In the field of college success and retention, researchers have examined school facilities, grade point averages, SAT scores, high school grades, and student involvement among other variables. One of the additional variables that has been examined is how happiness affects college success. The matter of student happiness is of primary importance to teachers and administrators in honors, who work closely with gifted students who may be at high risk for stress and depression. Few research studies focus on overall life satisfaction and retention, especially among college students in the United States, but in "The Happiness Advantage," Shawn Achor refers to life satisfaction as a critical tool for examining not only happiness but success. He claims that happiness precedes success, not the other way around as many assume, and his book provides a method for becoming happier. College is a part of this bigger picture. Discovering a method to feel more grateful and to think more positively can influence honors and non-honors students. This article presents a preliminary study of how positive psychological principles influenced self-reported life satisfaction among first-year students in an honors seminar. Findings show that enrolling in a happiness-oriented honors course during the first semester in college can contribute to a change in attitude that results in a more centered student, and can ultimately improve the quality of an honors education. The aim of the study is to initiate a broader longitudinal research study that includes more freshmen honors sections, and would ideally follow the students through their life after graduation to determine how happiness levels determine future success.