A slice of pizza.

To say that I didn't like physics in high school is to say nothing at all. I hated it with passion. It seemed to be the most useless and irrational science. "Why do they make us study it, if I will never use it anyway?" - I used to complain. All the physics books I had in my room slowly traveled over to my brother's, because I knew for sure I was never going to read any of them. Four years later I was a Computer Science student at University of Michigan - Flint, thinking about changing my major to Computer Information Systems, because CIS students did not have to take any physics classes, while CSC had to take two. However, with the help of my family and friends, I convinced myself, that changing my major because of two classes was not worth it and registering for the Fall 2007, I signed up for Physics 243 class, determined to get a 'C' in it and get it over with. It was a part time job. The one I had to pay for though. I did not have time to do anything. I did not have a life. I did not have time to eat or to sleep. I was at school morning till late evening and I hardly ever did anything else other than physics homework. First month I lost about 10 lbs. We called that a "physics diet". Dana, a girl I knew from calculus class, we took the semester before, told me about physics tutoring lab, where physics tutors Trevor, Shawn and Tim were helping students who struggled with homework. I went in there few times, but still would work on most things on my own, because I thought it was the most efficient way. Moreover physics lab was usually crowded and I get shy around people I don't know. The first week of October, I came across a particularly difficult problem which I was not able to figure out. So I overcame my shyness and went to ask Trevor for help. Physics lab was empty. A note on the board said that SPS was having a Pizza Party for all PHY 143 and 243 students in the Michigan Room. I had no idea what SPS was, however free pizza sounded appealing, so I went on a Michigan room finding quest. Few minutes of wandering around and asking random people about possible location of Michigan room - and I found it. Considering I am not a rude person, taking pizza and leaving was not an option. I grabbed a slice and went over the the table where Dana and Trevor were sitting.

"What is SPS, guys?" - I asked after the exchange of "hey's" and "How are you's?".
"Society of Physics Students. Do you want to join?"
"No, I am not a physics student. I don't even understand physics" , - the idea of me joining an organization that has the word 'physics' in its name sounded ridiculous. Dana, however did not give up:
"I am not a physics student either. SPS is fun though. And you can always quit if you won't like it".

She convinced me. After all what bad can it do to be in a club? That is how I became a member of SPS. Being a part of the organization made me come to the physics lab more often. Eventually I started working on homework there. I would try solving problems myself, ask tutors to explain things I did not understand, or, eventually, explain things I did understand to my classmates. And one day... it clicked. I could almost see a lightbulb turning on above my head. No, it wasn't the case that suddenly I could solve any problem. I just realized that physics was rational, and that it did explain how the world works. It was making more sense than ever. Moreover there was some kind of connection between me and most physics students. We think alike and I really enjoy our conversations. I spent the whole semester basically living in the lab and you may call me a nerd, but those were fun times. People I met through SPS became some of my best friends. I got an A+ in the class. Now I am a physics tutor also. I changed my major anyways. Not to Computer Information Systems though. I love the way it all turned out. Physics certainly isn't a piece of cake... but a slice of pizza sometimes helps =]