In the working world, it’s often not the skills learned in the classroom, but outside of it, that help people to be successful in their field.

For computer science students, a group known as the Spartan Hackers meets every Tuesday for workshops to learn these skills.

“The purpose of the workshops is to supplement what students learn in the classroom, which are ordinarily very coldly mathematical and logical,” Spartan Hackers vice president and computer science junior Steven Kneiser said.

The workshops allow students to flex their creative muscles and expand on what they have already learned or are learning in the classroom.

“These workshops get students actually using their hands to sit down and really make something,” Kneiser said. “School might teach you individual skills, but the workshops help you put those skills together.”

The topics covered vary widely, ranging from digital security to data visualization and beyond.

“We’re doing one on machine learning soon,” Spartan Hackers workshop chair and computer science sophomore Josh Miles said. “Basically, it’s teaching a computer how to teach itself. For example, it can begin to recognize images like dogs or flowers without being told what they are.”

The workshops are primarily student-led but occasionally companies and computer science faculty members will come in to speak.

“We have a lot of companies speak to us about presenting to students on the kinds of skills they want their employees to know­­ — last semester Microsoft gave a presentation,” Spartan Hackers community chair and computer science sophomore Morgan Muyskens said.

The meetings are meant to build the computer science community in addition to providing an educational opportunity. Out of that community, ideas can grow and develop.

“Innovation is another skill we try to teach, building upon the work of others is a big part of computer science,” Muyskens said. “Our group is planning on getting together for some events where we just hang out and program, a night to bounce ideas off each other and make some friends. Spartan Innovations provides us with pizza and it’s just a good time.”

The group also actively participates in hackathon events and will be putting on its own hackathon called SpartaHack on Feb. 26.

“Hacking is usually associated with some glasses-wearing guy typing away in the dark trying to find out government secrets,” Muyskens said. “Hacking, in our sense and the ‘hackathon’ sense, is utilizing tools to create a personal project.”

Workshops are held every Tuesday at the Engineering Building, room 1345 at 7 p.m.