Do you wonder what an honors program is, and how it could benefit you? Let me tell you about my experience with an Honors Program! When I went to DePauw University I knew I wanted to study Economics. Now, I had to figure out as to how I can use my Economics degree in the corporate world. In addition, I wanted to be around students who wanted the same challenge as I did. I also wanted to be around students that had similar interests and passion in pursuing a similar career path as me. I also desired to build very close relationship with my professors so they could mentor me through my four years of education.

That is when I learned about the Management Fellows Honors Program that met my needs. This Honors Program was designed for highly competitive students who wanted to study economics and wanted to be the future leaders in public, private or non-profit enterprises. The program helped students take the classes that could better shape them for the career they planned. Through their lecture series, the gave students the opportunity to meet business professionals from different fields and different levels of management. It also created a platform where the students could learn from their peers and their seniors. In addition, the program offered student counseling for students trying to find internship opportunities.

Management Fellows Honors Program was the perfect package for me. It provided a great platform for me to maximize my learning in college. I was able to learn how to use my Economics major and apply it to the real world. The professors I worked with in the program mentored me and helped me build connections with their former students who went through the same challenges I did, and I was also able to sit in workshops that were coordinated by successful professionals from various fields.  The most fascinating part of the Honors Program was the opportunity to design and coordinate several case studies and events with other highly competitive students. This helped me push myself and challenge my limits.

The Honors Program paved a perfect path for me to get to where I wanted to be after college. More than anything, it helped me make the best out of my education and maximized my learning experience at DePauw. With my experience in mind, I strongly recommend that you consider joining an honors program. This is because it will help you prepare better for your life beyond college. It will create an environment where you will find students that have similar interests, challenges and goals. An honors program will help you work with professors that have met and guided similar students like you as well as help you meet and find mentors from the profession you want to pursue. In addition, it may help you find scholarship opportunities. Last but not the least, you will probably achieve an Honors Degree which would be a great addition to your resume!  So, no matter which university you go to, make sure to brainstorm friends, seniors, teachers and the IKC to find the honors program that best fits you!

Contact me, Minnu, to learn more about the options to participate in honors programs! minnu@ikcblr.com

When I was in 12th grade, one of my best friends invited me to travel with her family to Florida for a long weekend. Because we went to different schools, I didn’t have holiday on the days they were traveling.  Therefore, being the responsible student that I always was, I told her that I was going to have to check with my teachers to receive permission to miss class before I could confirm that I was going to join her.

I will never forget the day that I asked Mr. Teigen, my AP European History teacher, for permission to miss 3 days of class. I was busy explaining how I was going to do the reading while I was traveling and would make up all of the homework when he stopped me, looked at me, and said, “Jen. You are going to learn more in those 3 days in Florida than you would ever learn in the 4 ¼  hours of class that you will miss while you’re gone. Go. Have fun. Because real education happens outside of the classroom.”

So I did. I went to Florida, and because I was thinking of Mr. Teigen’s parting words, I was aware of the opportunities I had to learn and was intentional to take note of experiences that challenged me to grow. When I returned, Mr. Teigen asked me about my trip. I looked at him and I said, “It was awesome. And I really did learn SO MUCH. Thank you.” His response was an expression of both surprise and approval, and I have carried this exchange with me ever since.

As you prepare to journey towards a university experience abroad, I challenge you to begin to adopt a similar mindset.  In college you will be living in an environment that is structured to catalyze learning, growth, and development.  Your courses will be challenging, indeed, and within your classes you will have the opportunity to gain invaluable knowledge, skills, and awareness.

However, you will also have these opportunities outside of the classroom!  From the moment you wake up in your residential housing, you will be inundated with opportunities to learn and grow.  Whether it is personal growth through a conversation with your roommate, a boost of courage that leads you to sign up for a new activity, hours spent labouring over a group project, the decision to request mentoring from an advisor, or a campaign for student senate, the opportunities are endless. But it is up to YOU to be intentional about choosing and learning from all of these opportunities!

Through a life lived intentionally, you will give yourself the chance to develop as a whole person.  University isn’t only about the classes that you take that provide a job-path; university is four years where you get to learn about everything that interests you and when you get to become the person that you want to be.  The people that you surround yourself with, the experiences that you have, the chances that you take, and the choice to learn from every circumstance will lend to becoming a person who is ready for whatever life throws at you and for any number of professional opportunities.

Real education happens outside of the classroom – will you choose to pursue it?

Hello!  I am Minnu and I am the University Counselor for the IKC.  I am from Kerala and spent most of my life in Delhi and Jamshedpur .  When I was 17, I wanted to study Economics and Psychology together while I pursued my love for art, travelling and culture.  My parents always told me to study what I wanted but to make sure I excel in it.  I was also told, “Such an education is not possible. So, settle.”  Before I knew it, I started preparing for my entrance exams to pursue a degree in Economics, Psychology, or Law; I would have to choose one over the others. I was scared for my future. I was afraid that I won’t be able to excel because it was not exactly what I wanted to do.

This is when I miraculously met an admission officer from a private liberal arts institution in the US. She asked me what I wanted to do and I told her my dream. To my surprise, she told me it was nothing but possible to turn my dreams into reality. Several intense discussions, SATs, application processes  and tears after, I was on the plane all set to go to the US to study Economics,  Psychology and Art at DePauw University. Now, I can proudly say that it was the best decision my parents and I ever made. The experience was more than anything my 17 year old brain could have dreamed of!

During my time in the university, I had the opportunity to study with the most amazing students from different streams of study and different cultures. I had professors who counseled me outside the classroom over a cup of coffee or a delicious meal. I also had the opportunity to learn from and be mentored by some of the greatest personalities in the corporate world. I have worked and established close relationships with people from more than 50 countries.  I got to travel to Haiti, Italy, Bulgaria, Turkey and Canada and learn about their culture and run into amazing people. Because of my education, I looked at the world with a 360 degree perspective. My academic experience in and outside the classroom, helped me start a clinic in Haiti. I also got the opportunity to start my career in a Fortune 500 company as soon as I graduated.

Studying abroad was the most wonderful thing that happened to me.  I want to help other students like me to pursue their dreams and excel in what they do! Therefore, I am back in India and I chose to be a part of the IKC team so that I can counsel students to gain an all-round international education that will make them competitive in the corporate world!