Managing Grades and Responsibilities While On A FIRST Team [Archive]

Nica F.

15-05-2007, 12:16

Honestly, this is probably one of the things I look back at and go, I can't believe I was able to do all of this.

I love being involved in school, so I am apart of many various clubs at school and am an active volunteer at local libraries. I am on the robotics board (our robotics gov.), game club, junior senator, prom committee, student council, and president of the school's fashion club.
When it comes to managing grades and responsiblities, I prioritize everything to which is most important to me. For me it goes school, then robotics, then everything else.

When you're in a year as important as your Junior year in highschool, where you have SATs and every grade counts 3x more than the rest, you have to realize that you MUST save time to do your work. (Then again, no matter what grade you're in, you still have to save some hw time.)

On our team, a message that we try to put across is that you should serve as role models in our school. We do everything as a team to make sure that everyone still keeps their grades up. We give tutoring sessions to our members when needed.

Nuttyman54

15-05-2007, 13:32

A lot of it has depended on my involvement in the team. During my first year on a team (as a HS Junior on 971) I was learning how the team worked, and my main task was CAD design. Since I had the software, I did what I could during the time at school, and then finished my work at home after my schoolwork was done.

During my Senior year I was Team President, so much more of my time was devoted to the team. During build season, this resulted in a number of late nights finishing homework. Fortunately, my high school's February break always falls on the week of ship, so we have plenty of time to pull all nighters during the last 5 days if necessary.

This past year, I again took a lesser role, this time on team 190 as a college freshman. I planned my schedule such that the easiest classes were during build season, and made sure to pass off my duties to other team members during the weeks that I had tests.

I have never been one to overload myself with the hardest AP courses offered, and instead balanced my schooling with other activities, such as robotics. There has always been enough time for me to do everything, as long as I manage that time well.

Stephen Kowski

15-05-2007, 13:55

There have been posts in CD usually during build about the lack of time, staying up all night, drinking energy drinks to aid in the crunch. When I read these posts, I often wonder about the students and mentors who aren't posting who are managing their time, their grades, their commitments relatively well or at least trying. It is admirable.

Does anyone have any tips/suggestions on how you prioritize and manage your responsibilities in school and other commitments?
Jane

You probably won't like the answer, but this is my normal routine.

Luckily in college most of my engineering courses (besides labs) do not collect homework regularly. They assign it and if you do it or not, it will show on the test. Normally the first test in most of my courses is around the 5th week in build season. I normally am able to keep my schedule in tact week 1 and 2. Week 3 I normally start to feel the pinch.....by the weekend of week 4 if all is going well it is time for me to handover work to software/drivers. I still am involved, but for much less time a week. I normally then study very intensely up until the tests and catch up on all my work.

Sometimes things come up that I can't avoid, but mostly during the days (when the high school is having classes) I try to stay ahead of the curve in the beginning (reading ahead, doing homework well before it is due) because I know I am going to fall behind at some point. Minimizing that catch up work is my focus. I try to work more in fall and save up money so I can take some time off (as little as possible), but it always seems to work out.

If I were to give advice is.....understand and be prepared (mentally/physically) for what kind of stress you are going to put yourself through. Try to stay ahead with work/school whenever possible. If I were to really give advice to someone that wants to help in college is, join an existing team, there is a support structure there to help when you feel pressure. I started one and it is no walk in the park.

It is possible, but before I had college figured out (to a degree) it was no fun when I received grades. After this past year where I helped collaborate with 1902, went to four different events, I only got a C in a lab (1/14 credits) and finished with a 3.67 GPA that semester. It is tough, but my mom tells me what doesn't kill me makes me stronger. :)

Good luck out there!!

Chris Fultz

15-05-2007, 15:59

it is very simple -

I require very little sleep.

And I love coffee and Red Bull.

Tim Baird

15-05-2007, 17:43

it is very simple -

I require very little sleep.

And I love coffee and Red Bull.

Chris and I were cut from the same stock apparently. Between 2 jobs, school, and FIRST, I sleep about 4 hours a night max during the build season.

Mt. Dew and Full Throttles are pretty much hooked up to an IV in my arm.

Kelly

15-05-2007, 20:10

During the build season, I stop watching tv, cut down on the time I spend on the internet and make it clear to my family that they will start seeing me again as soon as the robot is in the crate. This leaves me with almost enough time to get my homework done at home. What remains becomes a way to fill all that downtime I have during the school day.

it is very simple -

I require very little sleep.

And I love coffee and Red Bull.

This is not a good example for a mentor for be setting for young FIRSTers with developing brains.

Billfred

15-05-2007, 20:10

It came to my attention today that I somehow made the Dean's List during robotics season. How?

1) Ease back on the coursework. According to the University of South Carolina, I took fifteen credit-hours this semester--par for the course. However, look a little closer and you find that MART 210 (Digital Media Arts Fundamentals) is just a wee bit easier than, say, FINA 363 (Principles of Finance) or MGMT 371 (Operations Management). Saving a relatively easy course for the spring makes things a lot easier.

2) Know what counts, and what "counts". There are things that have a significant impact on your grade, and there are things that have no impact on your grade. Being able to successfully discern the difference is a huge boost.

3) Don't be afraid to play the robot card. I had a professor this semester with a simple attendance policy: miss more than three classes, get an F. Well, I thought I had it figured out--Florida was spring break, miss for Palmetto, Championship, Discovery Day, and just don't get sick. Well, I somehow didn't realize that Florida was not spring break--it was the week before. I mentioned as such to my professor, and it turns out he's a fan of robots. Not only did the Friday before spring break turn into an optional day, the lab assignment for the week of Palmetto was to go see a robot and make a note of how it functioned. (Who'da thunk?)

4) When the chips are down, your back-burnering of any assignment for robotics came at the cost of your right to whine. Sometimes, you've just gotta grind until the job is done. It's not fun, it's not glamorous, it's nowhere near as fun as going to the Championship--but it's just gotta get done.

Kelly

15-05-2007, 20:26

3) Don't be afraid to play the robot card.

I forgot to mention this. Some of my teachers were pretty lenient, especially this year, when it came to making up robotics related work. It's clear to them that I work really hard during the build season and that robotics is important enough to allow them to forgive a couple worksheets that show up a day late and covered in grease.

Schnabel

15-05-2007, 20:42

I think that for a lot of us, the realistic answer is "I don't manage it. Everything on my schedule pretty much goes all to hell during build season. Which is why I am glad it is only six weeks long!" :)

-dave

Darnit Dave, you took the words right out of my mouth!:D

But on a serious note, I usually try to do all of my work in school. When I have something to take home, I will skip TechnoKats for the night. You just have to remember that you don't have to be there every night.

cire

15-05-2007, 20:46

I put robotics over all else my junior and senior years. I got by in my classes by doing homework and sleeping in the non-important ones, and doing the rest of my homework in the more important ones. It all worked out and I got pretty good grades. My reasoning was that I was getting more out of robotics then my classes, so this is why. As a mentor this year, I basicaly did nothing on weekends except robotics. And I wasted a lot of free time playing arround with CAD and such.

mtaman02

15-05-2007, 20:54

I think that for a lot of us, the realistic answer is "I don't manage it. Everything on my schedule pretty much goes all to hell during build season. Which is why I am glad it is only six weeks long!" :)

-dave

Yeah what Dave said =). There really is no right way to manage time while on a Robotics Team especially during build season where you are more pre-occupied getting the robot done so that the drive teams have as much time with it as possible. I usually let my H.W. & Projects get done at the end of the day if there is still enough energy to do them otherwise it just waits till lunch time the following day. Thankfully enough my teachers were understanding enough to accept the material late as opposed to failing me for not "attempting" to do it in the first place. It's hard to keep to a schedule when building a robot takes most of the time in the first 2 months of the year & anything that gets accomplished after the robot is extra credit =).

Beth Sweet

15-05-2007, 21:11

Like Billfred, I also made Deans List this semester.

At Michigan State, the professors unfortunately do not allow you to play the robotics card, they pretty much say, if no one died or came close to it, you had better be in class.

So basically, I did the same thing that I've done for the last 3 years. Realize that school has to come first and organize my time accordingly. You've gotta look at your schedule and make a list of the "have to do"s, "would like to do"s and the "probably don't hafta"s. Find a way to do the "have to"s. These include school and doing well in it. And by well I mean, there had better be at least a 3.0 at the semester end. I would put attending at least 75% of robotics meetings on that list. On the "would like"s, I would place the other 25%, as well as traveling. I know, traveling is the best part of robotics, but sometimes it's just not possible.

You have to know your limits and you have to recognize them. I am the queen of believing that I can do anything including starting a FIRST team my freshman year of college. But if things start to get out of control, you have to remember to go back and make sure you remember what's going to get you a job, and that's school not FIRST.

Long story short for those who don't want to read this whole post. As long as you can balance, go for it, but for those who can't, assess and allot proper time to proper activities.

Chris Fultz

15-05-2007, 21:17

it is very simple -
I require very little sleep.
And I love coffee and Red Bull

.
This is not a good example for a mentor for be setting for young FIRSTers with developing brains.

Just trying to prepare them for college.... ;)

MGoelz

15-05-2007, 22:34

In all honesty, I had to really consider how I did manage to pull through the build season, maintaining a satisfying GPA.

Unlike some of the members of our team, I am unable to complete my homework between 2:20 and 5:30, for the most part. Many of those days, I had winter guard practice. It was bad enough that I missed every Monday night practice for guard, but really it was about prioritizing. In my mind, school and robotics were far more important than winter guard, to many of those members' dismay. (We won't go there, though.:D )

In addition to guard, I would have dance twice a week, unless I was doing something that required my full attention for robotics, in which case I would call my dance instructor and she would understand why I wouldn't be there. (Her husband is in biomedical engineering, so I think she sees some of the importance, lucky for me.:) )

I think that above all, it is simply an opportunity to work on time management. Most days during the build season I would be at school from 7:00 in the morning to 8:30 or 9:00, or even 10:00, and once 11:00ish at night. On occasion, something would be canceled or I would have maybe a half hour or so between activities. I spent this time to work on homework. I also used all the time in my classes, working on assignments until the bell rang. I would sometimes sit in the guard room and work on it, or in the robotics lab.

Let's just say the janitors got to know me very well. I even went to the extent of stashing a jar of peanut butter in my guard locker (sealed well, of course) for the random nights I wouldn't make it home to eat dinner. I never failed to complete an assignment, although I will admit that the quality of my work dropped. I also utilized my study halls to work on some projects for my IED (intro to engineering design) class, which kept me ahead or at least up to speed in that class, which was one of my most important classes to me anyway.

I think that what helped me most, was understanding that school and robotics go hand in hand. If you really want to be an engineer or any other science/math related field, then you have to work hard at both. Your school work ethic will translate to the jobs you take care of for your team. You simply have to find an effective way to maintain your school work ethic, while devoting most of your other waking hours to another very beneficial portion of your life and studies, robotics.

The last thing that I think really helped me to succeed, both academically, and in robotics, was the fact that I more or less eliminated commodities such as, television, movies, internet usage not related to robotics, and quite a bit of sleep. I know sleep is important, but sometimes you have to sacrifice some of it to accomplish whatever might need done for your academic classes. I know that if it hadn't been for a couple of sleepless nights, I would not have turned in quite a number of projects on time, and my grades would be drastically different right now. I think that the build season is just an example of what many of us pursuing careers in these fields will experience through college, and even into our jobs. When there is a deadline, you have to meet it. Nobody is going to change it because you have other responsibilities. Juggling all of these things is one of those skills that FIRST helps to develop. The bottom line is that school will help you get almost anywhere, if you work your hardest while you're there.

I also know that having to maintain certain grades in all of our classes for travel with the team, is incentive enough to excel in our academic courses.
On the other hand, when something doesn't turn out as planned, don't take defeat; use it as positive energy to correct the problem and reorganize your priorities.

JaneYoung

15-05-2007, 23:08

I would just like to add a comment here.
I have been PM'd by a couple of students who have been looking forward to and appreciate the tips and suggestions that have been given in this thread...so thank you everyone.

Jane

BBnum3

15-05-2007, 23:45

You've just got to buckle down and do the work. It may not be fun, but it's got to happen, whether it be robotics or school related. Nights get a little later, mornings get a little tougher, but in the end it's worth it.

I found that doing homework not after 10:00 PM is a good idea. If you want to find the time to do it, you can.

For some kids on my team last year grades got better during the build season. I think this was due to a positive outlook on things caused by the build season. There's something about building a robot that just makes people enthusiastic about life.

JohnBoucher

16-05-2007, 05:52

Robots will consume you if you are not careful. We maintain a strict if you are not passing everything, we don't want you there policy. We stress from day 1 that you need to balance everything. We also stress that learning to balance FIRST and life is an important lesson you will benefit from.

We are run by a parents committee and not by a educator or the school, so we bring different management philosophies to the day to day of running the team. It's a tough balance. We are more performance focused with benchmarks that need to be meet, than what the students see on a day to day while in school. It's necessary because our time is limited.

We found that team activities outside of robots helps them to balance their lives. They go out as a group to laser tag, paint ball, snow boarding and go to concerts.

kramarczyk

16-05-2007, 06:54

And I love coffee and Red Bull
Just trying to prepare them for college.... ;)
lol...
And those 4am international conference calls :ahh:

StephLee

16-05-2007, 15:50

My quick tip: don't lose motivation for getting your schoolwork finished. It WILL kick you all over later if you lose sight of why your schoolwork should come first.

EricH

16-05-2007, 22:28

Scheduling is key. I somehow scheduled my classes so that I would have lots of time to do work and a lot of my work is "easy" this semester. However, when push came to shove, robotics was dropped briefly. At L.A. I left early Thursday (shop class--the instructor was at the regional too) and came in late Friday (Calculus). For San Diego, I just arrived around noon Saturday (Calculus again--two bad test scores and it was Thou Shalt Not Miss Another Math Class Unless Absolutely Necessary from my parents). Atlanta was spring break. I also have a roughly scheduled time to work on each group of assignments. (Like right now is in my humanities-type classes time.) This keeps me from having a lot of late nights uless I have something big.

Mark McLeod

17-05-2007, 09:13

A lot of student-to-student tutoring goes on at robotics, primarily science/math courses, such as Physics and Calculus, but also English, French, German. We even have non-robotics students dropping by for sessions and we hand them at least one thing to do that they haven't ever done before – soldering, drilling electronics boxes and mounting sensors.

I have photos of students working the lathe dressed for a concert! Makes me wish for a formal dress night at robotics.

pythagoras

17-05-2007, 10:44

It's true that you need to prioritize everything, but if you just work on it you can find time to fit both robotics and school into you schedual.
I've found that there is a lot of times that you come in to work on robot, and you end up just waiting around. I've solved that issue by bringing in my homework so that i can work on it when i'm not doing anything. One time going in to the Milford GM Proving Grounds i had almost a hour of free time, in this i wrote half of a research paper. even if you are cramming at the end of a season you can still find time here and there to work on school work.

Gregor

13-10-2012, 21:27

I want to revive this thread with one of those frowned upon "bumps"

arose839

13-10-2012, 21:41

For us Robotics doesn't start til 6:00 and we get out at 1:50 so this gives us 4 hours to get all our homework done. That's usually been enough time to get all my homework done.

pmangels17

14-10-2012, 11:36

Shop starts at 6 or 630 for us, and school ends at 2. We have families bring dinner to the shop on weekends and we order pizza and head to the diner a lot so weekends can turn into 630 friday night to 1130 sunday night. Many of us go home for the nights in between to sleep or do schoolwork, but people are almost always at the shop. Otherwise, during the week we get home at 2 or 230, my parents don't let me leave until my homework is done, and then I go to the shop until about 1130. Also, the CAD people have it on laptops or home machines, so that end of things doesn't need to happen at the shop.

TINCAN foodgas

14-10-2012, 23:03

Lady Cans FRC #2881 struggled with balancing build season intensity, grades and the value of a mentor's time. We are beginning our 5th season and this schedule worked well for us last year.

Week #1 Kick Off & Design Process Sat-9am-9pm, Sun-noon-8pm,
M, T, W, Th, F 6:30-10pm
Sat 9am-9pm, Sun noon-8pm
Week #2 Th 6:30-10:00p, Fri 6:30-10:11pm, Sat 10am-9pm, Sun noon-8pm
Week #3 Same
Week #4 Same
Week #5 Same
Week #6 Mon-Friday 6:30-10pm
Saturday before B&T - 9am-6pm -a completed robot for Austin Robot Round Up scrimmage, Chairman's, Website, Animation and Video submitted on time.
Sunday before B&T - noon-8pm repairs & drivers practice.
Monday before B&T - 6:30-10pm drivers practice.
Tuesday of B&T - 6:30-10pm last drivers practice.

Saturday and Sunday are come & go as family life requires.

Lady Cans is a team of 20 girl scouts from 8 different middle, home & high schools in the Austin, Texas area.

In our rookie year, we did have a few meetings with more mentors than girls and we did have grumpy parents because the girls were not keeping up with grades, school activities, home responsibilities, etc.

This schedule keeps parents, teachers and mentors happy and puts the responsibility of time management on the girls.

Parts are ordered on Friday and arrive by Wednesday (Thank you AndyMark, McMaster).

Each year the team is different so ask me again at the end of build season to see how this schedule worked with the 2013 team and the 2013 challenge.

Susie
2158 ausTINCAN parent alumni
2881 Lady Cans girl scout leader

Ankit S.

14-10-2012, 23:28

One thing to make sure you do before build season is to drill into your members minds that between robotics and school, they will have very little time for anything else. As a result, video games, hanging out with friends, and even dates will have to be cut down.

daniel_dsouza

15-10-2012, 01:14

I have photos of students working the lathe dressed for a concert! Makes me wish for a formal dress night at robotics.

You and me both.

Our high school starts at around 7 (or earlier sometimes). That being said, we have early release times (2:15). So build sessions start at 3ish, giving us some time to do homework. Coupling that with a firm "end at 6*" policy, we seem to have plenty of time to balance homework and...more work :) . Programmers like to work at home, and use build sessions to debug, so they teach about/finish homework when they aren't busy.

However not everyone has the luxuries of a free period or a early release to do homework. Our team's juniors spend every free minute of their time on school, and still manage to do okay. Juniors and other die-hard roboticists, dispose of their social lives, and plan standardized tests around build season.

Sleep is very important*, and we have found that getting more sleep helps us work faster when we are awake. Which leaves me wondering why I'm awake now, on CD...

*except during the last week.

sanddrag

15-10-2012, 01:25

I'm curious to hear debates on homework before robotics time (at school) or after robotics time (at home).

mlantry

15-10-2012, 12:06

pretty much being a student during build season whenever i have free time i do homework nothing else like when were there late eating dinner i do homework during it, during the school day when i have a free period or lunch i do HW. When i don't have HW and i have free time i try to get ahead of work.

Jon Stratis

15-10-2012, 12:08

I have photos of students working the lathe dressed for a concert! Makes me wish for a formal dress night at robotics.

You think that's good? We have pictures of students working in the shop in hair curlers! I think there's even one of a student dressed for ballet...

To answer the initial question... I manage it all by working overtime in December and March (Since I'm salary, it doesn't really count as overtime from my boss's perspective). Seriously... before build season I work as far ahead as I can, and after build season I catch back up. You just have to accept how the build season goes, and have a plan to make sure your boss doesn't get mad at you :p

JaneYoung

15-10-2012, 15:14

Hi all,

I'm very surprised that this thread has been resurrected and am happy about it. One reason is that I'm being contacted by students who are saying that this thread is helpful to them.

Since reading the thread again, I've been thinking about how much my respect has grown for students and mentors in how they do manage their time and set priorities. I've also grown to respect the decisions that some of the parents that I've known and spoken with have made. The decisions have usually had to do with the consequences that occur with failure to meet deadlines or turning in assignments. I've also been surprised by their responses to 'good enough'. What may be good enough for the student is not good enough for the project and the parents and teachers know that and enforce stated consequences. If the student is slacking, blowing off deadlines, and failing to turn in assignments - the consequences can be very serious and can be detrimental to the student and to the team and the team's performance.

Another thought I've had since creating this thread is about the challenges that may be new to students. If a student hasn't had to study because school was 'easy' and is now suddenly impacted by a challenging curriculum and poor study habits - that could possibly impact the student's methods of setting priorities and meeting them. As a consequence, the team will be impacted. I would encourage students who feel overwhelmed by the demands of the classes - to seek help from teachers, parents, advisors, and fellow classmates in how to study and prioritize. There's no shame in that. And be realistic in what you can do on the team and do well, based on the demands of your school work and other activities.

I've been continually inspired by the efforts and sacrifice of families in order that their child can be a part of such an incredible experience - working with mentors and coaches on a FIRST team. Part of those efforts include using tough love and saying no - when deadlines are missed and assignments aren't turned in. On the flip side, I've been disappointed when structure and expectations are not in place and the students don't get a clear sense of consequences, acting surprised when things don't go well or smoothly for themselves or for the team.

Those are some thoughts that have continued to develop since this thread was started several years ago. Bottom line... many of the students that I've known and worked with since 2007 are furthering their education or are working in career fields in areas of science and technology. All of those students cherish their time in FIRST and the lessons they have learned.

Jane

Mark Sheridan

16-10-2012, 01:33

I'm curious to hear debates on homework before robotics time (at school) or after robotics time (at home).

We push for the students to start homework after school. From about 3:00 to 5:00 (mentors arrive around 5-6), students work on their assignments. Sometimes it works with the team acting like a giant super study group with everyone helping each other. However I noticed essays rarely are done in these sessions. I got this tip from team 27's handbook.

I think we will push harder this year with the homework being done before robotics. Frankly, I don't want a student operating a drill press while thinking about that history report due tomorrow.

Al Skierkiewicz

16-10-2012, 09:03

For WildStang students, robots are dead last on the priority list. Family, school, church and what ever is needed at home comes first. Students need to maintain a minimum grade standard to be on the team including a grade for the robotics class. There is a higher standard for pit crew and drive team. And of course, grades are also part of the consideration for travel. Yes we have had drivers and pit crew in the past try to push the envelope and they lost. Grades fell and they were taken off the drive team or pit crew until things improved.
Mentors are in contact with the teachers and when grades start to fall, we will send students home to study until grades rise. We are an all year program and class that is assigned grades that affect GPA. The school district requires students to register for the class and attendance and participation are tracked for grade purposes.

SarahBeth

17-10-2012, 19:08

We tell our kids that school and work comes first. They can't travel if they dont meet grade requirements (I think its a C- or better in everything) and while school lets out at 3, we don't start meetings until 6 - this means a lot of our kids just stay after school. Some have stuff to do (sports, or other meetings) and some want to do homework.

Last year we ran into the problem where we'd open the room right after school for kids who wanted to do homework and more kids would come in and distract them, which would lead to fooling around time. Now we're not really opening the room until about an hour or so before the meeting, but we're running into a problem where the library in our school only stays open for an hour after school, and the senior cafe (the other place that they can hang after school if they don't have an activity to be at) has all its tables up after school.

I think we're going to talk to our liaison at the school and open the room at 4pm, with the strict rule that if you come at 4pm, its essentially study hall and its going to be quiet so people can get their homework done. We want to encourage the kids to get their work done before robotics rather than wait until after they get home.

dcarr

18-10-2012, 01:52

I'll echo what Mark said - and I think we'll plan to make these guidelines even clearer this year.

I'll speak from my own experience: Robotics taught me good time management. My entire senior year was my best academic year ever, with straight A's in all classes including numerous APs, all while being president of our team which was an incredibly demanding job both in and out of build season. I think when you have more to do you're forced to learn proper time management, so just like some studies show athletes having better grades during the season, I think the same could be observed of students in robotics (although I lack data other than my own personal observations to back that up).

Gregor

29-12-2013, 00:52

Going to bump this thread again as we head into the 2014 season. It's worth the read for anyone worried about keeping their grades up.

cmrnpizzo14

29-12-2013, 10:24

Going to bump this thread again as we head into the 2014 season. It's worth the read for anyone worried about keeping their grades up.

Thanks for the bump, I wish that I had read some of the advice while I was in high school.

I am a college freshman this year and for me maintaining a schedule during build season was darn near impossible.

I was on our FIRST team at school but I was also on our varsity rowing team (something that I now do at the division 1 level, I took that very seriously too). There would be days when our team meeting didn't technically start until 5:30 but I would have practice from right after school until then so I would be occupied at school until 8:30 at night.

Our team only met twice during the week (Tuesdays and Thursdays) so I learned very quickly that Monday, Wednesday and Friday would have to be my extra homework days. Until the end of build season when we were struggling to finish the robot I would use MWF to finish and get slightly ahead on schoolwork. I would try not to leave big projects or papers until a Tuesday or Thursday night because I knew I wouldn't be home in time to finish it.

My parents were very helpful too and let me slack on chores around the house during build season. Responsibilities like washing dishes, laundry, or keeping my room neat could be put off for a little while because I was so busy with school and robotics.

Overall, there were some nights when sleep was minimal but I learned which nights I could count on for homework and a little extra sleep and I could get through pretty well. I never had to rely on energy drinks or coffee to get me through the day.

Jeffy

29-12-2013, 11:19

MechEng83

29-12-2013, 11:35

If you're an underclassman, do your homework during down time at meetings.
If you're an upperclassman, get a study hall period.
If you're a college student, start everyday before 8.

Someone will have to help me with what adults with professions do...

If you're a professional, adjust your schedule to accomodate, don't commit to optional engagements, use the "I'm helping build the future" card (that one has the side benefit of promoting FIRST)

philso

29-12-2013, 12:47

For the 2013 season, the build since it started at 3:30 so I used 6 days of my vacation time (2 hours per day x 4 days a week) to get off work early to go help/supervise/teach. I will most likely do the same this year.

I also put a priority on reserving time each week for a "date night" with my wife to make sure she stayed happy. Like Cam's parents, my wife deferred most of the items on my Honey-Do-list till after the build season. I am currently trying to get some of my chores done before the next build season.

mrnoble

29-12-2013, 13:33

I'm also glad this has been re-bumped.

Here's what I make clear to my students in August, and repeat whenever necessary throughout the school year.

Your life should be prioritized.

First priority is health: physically, mentally, emotionally, relationally. If you are paralyzed by health problems in any of these areas, nothing else will function anyway. Keep yourself sane, and keep your most important relationships intact.

Second (but a really, really close second) is doing well in school. What you do now determines a lot about your future, so keep your grades up. If necessary, use time after school in the robotics rooms to do your homework (in fact, a number of students do just that, and help each other).

Third is commitments. If you have a dog, feed it and take it for walks. If you have a job, or are in charge of something where someone is relying on you, fulfill your obligations. If you can't, you need to determine whether you can remain in a position like that, or if something else needs to give. Commitments include positions of leadership and authority in our robotics team.

Fourth is opportunities. Take them when you can, especially if they will help get you where you want to end up. For many of our students, robotics is an opportunity. I'd rather they come when they can, and contribute what they can, than they overcommit and hurt themselves in other areas.

Fifth is everything else: video games, relaxing, hanging out, etc.

We've used this scale a number of times, and it's really helped students sort themselves out without feeling guilty or left out.

colin340

29-12-2013, 13:56

i like what Dave said here, I think that for a lot of us, the realistic answer is "I don't manage it. Everything on my schedule pretty much goes all to hell during build season. Which is why I am glad it is only six weeks long!" :)

-dave

yeah school is a thing, in fact as a teacher it's a big thing in my life. But i feel that the actions and passion of a student, plays a way bigger role then grades do in terms of long term success.

yeah, do your work in HS so you can get in to a college, but work 10x harder to find what you love. THEN DO THE SNOT OUT OF IT!!

Coach Norm

29-12-2013, 14:10

If you're a professional, adjust your schedule to accomodate, don't commit to optional engagements, use the "I'm helping build the future" card (that one has the side benefit of promoting FIRST)

Plus One or Like this

DonRotolo

29-12-2013, 14:23

Someone will have to help me with what adults with professions do...Well, health remains first. That's fairly universal.

When I am at work, all I do is work. No FIRST stuff, no personal stuff, no plaing around. I put in my solid 8 hours, more when necessary.

After that is home, chores, and other mandatory commitments (like walking the dog).

Last is robots. If I can't get there some nights, I don't feel guilty. I do what I can, but not what I can't.

gracie.

29-12-2013, 14:34

Sometimes it's hard to remember school is the #1 priority when robots can be a lot more engaging. I've kind of been in a FRC family for the past 7 years, and there's a phenomenon my parents have dubbed the "robotics grade slump". You hit 2nd semester and everything goes to chaos.

I managed to avoid the slump last year, something different works for everyone, but here's my best advice:

1) Use the time. -- For our team, there's a 3 hour window between school ending and robotics starting. It's excellent for goofing off and going to CVS, but actually doing some work might be a nice idea. Yes, you'll have to work after too, that's just the reality of our school, but it'll bump up your sleep time (and let's be honest, you'll get to surf reddit before bedtime, too).
2) Talk to your teachers. -- If it's week four and you've got three tests on the same day, something's got to give, and chances are, one or more of your teachers will be forgiving. They're good people. It's a lot easier to negotiate an extension than to do damage control on a bad grade (and you'll be thankful when you're applying to college and have to look back on your gpa).
3) Have a quitting time. -- There's a point at which your neurological function just kind of drops off a cliff, whether you feel it or not. During season, learning to prioritize and knowing when it's bedtime anyway can really save you. 1am works for me.
4) Feed thyself. -- Honestly, forgetting to eat and drink properly is a big problem. Remaining hydrated and fed is important whether you're working with potentially dangerous tools or just trying to keep your eyes open for another 40 minutes to finish your calc homework. Plus, sometimes jumping jacks or breakfast food at midnight has a better kick than energy drinks.

That and have an excellent supply of diet mtn dew-- more caffeine, no sugar crash! Good luck this season, everyone!

Edit: Last thought-- know when you /need/ to miss robotics and know that that's ok. Seriously. Dance rehearsals and parental mandates happen.

Dustin Shadbolt

30-12-2013, 11:02

If you're a college student, start everyday before 8.

Yep. This is what I have to do during the build season. It's worth it.

yash101

30-12-2013, 14:05

Homework is your priority. Get your homework done first, Study a couple hours for tests, and then spend the rest of your time on CD, doing robotics and playing video games ;)

You will have a great life, then!

During build season, many more hours would be spent in robotics. Talk to your mentors if they can have a set amount of Homework time, where you are supposed to be doing your homework. Or even better, if the student finishes whatever homework is possible for them to finish (because some will need textbooks that aren't available), then they should be allowed to do robotics ;)

Gregor

07-01-2016, 14:29

I'd like to bring this thread back up again as a new kickoff approaches. This thread really helped me remember where to focus my efforts in my later years of high school, as I definitely did not balance FRC and schoolwork well enough. You should read through the entire thread.

2015 was my last game as a student, and I'm currently in first year university.

This post is mostly targeted to university bound students, but there's some useful information for anyone.

You will see your grades decrease during build season. Don't let them crash too hard, and work extra hard before and after season to compensate. I'm the kind of person who has to be at every meeting or I'll feel like I'm missing out and not contributing. If you're that kind of person too, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE leave yourself sometime before, during, or after meetings to study. I had an hour commute each way by public transit to 1310, so I took advantage of that time. Don't be afraid to excuse yourself for an hour or two during meetings to go sit in an empty classroom.

Talk with your teachers, ask if they can give you some leniency on deadlines. I've found that once I explained my time commitment to robotics, my teachers were very understanding and let my hand in assignments late without penalty. Don't take advantage of this, but use it if you really have to. Do make sure you talk to them in advance, before anything is due. Don't show up to class the day a big project is due and say that you couldn't finish because you were at robotics. You will see your grades decrease during build season. Don't let them crash too hard, and work extra hard before and after season to compensate.

You do not have to go to meetings every day. I did and I probably shouldn't have. My team didn't meet on Sundays, I have no idea how people can attend meetings 7 days a week. If I had attended meetings on Sunday's too I can confidently say I wouldn't have gotten into the university I did.

FRC is not worth giving up your grades. If you're planning on attending university this message is especially important. FRC definitely provides you valuable skills over others, after one semester in engineering I've already noticed this, but you also have to get there. Don't trick yourself into "FRC is the best learning you'll ever do" mindset because it's not true. FRC is incredible and one of the most important aspects of my life, but your formal education is more important. Don't hurt yourself in the future.

You will see your grades decrease during build season. Don't let them crash too hard, and work extra hard before and after season to compensate.

This thread (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=140916) has good examples of things to try and avoid.

jpetito

07-01-2016, 21:29

Teachers, like students, have their own homework. If your'e one of those who go to the classroom by day and then the robot shop by night, you gotta find ways to manipulate the time in your favor; I mean, there's only so much of it, and when your time's up…

When you must twiddle your thumbs, waiting for Joey or Janey robot builder to affix some widget on the robot before you can weld on that list bit of shooter strut, you've gotta be on the phone ginning up the next crew of volunteers, or calling for quotes on getting a bus, or hotel reservations, or the parent who forgot to bring food for 25. Five minutes here, seven or eight minutes there can be put to use updating the grading program (when the kids look over your shoulder and see the gradebook open on your digital device, they slink away and leave you alone) or calling Freddie's mom to tell her he's been a stinker today if fifth period. Again.

School, like the military, is full of hurry-up-and-wait, full of down minutes at odd intervals. Take that Wait and put it to use, hacking on the lists you've made to do the tasks that keep the team functional, will keep all of them in the game. Somehow, in the end, it's all worth it. You wear the grey hair with a sense of accomplishment.