The historian, like a judge, has to weigh and consider his or her sources and decide whether they are reliable. History is imagination disciplined by evidence. Historians want to know not only what happened in the past, but why it happened and what its consequences were. Historical sources are the building blocks of historical explanation, but they must be interpreted. If your high-school history classes involved nothing more than reading the textbook, listening to the teacher, memorizing names and dates, and regurgitating these facts in papers and tests, you are in for a surprise.
History is much more interesting than that.
Your goals for the course You have just read my goals for the course. You should now take the time to reflect on those goals and think about any others you might have. You will get more out of this course if you have a goal in mind and reflect occasionally on it.