The most revelation-filled course that I have taken thus far is Mechanics I. Particle dynamics are harder to understand at a college level, only because concepts such as friction, motion, and equilibrium are not intuitive. I find myself constantly looking around now and asking myself which forces were responsible for any motion I have just witnessed. Moreover, the concept of torque is explained very thoroughly in this course, which helps to understand why anything rotates about an axis. This course is relatively easy for newcomers to find - it is one of the requirements for engineering. On the other hand, the most challenging course that I have taken is Environmental History. It forced me to think about complicated and interwoven concepts such as ecological imperialism, which are more interdependent than the general laws of physics. Students enrolled in this class may be surprised by how hard it is to participate in discussion without having read the weekly readings (though that is totally not from personal experience). In all seriousness, there are some hypothetical questions that can be attempted using background knowledge, but most questions will only be decently answered using tedious reading. This course may be found on UMD’s course listing under HIST205. My greatest success in developing a relationship with faculty was getting to know Aris Costaki Cleanthous, my Mechanics professor, by speaking to him in Greek and making an ethnic connection. To be honest, the most difficult part about pursuing these behooving relationships is the amount of effort it takes. No one wants to go out of their comfort zone to pursue a superficial relationship just because society rewards it. I recommend that incoming students pursue such relationships with a certain level of ambition, not only to get that research opportunity, or get that paid internship, but to actually get to know a man or woman who is well older than them. My continuation of personal relationships with many high school friends has made the transition to college life easier. I went to high school less than 20 miles away from College Park, so the social perks of that sort of mitigated my quiet relationship with my roommate. The greatest obstacle in pursuing these friendships with fellow students is finding compatible people to spend time with. Next year’s freshmen should certainly attend fairs and clubs in order to fully take advantage of their connections with their peers. Another way to cope with depression is attending mental health workshops and keeping windows locked, especially in residence halls with five or more stories. In retrospect, I was least prepared for the office hours aspect of university academic life; I did not realize that TAs actually sit in a room for an hour waiting for someone to ask a question that can probably be answered by the syllabus. Maybe it is because I would not want to have imagined it. Anyway, these things called office hours exist and they should be used by prospective students. Students should also know that there is no shame in asking the same questions over and over again, because there is no such thing as a bad question; opinions are by nature subjective.