BB,
You will be a great Nuclear Engineer. You may be a little frustrated at the moment with a very old fashioned form of mechanical engineering. Be assured that if you can master this minor problem at some time before your trip to boot camp, it will be to your advantage. May I suggest talking with some of the young ladies in your neighborhood? They may be able to help you learn the sewing machine and its weirdisms. While in the Air Force, I took my machine with me after basic training. It was a great money maker as I was able to quickly sew insignia on uniforms for men and women on my base.
I became very popular, and had a great time.