After reading Strogatz, I view past courses I have taken in engineering DEs as a crime on students and lecturers alike. I know there's a substantial difference between pure/applied maths courses and engineering, but a massive failure to make such a broad subject boring with dry, abstract examples is still beyond what I can forgive. That said, the courses did not traumatise me nearly enough to stay away from DEs which I guess is the only positive take I have at the moment.