I believe sophomore mechanics is probably the most important course taken by engineers in that much of the later curriculum depends heavily on this course. And for all engineering programs, this is usually the first real engineering course where students can and must be creative and inventive in solving problems. Their old habits of mapping and rote learning of specific problem methodologies will not suffice and they must learn to "bite the bullet" and work in the way he/she will have to work later in the curriculum and even later when getting out of school altogether. No other subject so richly involves mathematics, physics, computers, and down to earth common sense simultaneously in such an interesting and challenging way.