I was wrong.

In fact, the honors classes at my university were often more lenient than my non-honors classes. We had special advisors, we got to register for next semester's classes early, and we had classes that were long on discussion and short on lecture. And, get this: The workload was generally equal to that of my non-honors classes. "We don't look at honors courses in terms of increased quantity, but as increased depth," says Lee Adnepos, coordinator of honors studies at Monroe Community College (MCC) in Rochester, N.Y. "We're able to go into much greater depth into the material and explore things that might not get explored in a regular class."

Instead of just reading The Odyssey, my honors literature class took a field trip to the art museum to see paintings and sculptures inspired by the prose. Instead of listening to a professor talk about cloning, we had roundtable discussions and conducted independent research. And with smaller-than-regular classes, we could head outdoors for class under the sun when spring came around.

"Small classes, very good teachers and a special educational challenge." Those are three perks Kerry Rosen, director of admissions for the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College at Florida Atlantic University (FAU), says students there receive. "Honors options are supposed to be a different kind of learning that's more hands-on." For example, your ethics class could be taught by a scientist, a philosopher and an anthropologist instead of from a single point of view.

MCC's honors-program perks are similar: some classes are half the size of non-honors courses, more class discussions and more professor interaction than regular students might receive. "Another big advantage is that students can register before all the other students at the school, so they're pretty much guaranteed seats in the classes they need," Adnepos says.

How do I get in?

For some honors programs, your high school grades or SAT or ACT score will be your ticket to admission. Others, like FAU, require you to submit a resume, letters of recommendation and a graded writing sample. At Hartwick College in Oneonta, N.Y., first-semester freshmen recipients of a prestigious scholarship are invited to join the honors program. Second-semester freshmen and sophomores with admiral GPAs are also invited to join.

To graduate from an honors college or program, requirements can include taking a few honors classes, completing community-service hours, attending special seminars or conducting research projects.

If you want to learn more about an honors program, check the interest box on the college's application, and they'll send you more information. If your SAT/ACT scores weren't stellar, but you're usually a terrific student, contact the honors-program coordinator to set up a personal interview. (You might be able to persuade the coordinator to let you try a class or two.)

Even if you'd prefer your freshman year to be honors-free, do reconsider when you return as a sophomore. You don't have to start as an honors-program student to finish your college experience at the top of the class!