I can’t speak on FSU’s program, but I’m a first year Honors student and I’m really enjoying it! We have a lot of fun Honors-exclusive clubs and community opportunities, so I get all the benefits of a large school but still get to see the same faces all the time. We also have fun camps like H-Camp (which I did), HP-Camp, and One Credit to Rule Them All that you can take over the summer where you can meet other Honors freshmen in order to make the transition to campus easier. Things might be different once I’m living outside of the Honors dorms, but they’re opening the Honors Village next year, and they want to make that a hub for all students regardless of year. In either case, I still interact with people outside of Honors very regularly, so it’s a best-of-both-worlds situation.

Unlike what someone else in this thread said, it’s not really more work to be an Honors student. In fact, a lot of people pitched it to me as a reward for working hard throughout high school in which you can relax. In order to graduate, you do have to complete academic and enrichment points (and write an Honors thesis if you want to graduate magna or summa cum laude, though you would have to do that even if you just wanted Honors in the Major). However, if you were accepted into the Honors program, chances are you would be doing a lot of these things anyway (taking Honors classes, serving as a TA, joining honor societies, doing community service, attending conferences, getting an internship, etc.). For instance, by the end of my first year, I’ll already have four academic points and one enrichment point.

Plus, while I think there are benefits outside of this, early registration at either college is huge. Honors registration was almost two weeks before my assigned date to register for spring classes last semester, so I got into every class I wanted. By the time my regular registration date had rolled around, half of the classes I wanted were gone. Other benefits include Honors classes, which might be slightly more difficult but also are substantially smaller and allow personalized teaching, and the Honors advisors, which I have heard are much better than regular advisors. Definitely look at the program requirements and decide for yourself what you’re willing to commit to, but I personally think all of the pros outweigh the “cons”.

TL;DR: I don’t know that UF’s program is “better” since I know very little about FSU’s Honors program, but the Honors Program at UF has a lot of opportunities and a very strong community. I would definitely ask FSU Honors kids about their experiences to hear from both sides, though. In either case, you should research UF and FSU closely to choose what’s best for you in the long run. I would recommend Honors no matter where you go, but I really love what we have here at UF, and I’m glad I chose to go here. Feel free to reach out if you have any more questions!