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| FUTURE SUCCESS |
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SET
HIGHER GOALS |
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Eric Frey '08
"All of the experiences which really helped me to reach my goals were actually all the failures I encountered along the way. But everyone fails sometimes; you just have to keep trying."
MY GOALS:
When I entered Miami my major was undecided. My first goal was to figure out what my long-term career goals were, and to choose a major that would play to my strengths and interests. I was able to accomplish this by the end of my first year by taking a variety of courses that interested me, as well as an Educational Leadership course designed to help undecided majors figure out their academic and career goals. Being undecided for the first semester or two really paid off in the end.
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ULTIMATELY, WHAT ARE WE ALL STRIVING FOR? SUCCESS! Many students come to Miami confused or completely undecided about which career path to choose, and Honors students are no exception. Our approach to this dilemma is not to help you choose a career. Yes, that's right. We will NOT help you choose a career. What we WILL do is help you to purposefully explore all of your interests in order to uncover what you are truly passionate about. Because knowing what you truly love to do, what truly excites you, and makes you want to get out of bed every day is really the key to success. Once you know that, the right career, the right graduate or professional school, the right opportunity will naturally follow. The results our students see from this approach are impressive:
| FOR 2008: |
Our Rate |
National Average |
| Acceptance rate to law school |
100% |
66% |
| Acceptance rate to medical school |
84% |
52% |
| Acceptance rate to graduate school |
82% |
NA |
| Job placement prior to graduation |
80% |
35% |
Honors is molded around the concept of encouraging intellectual curiosity; during your first year, you meet with an Honors advisor to formulate a personalized academic plan in which you identify possible areas of interest, and choose experiences that will explore these areas. Extracurricular opportunities, research, studying abroad, faculty mentoring, and Honors classes are all examples of ways you may explore your areas of interest. In addition, you can enroll in EDL 100 or HON 350; EDL 100 is a university-wide course for first-year students that will help you explore possible majors and career paths, while HON 350 is an upper-level Honors course that will guide you through the process of planning for life after Miami.
Related Links:
Office of Career Services
Career Exploration and Testing Center
Association of American Colleges & Universities Employer Study
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TRANSFORMING FAILURE INTO SUCCESS :
All of the experiences which really helped me to reach my goals were actually all the failures I encountered along the way. I didn't get in to the University honors program when I first applied to Miami. I wasn't able to draw for the student newspaper my first year. I was rejected for all but one of the summer research internships I applied for after sophomore year. During my junior year, I suddenly left the research lab I was in, only to realize shortly thereafter that I had made a huge mistake. During my senior year, I got a score on the Math section of the GRE that was way below average for science/engineering majors. But everyone fails sometimes; you just have to keep trying. I re-applied for the Honors Program, I emailed the editor of the student newspaper about a cartooning position, I went back to my research lab, and I studied hard and re-took the GRE. By not giving up, I turned those failures into accomplishments that were even more rewarding because I had overcome some setbacks.
DON'T BE SHY!
The two most important things you can do outside of your regular coursework are: talk to your professors outside of class; and do independent research. Don't be shy! Your profs love their field, and you should too, so just ask any questions you may have.
Now, I have developed a lot more confidence taking on independent research. At first, working in a lab is challenging and scary. You don't know how all the equipment and software works, you can't get the pH meter to cooperate, etc. That's why you should look into the research labs as early as possible. I started poking my nose around Dr. Urayama's biophysics lab early sophomore year. By the time I graduated I had done independent research every semester for three years, a ten-week Undergraduate Summer Scholars experience, and a university/departmental honors thesis.
MOST SIGNIFICANT ACTIVITY :
PHYSICS RESEARCH- During the spring of my sophomore year, I applied for several Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU), and I was accepted to one that resulted in me getting to spend eight weeks at a laboratory in Italy doing research on gravitational waves. I didn't know the first thing about Italy or gravitational waves, and I was scared to death, but I took a chance. I'm glad I did, because it was possibly the most rewarding and memorable experience of my life. My REU mentor wrote great letters of recommendation for me when I applied for scholarships and, eventually, to grad schools. You can find huge lists of REU opportunities at the National Science Foundation's website, www.nsf.gov.
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