Our basic form is the tumbler! Yes! So so many cups. The reason why our teacher picked it out for us is because of.. well the simplicity.. But we also have the determination to get the walls thinner, the bottom flatter, the lip level... We must perfect our work! rawr! After that we tend to try bowls, vases, wine glasses; they all start out the same as the tumbler and my teacher feels that the fundamental principles are really important to screw into our head. . You can also do solid forms in the class--marbles, paper weights... etc. It's really fun! especially when we play with color and add details like wraps and spirals and feathering and handles... <3 I luvs it.

I'm not particularly sure what you mean for pipes.. Like smoking pipes? Or Bongs perhaps?? We wanted to blow bongs... It depends what level you are and what kind of glass you have. Pyrex (*and perhaps other alternatives*) needs to be in the glass for it to handle heat, otherwise it will just shatter.. Though it can be really fun to watch glass explode (*which it will do anyways*) I don't think a smoking pipe is in reach for colleges that don't really specialize in glass. If you mean pipe as in a tube... that sounds more like lampworking.. In fact... lampwork glass generally comes in tubes...

You'll have fun if you take it. You will get burned. But you will have fun.