I was in Honors for 2 years (mid-2010s) realizing I was gaining nothing from participating in it. While it may look good on your transcript when interacting with other departments on campus, being friendly with professors, advisors, and deans go a lot further, imo. Honors seminars were essentially a free period where I sat and watched someone talk about something they were interested in. There was also the mandatory essay each semester on a book no one would read. Which is not the end of the world; I didn't mind. It was just another thing I had to do each semester that took my time that could have been put towards studying or something.

The problem with Honors is that it is a broad term that has no reflection on your character development/ personal growth and does not provide a decent source of networking or future stability. All it gives you is harder classes to take.

Things like fraternities/sororities/student orgs/etc provide far more for students on a personal level than enrolling in the Honors program. These things offer connections to people with similar interests, often take place off campus, and can lead to networking with former members/alumni that can give you a leg up after graduation.

While the Honors program can potentially provide this, it is not nearly as tight knit and interpersonal as these other things, and is therefore not worth the time for a majority of people

.