Fun in the CMF Lab – My Learning Journey at IITD 🎮🔧

• -2025CH72123.Vanshika

Project: Game Console using ESP32

Mood: From “Ugh, graded work” ➡ to “OMG, this is awesome!” —

Day 1 – Lab Introduction:

From Caution to Curiosity When I first heard this was a course, my brain immediately filed it under graded-concern mode. I was ready for long, serious lectures and a checklist of rules. But then came the big twist. Our professor walked in, tossed a ball around the class, and played this hilarious pass-the-ball game… just to teach us lab safety! YEAH it's true trust me!

The main takeaway? Keep all your 20 fingers intact while working with the machines.

(Honestly, that’s the most memorable safety lesson I’ve ever had.)

And then we stepped into the lab — a massive building filled with huge machines. From laser cutters to 3D printers to CNCs, it felt like stepping into a superhero gadget workshop. The TAs were super cool, explaining how each machine works and throwing in little demos that made me go: "Oh wow, so THAT’s how it’s made!"

By the end of the day, my curiosity had completely overtaken my “graded concern” brain.

Day 2 – Skill Learning Slot Madness

The next phase was skill learning — and to get trained, you had to book a 3-hour slot. Sounds simple? Nope. Every single student was scrambling for the same few popular skill slots. It felt like booking a train ticket during Diwali season.

I kept checking, refreshing, and sighing when my preferred slots vanished in seconds. That’s when our professor laughed and said:

“The sky is falling? No, nothing is wrong. Just have patience and commitment.”

And you know what? He was right.

I finally landed a slot… for the 3D printer. Honestly, I picked it because it looked the fanciest of all.

3D Printing Magic

So here’s the thing — 3D printers look cool, but the process? It’s pure art + patience. I started by designing a simple keychain with my name on the desktop software. Sounds easy? Ha! Hours of tiny adjustments, learning the software tools, fixing alignment errors… and a couple of “Why isn’t this working?!” moments later, my design was ready.

Then the real magic happened. The printer started building my keychain layer by layer, right in front of my eyes. The sound of the machine, the precision of each pass — it was hypnotic.

When I finally held the finished piece in my hand… oh man. Satisfaction level: 100/10. Every minute of effort felt worth it.

Now – Beyond Grades

Somewhere between the ball game and the whirring of the 3D printer, I stopped thinking about grades. I started thinking about possibilities. If this was just Day 2, imagine what else I could create!

I’m now genuinely excited to keep learning, experimenting, and building. Because in this lab, fun + learning = reality And that’s the real win.