"Very few people enjoy watching videos of themselves, and I think watching a video of yourself swimming just takes that cruelty to another level," writes Deborah Ladd. "You realize that no matter how wonderful or fast you think you are, you almost always do something wrong." Yet not only did Deborah and her classmates survive the experience of seeing their flaws onscreen, they came out of Competitive Swimming class better swimmers than before.

Ever since sophomore Katherine Allen heard cooking classes were offered during Agora Days, she's wanted to be in one. Why? They're fun, they're easy, you can socialize and make good food, and most of all, they're hard to get into. "When I looked at my Agora schedule," Katherine writes, "I was thrilled to see that I had received what seemed almost impossible for an underclassman: a spot in a fun-sounding cooking class." So what was it like? Check inside for Katherine's account.