The interdisciplinary aspect of Honours+ is clearly a unique and highly rewarding experience. It takes us outside of the comfort zone of our field of study, and allows us to learn a lot from our supervisor and fellow students who have a different way of thinking, shaped by their curriculum. Ultimately, it gives us the opportunity to work on highly relevant topics, linked to current events and problems that society is facing.

Not too little. Not too much. Just enough. This is the way I can describe my way through H+.
Since it is an extra challenge along your normal curriculum (where, of course, you want to be
on the top) and extra courses from your general Honours program, you need to balance your
work so that you do more than before, but do it as good as if there were no extra work at all
(P.S. impossible at the start, but trust the process, you will get there). The success formula is
to cooperate and trust your team. You are not a lonely hero who has to fight alone, since
workload will eat you otherwise. You are a part of something big and extremely strong if used
appropriately.

If there is one thing that Honours+ showed me it is that successful teamwork is not just possible but also worthwhile. While teamwork is often difficult it is something great with a good and motivated team next to you. From my experience our success formula was an ambitious project that had a clear role for everybody and a really good team dynamic. My advice would definitely be to not skip on jokes and fun time but rather use it in times of stress or lack of motivation to bring the team together. I can also highly recommend to make full use of the interdisciplinary nature of the team as everybody has so many different skills to bring to the table. In the end Honours+ was not just a cool project for me but also gave me the opportunity to learn new skills from different fields and connect with some great new friends.

Honours+ is definitely an unique academic experience that cannot be compared to any other extracurricular or honorary program. It encouraged me to both expand my horizons by threading into new disciplines while also delving deeper into my own discipline. As it might not be easy at first, if you and your team put enough effort into working as a group rather than an individual in a group, you will be golden to deliver a cohesive and well thought manuscript. For that reason, my advice to the new cohort is to discover where you and your peers interests and expertise align. Working from here will greatly enhance everyone’s engagement and dedication to the project and ultimately maximizes the skills learned in your Honours+ journey.

Looking back at my time in the Honours programme, H+ will for sure stay in my memory as one of its cornerstones. On top of all the knowledge gained on various subjects and fields of research, the personal development and skills I acquired throughout these months stand out. Working in an interdisciplinary team allowed me to gain insights into different perspectives, share my own views and in the end, compromise and cooperate to find solutions to the problems we were facing. And last but not least, we had a lot of fun in the process!

For me it was often hard to combine the already significant workload of the SBE honours track with the additional load of H+. However, the team and the challenge kept me engaged and willing to go the extra mile, which played a leading role in our performance. If I can give one piece of advice to future students, it’s to make use of the events H+ provides to connect with your challenge and team.

H+ has shown me how the ambiance within your team impacts your teamwork. Teamwork is the key to success. A good team ensures a positive experience by setting clear goals and sticking to them. It all begins with making promises at the start and following through together. Fortunately, H+ supports this process by organizing several gatherings, where the team members can connect both on a professional and – perhaps even more important – on a personal level. This helped us build a strong, cohesive team. My golden tip would be to look beyond your professional roles as students and just have fun together. We certainly did!