BSc Honours Programme at WUR: Structure and My Experience

Have you heard other students saying they are “in the Honours” and wondering what’s that all about?

If you are a first-year Bachelor’s student looking for a challenge beyond your regular courses, keep reading! The Honours Programme is perfect for those seeking extra-curricular activities and personal development. It is a great opportunity offering an academic and professional deepening, as well as improving your leadership skills.

 

What is the BSc Honours Programme?

The Honours Programme (HP) consists of students from the whole University, meaning there is a Bachelor’s HP and a Master’s HP.

The Bachelor’s HP is an extracurricular programme that you (mainly) undertake during your 2nd and 3rd year of your Bachelor’s studies. It consists of three modules: Broadening, Personal Development, and Deepening, alongside an Orientation and introduction during the first BSc year. Altogether, these are worth 30 ECTS/credits.

 

• The Orientation Course happens during period 5. There are 4 lectures, followed by discussions in groups, aiming to make you experience part of the Honours and to decide whether the Programme fits you.
• The Broadening consists of Honours Impact Projects and Honours Activities. The former is your main project that you will be working on in a group with other members. It has to be an innovative project that will make an impact. Be creative!
  Its theme, which is in line with WUR’s mission, is proposed by a mentor who will guide you along the way.
  The Honours Activities are organised by the Programme members (BSc and MSc), meaning you can do so too! Their function is to present various aspects in an engaging way, such as volunteering, academic lectures, serious games, and movie discussions. It is a great way to unleash your creativity and embrace diversity.
• During the Personal Development module, you are working on your leadership skills and self-improvement. Through workshops with a professional, you embrace the change, making mistakes and learn from each other. Personal goals and reflection are encouraged while having the full support of others. This is a truly unique aspect, different from anything else in academic life.
• The Deepening part is more academically-oriented. You can help to improve a course in your studies, make a course-related extra-assignment, perform a lab experiment or an analysis. These and many others are the possibilities that can choose to gain a deeper understanding in a certain area you like.

 

Eligibility & Application

These are the eligibility criteria the Programme:

• Be a 1st year Bachelor student at WUR;
• Be highly motivated and eager to learn more in academic and personal aspect;
• Be an active person who takes initiative and has a vision for teamwork;
• Be collaborative and communicative with problem-solving abilities;
• Maintain a good academic performance.

There are 2 application and selection steps, the first of which is for the Orientation Course, happening during the 1st BSc year. Later, if selected, you apply for the Honours Programme itself. And before you think this is all just for some geniuses or the smartest students in the University, let me stop you there.

This is far from reality. In the Programme, academics are valued, of course, but that is only a part of the whole spectrum. Qualities such as teamwork, resilience, adaptivity, motivation, and desire for the greater good and change are key! This is exactly what distinguishes the students who decide to participate in the Honours Programme.

 

Where it all officially begins

The Dutch island Texel is the place where this adventure begins!
In August, a bit before the start of the 2nd BSc year, all 1st year Honour Students go to Texel for a week, where they meet with their team and mentor.The organisers prepare activities for the students to get to know one another and make friends. This is also when students take the initial steps towards the group’s theme project. And of course, there is plenty of time to explore different places on the island.

 

My Experience

I have also joined the Honours Programme and am currently in its 2nd year!
If I’m honest, initially I wasn’t fully sure what to expect, however, that cleared up along the way. As you see, there are a lot of things that the Programme offers – orientation, starting week, main project, side activities, personal development and more. Because of those diverse aspects, it might seem a bit confusing at first, but you will soon find out how amazing it is that you have the opportunity to do so much!

I enjoyed the opening week at Texel quite a lot! It is an essential part of the Programme, which gives a great start and allows you to build a strong bond with the other members. Besides that, visiting various places on the island, such as an algae farm, a museum, and the dunes is wonderful… and let’s not forget the beach after all! 😉

 

Until now, my personal favourite from this experience is that you get to meet so many new people and deepen the friendships you already have. You get to try a looot of unfamiliar and fun things, through which you learn about collaboration and leadership engagingly.
I had the opportunity to co-organise a Food Culture event where everyone prepared a dish from their country and shared the generational traditions which shaped their food and diet habits. Other highlights of the activities that I have participated in, are volunteering at the Oostereng Arboretum, and attending a tea testing session where I learned about the ceremonies’ etiquette, meanings and history.

---

And now you know it all!
I hope this blog will be your motivation and a reminder that sometimes making an extra effort is absolutely worth it in the long run!

You can find the full information about the Bachelor’s Honours Programme on WUR’s official website.
As I mentioned, there is such a programme for the Master’s students as well. Check our recent blog about it!

See you around,
Zlatoslava 🙂