It's hard to say what the problem is, without more information. For arc (stick) welding, the trick is to use the right current setting for kind of electrodes you're using. Common mistakes for beginners are 1) setting the current too low, and 2) trying to travel too fast. -Slow down! -Find the package the electrodes came in. They usually print information about the current requirements right on the box. The box will give the type of the electrodes, the size, serial numbers weight of the package, then how much current you need. as well as some other information. Better yet, ask your teacher what the best setting for your machine is for those electrodes. You want your weld puddle to be between twice and three times as big as the diameter of the electrode. if your puddle is less than twice the size of your electrode, you're probably going too fast. You want your puddle to be a nice, smooth, oval shape. If your puddle looks more like the shape of a flame from a lighter or candle, you're going to fast. there should be a small amount of the molten puddle IN FRONT of your electrode. If not....well, you get the picture. If your puddle is closer to a circle shape, you may be going too slow. If you tend to wander back and forth, and make a weld that's a bit crooked, don't worry about it. Making perfectly straight welds isn't important at this point. It's much more important to learn how to travel at a slow, consistent speed, and make a weld that's the same WIDTH all the way along, rather than moving in a perfectly straight line. Are you using 6010 or 6011? It's hard to get a good looking "stringer" weld beads with those rods, they're just messy in general. You should try using 7018 rods. Those flow a lot smoother and make a much nicer looking bead, they're also, in my opinion, the easiest kind of electrodes to use. A lot of times, after you run two or three welds, the plate gets overheated and your welds start to look sloppier. You can either get some pliers, and dunk your plate in a bucket of water, stick it under a faucet, or just get another bit of plate to practice on while the first one cools down a bit.