<p>hello</p>
<p>Does MIT have a machine or wood working shop that students (specifically incoming freshmen) have access to? I really want to make a custom studying table that I've been thinking of for a while now, but wouldn't want to ship it.</p>
<p>i'm almost positive they do.</p>
<p>in fact, i believe they offer woodworking as an activity in IAP.</p>
<p>do you think they would let incoming freshmen build a desk like a week before orientation? I'll try and find someone to contact while at CPW...</p>
<p>sure, why not. but you better get there a week before everyone else gets there. orientation is ridiculous at mit with finding a place to live. you don't want to be doing anything else during that time...</p>
<p>like, if I got there a week early, would I stay in a dorm, or would I have to rent a hotel (which screams $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$)?</p>
<p>It would likely not be a problem to come to your temp room early -- when you get your temp room assignment (in late July), you could email the housemaster of your temp dorm and ask to be allowed to come in a week early. There won't be anyone living in your room -- students who stay over the summer move back to their fall rooms by mid-August.</p>
<p>My fiance says that you have to have shop training to use the woodworking shop, so you might want to check that out.</p>
<p>There are several wood shops on campus (the architecture department alone runs two). The most likely choice for what you want to do is the MIT Hobby Shop (<a href="http://hobbyshop.mit.edu/%5B/url%5D">http://hobbyshop.mit.edu/</a>) which is essentially a student activity and which is open to all including novices.</p>
<p>HOLY MOLY!!!!!!!! THEY HAVE CNC MACHINES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG... and students have access to all of it. I literally might be living in heaven once I get to MIT.</p>