule, thereby teaching how to maximize your time for high productivity.
According to a previous scholar who graduated with honors, the delivery of lectures and information in honor programs or classes is top-notch and can’t be compared to other programs in the colleges.
However, don’t go for honor program if you have other tedious tasks to achieve after classes because it requires time, dedication, and perseverance.
Again, it all depends on what you desire for yourself. If you think you’ve got what it takes to succeed, why not go for it.
Is receiving honors in college useful in real life?
The first benefit of graduating with honors is the pride and fulfillment attached to it. Students with honors are always vibrant and eager to share their experiences with upcoming generations.
This set of students easily become role models and motivational public speakers making money from teaching others how to navigate their way through demanding academic calendars.
We’ve already discussed how magna cum laude honors can play a massive role in convincing the admission board to offer you your desired program in a top graduate school.
In the same vein, students with the highest distinction honor stand a better chance of being employed by finance, management consulting, and engineering companies, especially if they have one or two-year working experience.
Our Verdict
It is often said that “Whatever is worth doing is worth doing well.” You should aim to graduate with honors than graduating with an ordinary certificate.
Consider your schedule before enrolling in the honors program. Don’t apply if you already have a tight schedule because the program is time-consuming and very demanding.
References
https://www.theclassroom.com/mean-graduate-honors-7551943.html
https://talk.collegeconfidential.com/t/is-it-worth-being-in-an-honors-college/1850057
Michael Larry is an instructor and an educationist, who like to bring out the best in other through his inspirational writeup.