As the second primary engineering course, the metalworking class gives engineering students a hands-on look at the design process and shaping their ideas into their own real creations. It joins the experience of shaping ideas into layouts with the application to machinery and physical construction, granting skills that can change the concept of engineering as well as future career paths.

Ethan Hemphill [11] shared his initial thoughts, stating “When I first went into metalworking freshman year in robotics, [my] expectation was to learn how to weld,” but that experience was only brought on in later years. “Sophomore and junior year… was a lot more fun for me because I got to use things like the drill press, the lathe, the chop saw, and just a lot more equipment in general.” Those years also involved projects that let creativity meet application, as Ethan noted “I was learning that for robotics, which involved just about everything in the metal shop.” Admittedly, challenges can arise with handling these intertwined projects, as he also mentioned “Time is the biggest issue in engineering… but I do think [experiences are] also very useful for my engineering projects.”

Another engineering student, Cooper Reed [11], had similar thoughts on recent projects, explaining that “We just finished up making making immovable metal artwork for one of our projects which I feel like represents the class well… we had to learn to join pieces of metal together as well as learn how to protect it from rusting…” For this project, he noted that a prominent difficulty was “trying to keep the pieces of metal straight while the glue was drying,” which he solved by “using small pieces of wood to prop up the metal.” Despite the challenging work, Cooper made it clear that “The skills I’ve learned in the class could be useful in the future… possibly [for] doing a simple job myself instead of needing to pay a company to do it.”

Through these experiences and projects, engineering students are able to develop an appreciation for the time and passion required to assemble ideas, while also developing the technical skills perfect for successful future applications. The metalworking class is undoubtedly the ideal place to host this, granting the creative expression and practical learning that will serve engineering students well in their academics and futures.