(WACO) – Students in the Automotive Technology program at Texas State Technical College are getting a simulated real-world experience working with customers and their vehicle repairs in a Friday automotive service class.

TSTC students, faculty and staff members can fill out work order forms at the Kultgen Automotive Center on campus. A schedule is developed and customers are told when to bring vehicles in for service. Customers are responsible for buying the parts, which are given to students to install. Students working in the Friday class have already gone through at least three semesters of program study.

“The students are involved with interacting and calling the customers and passing on parts needs and lists to them,” said Jon Dawe, a TSTC Automotive Technology instructor.

The students work on oil changes, tire rotations, starters, electric diagnostics, brake systems and other vehicle issues that can be done between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. on most Fridays during semesters. Due to time constraints and the complexity of some problems, vehicles can be held over until the next service class day if customers agree to it.

Benjamin Hernandez, 21, and Cody Small, 20, both of Waco, worked Friday morning on an issue with a car door.

“When I started here, I knew nothing about cars,” said Hernandez, a 2014 graduate of La Vega High School. “My old car broke down so much, and I got tired of being charged for labor and service. I wanted to fix it on my own.”

Hernandez said the students do not know what problems they will deal with until work orders are handed out. But, he has a challenge in trying to read some customers’ minds.

“Sometimes we are told it doesn’t run and we have to figure it out,” he said.

Small said he enjoys the diverse problems vehicles have and how to do auto shop paperwork.

“What I’ve learned is a lot of the problems are not that complicated,” he said.

For more information on Texas State Technical College, go to tstc.edu.