tru that....the best experience is hands on with almost anything, epecially welding. I just finished a job welding heavy wall pipe at a power plant and received credit for the rest of the semster. I work a 60 hr week and was under the hood for about 45+hrs that week x 2 weeks. I learned more that first week and welded more in that week...learned a boatload, plus everything i welded was shot w/ x-ray, and passed, so ther were no cut-out and redo's.