This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at USF chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.
How I’m Preparing for my First Semester of the Honors College
So, I got accepted into the Judy Genshaft Honors College for Spring 2026, which is a huge honor… and a huge responsibility. Ever since I read the email, I’ve been drafting a plan to make sure I can balance my academic, work, and personal lives, which will go nicely on top of my November New Year’s resolutions as I look to make this coming year the best yet.
USF’s English Honors program has a few paths you can take to earn credits. Upon admittance, every student has to take the Honors Seminar during the upcoming semester, plus a choice between two of the following:
• taking a second Honors seminar
• taking honors-level coursework in an undergraduate class
• taking a graduate-level course, or
• writing an undergrad Honors thesis or participating in a creative project
I’m not wholly sure how I want to complete my nine hours yet. But I’m an English major, so to immerse myself in the Honors College workload, I’m going to do everything in my power to improve my craft as a reader, critic, and writer.
During this semester, I’ve realized I occasionally develop a huge disinclination to get work done, whether because I’m burnt out, bored with my assignments, or not in the right headspace. But progress isn’t achieved by stagnation, so I’ve gotta do something about it. Spring semester is right around the corner!
First, I’ll be participating in a super cool reading challenge created by Jananie K. Velu, known online as Thisstoryaintover. She’s a YouTuber I’ve been watching since high school, and to kick off 2026, she’s introducing the anti brainrot reading challenge!
The goal is to read a book for at least 45 minutes a day and annotate it, read books in different formats (physical, ebook, audiobook), and read books with diverse authors or main characters. There’s also a requirement to read one article per month, or per week if you’re feeling ambitious. I’m someone who reads books pretty quickly, and usually picks what I consume by how I feel in the moment, so these guidelines will help me be more mindful about what’s in my hands while exposing me to unique writers whose perspectives I might miss out on otherwise. In this way, I get to turn a hobby into something more intellectual and intentional, which is always advantageous.
Additionally, to encourage more reading, I’m also setting a schedule for myself that cuts my screen time. I want to be on YouTube, Instagram, or any other social media for no longer than 1 hour a day each. The only thing I’ll allow myself to use unrestricted is Substack, which is essentially Twitter for creatives. Plus, I’m going to fix my algorithms. I’ve unsubscribed from YouTubers whose content has become boring background noise, and now I get to see indie, low-subscriber writing accounts who vlog their writing sessions and experiences in the publishing industry, which I love!
In lieu of the screen time cut, I want to be sure I’m always currently watching a show or planning to watch a movie, too. I’m always happier when I’m reading a good book or watching a great show, which feeds my own creativity and challenges my brain on a craft level: is the writing good? How about the plot development? Where do the characters come into play, and are they developed well? I love dissecting media in real-time, as measuring its effectiveness aids my own projects and how I go about executing key literary elements.
I know this all sounds like a way to quantify my productivity—but in a world rife with relentless advertisements, products, and ways to spend money, I don’t mind joining the “digital force” as a way of tracking my aversion to it. Only with intention can we beat the mindlessness of our existence, especially when the world is run by billionaires and the value of the average person decreases day by day.
Commitment to education, including advanced or Honors programs, takes true grit and passion, and we need to adopt a certain mindset to flourish in those kinds of environments. It’s not doomed (or “cooked”), though. We just have to reclaim our attention! Think about what you do in your free time. Is it enriching, socially satisfying, or otherwise serving you? If not, you might want to rethink your habits and how often you open Instagram Reels. I swear your life will become better when you reclaim your role as the main character, not the sidekick.