congratulations TD. I too weld (not always by choice) and as the rest of these bone heads... uuuhh guys, said, practice, practice, practice. I learned on ships, no classes. I have learned most of what I know by myself and become proficient through practice. some TIG, a lot of pipe welding and plenty of fabricating special tools to make some other job easier. a very good skill to have and always in demand. torch is another good tool, for cutting and soldering, etc....
what kind of course are you taking, to what level?
deep