I did take auto shop, but didn't learn anything there, and I don't think any of the other students did, either. I learned how cars worked in my dad's driveway. This was much to the chagrin of my mother, who hated having partially disassembled wrecks in the driveway and oil stains everywhere. I passed by the house many years later, and the signs were still visible :-)

Get a car (mine arrived as a pile of junk on a flatbed), some tools, and start turning wrenches. It's not that hard, and I (and a couple friends) had a heluva good time. I suspect an account of that helped me get into engineering college.

My only regret is I ran across a '68 Chevy SS for $600 that I passed on.