Transitioning From Student to Mentor
 

Hello CD,

As the 31st of May looms over the horizon, the prospect of leaving one's team, the team where we grew, laughed and inspired one another to continually challenge the impossible, now spurs the heavy hearts of soon-to-be FRC graduates to seek to fill that tragic void; a new generation of mentors is about to commence the journey of a lifetime.

This departure is especially bitter-sweet for me, as I am one of the seven "core" members that founded our team. I was there when our robot was lovingly dubbed "The Biggest Loser" in 2011, after we frantically shaved 32 pounds off of it in one competition weekend. I was there when we implemented the student government and instated a varsity letter program. I was one of the presenters that earned us the title of the (currently) youngest team to have earned a district Chairman's award, and I am so proud to be among the very first generation of Toasters to have ever attended the World Championship. Everything I, and my fellow senior teammates, have done can be traced directly to the foundations of how the team is run and what the team stands for. My only consolation in this separation lies in the fact that I know I have contributed significantly to the legacy of this phenomenal team.

While one journey is rapidly approaching its conclusion, another is just about to set sail in unfamiliar waters: Mentorship. Beyond the sorrow and regret I feel for my time as a student ending sprouts the excitement of a new role, a new experience with new faces and places; a chance to help others grow while evolving myself, to become a role model and source of guidance for the harbingers of a brighter future.
Already my outlook changes. I began as a cynic, not understanding our coach's point of view when he would gesture toward one of the newer members and say, "I know he'll make a great robot manager. She'll be a leader in two years." All I saw was a bunch of freshmen who lacked knowledge and motivation. I thought the team wouldn't be able to survive once the core graduated. Yet... this season has truly opened my eyes, and I have begun the metamorphosis from student to mentor. Now, as I glance around the workshop, I can see clearly in my mind the next president and CEO, the Chairman's trio, the robot designers and the drivers. I have faith in my younger teammates; I know each of their strengths and weaknesses, and how to aid them in developing further. It's exciting for me when I discover that one of them has a newfound talent, such as a typically shy and reclusive member being able to give a great presentation during auditions. They just need an opportunity to spread their wings and take flight, as all Flying Toasters must one day do. ;)
As much as I may be looking forward to mentoring, there is still a lingering fear of the unknown. I'll be 600 miles away from the team I have helped to build, attending university in a secluded new environment with an older team to aid. I am already well aware of the concerns addressed in the ATTN: Current & Future College Students thread — I can pace myself reasonably well under immense stresses/responsibilities, and if things become dire I will re-prioritize at once. I know my limits. My primary concerns lie in the unfamiliarity of it all, and I suppose some of them can only be alleviated through experience; regardless, I would love to hear any stories or words of advice from a mentor's perspective. :)

What were some of the largest adjustments you had to make while undergoing this transition?
What lessons did you learn from your first year of mentoring?
Have you tried mentoring through digital media (ex: Skype video chat, emails, etc.), and if so, how? How successful is this method?
What is it like suddenly belonging to a new team? Did you carry over many of the things you learned from your high school/previous team?
Who or what was your inspiration to mentor after high school?

Please excuse me if this is a commonly-discussed topic — I don't want to be on the receiving end of a :deadhorse: emoticon. I don't frequently post on CD, except to make announcements of upcoming events...

Re: Transitioning From Student to Mentor
 

This is definitely a frequently discussed topic, and there is great material in several of the threads out there including the one you mentioned. However, I think this thread holds potential as a good discussion of the transition that takes place.

I started making this transition last year after graduating. As my university is a 1.5 hour drive in traffic during most weekdays from my team, I knew right away that I wouldn't be having an involved day-to-day role. Instead, I helped during the first week of build season to organize the chaos and help new students get on the right track (my winter break extended during the first week of build season). The rest of my mentorship, both in and out of build season, consisted of being an advisor to the awards and scouting teams and the team president/vice presidents. Most of this happened from a distance, via email, Google+, etc.

I think it's important to recognize, as you have, that it is a gradual transition that occurs over time. It must be treated just as any other extra-curricular activity would be that you are doing in college - school, and in my case, an internship, both come first. The other important distinction is to avoid "stepping on students' toes" and doing things that they should do instead. Even if you know you can do it better, it's more rewarding for you and the student to guide them through the process themselves.

To me, the role of a college mentor is distinctly different from that of a professional mentor both in terms of the practical time commitment and in what his or her role should be. I'm still learning as I go, and hopefully when I graduate I'll be equipped with both the technical skills and mentorship skills to truly be a good mentor.

Re: Transitioning From Student to Mentor
 

What were some of the largest adjustments you had to make while undergoing this transition?

Far-and-away, learning to take a hands-off approach except where absolutely necessary. This is a bigger thing for veteran teams than younger teams in which more hands-on work by mentors is required to keep the team functioning, but in general your ultimate, ideal goal as a mentor should be to ask questions to get the students thinking. Your job is not to build the robot. Your job is to facilitate the students' building of the robot. That is a fundamentally different job, and it takes some getting used to.

What lessons did you learn from your first year of mentoring?

Being a mentor does not mean you should be afraid to ask someone else when you don't know the answer.
Being a mentor is not the same as being in a managerial role. Your job is to teach, not to micromanage.
Many students have good ideas but tend not to share them due to shyness; your job as a mentor is in large part to make sure those ideas are heard.

Have you tried mentoring through digital media (ex: Skype video chat, emails, etc.), and if so, how? How successful is this method?

Can't comment.

What is it like suddenly belonging to a new team? Did you carry over many of the things you learned from your high school/previous team?

For me, this wasn't so rough of a transition; I did feel fairly conflicted as I'm still a mentor in some capacity at 449, but 4464 was clearly in greater need of help, and there's another ex-449 mechanics member mentoring them, as well, which kept the atmosphere familiar.

You carry over everything you can - things that worked, things that didn't, etc. A new team does not necessarily mean that you should make the same mistakes over again. There are many mistakes which need only be made once by anyone, ever. On the flip-side, there are some things that students will only learn by seeing them go wrong. Knowing the difference is crucial, and difficult.

Who or what was your inspiration to mentor after high school?

FRC did a lot for me in high school. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to help it do the same for others.

Re: Transitioning From Student to Mentor
 

Right know I am in a similar situation to yours just with one fundamental difference. My university and my high school are part of the same institution (crazy things we do in Mexico) and they are basically in the same place. But I'll tell you, if you have the chance to mentor and make the new kids grow and learn things about robotics and themselves your sacrifices will be worth it. Just keep focus on your current studies. College is something to take seriously, take that into account, don't let mentoring affect your grades.

In my personal case I am going to mentor the engineering part of my team and that is something that I feel I need to do. The thing is that our team has never had good mentors, each years our engineering mentors change bringing new problems for the team. I feel the responsibility to give my experience to the new generation of LamBots so they can make the team a winner team. I am not saying we are not a winning team, we won the EI award at the champs but our robots are still lame (and for that we blame the mentors for not listening to us). The only thing that can keep a team alive are their mentors, students come and go but experience needs to be kept by a group of people and this group of people are the mentors. Go ahead and good luck with mentoring. Share your experiences with us at the end of your first season as a mentor.

Re: Transitioning From Student to Mentor
 

First of all I'm going to leave this link. http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=47004&highlight=mentoring+in+coll ege

Secondly,

What were some of the largest adjustments you had to make while undergoing this transition?
Separating myself from the students. Freshly out of high school I had been peers with these students for quite awhile. Moving into a mentor you have to step outside of those friendships and know boundaries. I had some issues with this my first year mentoring and I still do have a bit of issues because some of the kids are at my house frequently because they are good friends with my brother. Other's I have known for quite awhile because they are a sibling of my best friend and view them more as family.

What lessons did you learn from your first year of mentoring?
I still had a bunch of growing up to do. I learned I had to control my temper. The during the summer of my first year while we were collecting items for our annual garage sale I got very upset with the "lead student" on the team because I moved 3 truckloads of items myself. I said some things I'm not very proud of to him to try to get him to step up to the plate.

Have you tried mentoring through digital media (ex: Skype video chat, emails, etc.), and if so, how? How successful is this method?
I have not done this although I have a feeling I will begin doing this during the next season as I am moving away from the only team I have ever been apart of and will possibly be living in Guam.

What is it like suddenly belonging to a new team? Did you carry over many of the things you learned from your high school/previous team?
I have only ever been apart of team 1802. Maybe next year I'll be with a new team or possibly starting my own. I think I'm up to the challenge of bringing FIRST to Guam if that is where I end up.

Who or what was your inspiration to mentor after high school?
The entire program as a whole. Leaving the program has never even crossed my mind. I truly believe in what the program sets out to accomplish and that we can inspire students to be able to reach for the stars. It doesn't even have to be in a STEM field in my mind. If we can help the students learn valuable life skills, learn that they can accomplish anything that they set their mind to, show them their true potential and help them be a better person; we have done something wonderful for these students, our youth and our future.

Re: Transitioning From Student to Mentor
 

I am sharing my comments from the perspective of an experienced lead mentor who moved from an established team to a second year team this past season.

You have already received much good advice in these posts. I am quite sure that another established team will value the diversity of experience you will bring with you as you begin to mentor with a different team. When you identify opportunities for your new team to improve that are based on your experience, graciously share those with the team's lead mentor(s) and discuss what you learned through your experience and how it can benefit the team.

A previous post mentioned the importance of understanding your relationship with the students. It is important that you remember that you are there to mentor. While friendships may develop over time, you are there to be a role model. You can certainly support the student's by helping older mentors understand and appreciate the perspective of a student. Be very careful to remain objective. Always demonstrate respect for the mentors and the students and insist that each shows respect for one another.

FIRST has an excellent resource on their website (at least they did a year ago, have not looked lately) for mentoring.

Finally, congratulations on graduating, your success in FRC; good luck in college and thank you for joining the ranks of mentors. We need all the help we can get and I expect that you will be an excellent mentor.

Re: Transitioning From Student to Mentor
 

What were some of the largest adjustments you had to make while undergoing this transition?
You can't be "cliquey" as a mentor. Students oftentimes will split into smaller groups, but you cant get caught up in that and have to be able to associate and interact with all of the students.

What lessons did you learn from your first year of mentoring?
It is incredibly important to take your heavy course load in the fall. The spring is not kind to scheduling, especially for a team that competes in multiple regionals/champs.

Have you tried mentoring through digital media (ex: Skype video chat, emails, etc.), and if so, how? How successful is this method?
Because I'm not there for day-to-day I often will call up some of the kids on skype at night to check in and see what all they made progress on. Our CAD also makes its rounds around dropboxes and emails so its easy to interact on that front as well.

What is it like suddenly belonging to a new team? Did you carry over many of the things you learned from your high school/previous team? N/A

Who or what was your inspiration to mentor after high school? I helped found our team and its success has always been incredibly important to me. At the time of my graduation we didnt really have any engineering mentors and so I decided it would be good for me to help out, and make sure the other kids got the same opportunity as I did. The team has grown a bit both in size and strength now, I do keep doing it though because not only is it fun, it gives me a chance to practically use the things I'm learning in college.

Re: Transitioning From Student to Mentor
 

What were some of the largest adjustments you had to make while undergoing this transition?
For the first 2 years I was pretty much still acting like a kid. This is partly a function of joining the team as a senior, but mostly because I was still around mostly the same students and mentors as I was when I was a student.

What lessons did you learn from your first year of mentoring?
After about 2 years I got to the point where I didn't feel pressured to write code myself to "make sure it works", etc. Basically I was comfortable in just guiding the students rather than doing things for them.

Have you tried mentoring through digital media (ex: Skype video chat, emails, etc.), and if so, how? How successful is this method?
N/A

What is it like suddenly belonging to a new team? Did you carry over many of the things you learned from your high school/previous team?
N/A for me, though I noticed that when we have college mentors that are new to the team, they matured into the mentor role almost immediately as opposed to post-high-school mentors that helped our team after being on our team.

Who or what was your inspiration to mentor after high school?
I only got one year of it. I wanted more ;)

Re: Transitioning From Student to Mentor
 

What were some of the largest adjustments you had to make while undergoing this transition?
Being a mentor, my younger peers from high school were still on the team and they treated me as a friend/student still for the first year. After my first year as a 'mentor' it became much easier to actually mentor my team.

What lessons did you learn from your first year of mentoring?
Your job as a mentor is to inspire the students on your team, don't do everything for them. Concentrate on college, mentoring a FRC team should come second.

Have you tried mentoring through digital media (ex: Skype video chat, emails, etc.), and if so, how? How successful is this method? N/A

What is it like suddenly belonging to a new team? Did you carry over many of the things you learned from your high school/previous team? Mentored my HS team.

Who or what was your inspiration to mentor after high school?
My mentors inspired me, I wanted to return the favor and continue the tradition by inspiring my former peers, and now students.

Re: Transitioning From Student to Mentor
 

Hey there! I have just finished my first season as a college mentor (I graduated in 2011, but I took a year off before finding a team to mentor. First note, I am NOT mentoring the team I was on in high school).

What were some of the largest adjustments you had to make while undergoing this transition?
There are a few things. One is the team culture conflicting with what I was raised in. I came from a public school and a public school team, and I ended up mentoring a Christian school. It's definitely a different culture that I have to get used to. Secondly, it's learning to step back. On my old team, we were taught a lot about students doing most of the work and running the team. Those lessons are stuck in my DNA, and whenever a job needs to get done, I need to step back and make sure a student is the one of takes point on it, and I'm mostly there to support.

What lessons did you learn from your first year of mentoring?
Oh goodness... I learned a lot. Part of it is dealing with students from a completely different perspective. If you have an issue with a student on the team, ignoring and avoiding them doesn't fly anymore. It has been a very maturing experience about team dynamics from a different point of view.

Have you tried mentoring through digital media (ex: Skype video chat, emails, etc.), and if so, how? How successful is this method?
Our team routinely uses email to keep in touch with each other. This season, we have also started experimenting with TeamViewer (think Skype, but instead of seeing faces, you see a person's computer screen). Early in the season we used this to work on brainstorming ideas when we weren't actually meeting. So far I have no issues with it!

What is it like suddenly belonging to a new team? Did you carry over many of the things you learned from your high school/previous team?
It's been crazy. The transition between teams is pretty difficult and at the beginning, I found it hard to call myself a member of the new team because I was still so close with my old team. My old team is consistently one of the stronger teams in the region, and my new team knows this, so they frequently ask me how a problem was handled on my old team.

Who or what was your inspiration to mentor after high school?
FIRST changed my life. I owe it so much, it doesn't seem right to me to just stop participating once I graduate. I had so much fun, learned so much, and made so many amazing friends as a student. It just made sense to continue as a mentor. I love watching over the kids and watching them compete just as I had years prior. It's an extremely satisfying experience!

Re: Transitioning From Student to Mentor
 

Team 125 has become very accustomed to taking on new mentors each year from other teams. Because the NUTRONs meet on Northeastern's campus, it makes for a good opportunity to continue in FIRST as a mentor. We are very much a melting pot of FIRST teams, with our connections stretching to over 40 teams. I went through the student-mentor transition, and I've seen dozens and dozens of other mentors go through the same thing in my 8 years on the team.

What were some of the largest adjustments you had to make while undergoing this transition?
Been said already, but learning how to take a step back is hardest issue new mentors deal with on our team. You have been programmed to jump in and solve problems instantly. However as a mentor you need to reel that in a bit, and lead others to solve issues.

What lessons did you learn from your first year of mentoring?
Learning to operate on a new team with many personalities is tough for many of our newcomers. I would say almost all of us get a good lesson in learning to work with people who come from different backgrounds.

Have you tried mentoring through digital media (ex: Skype video chat, emails, etc.), and if so, how? How successful is this method?
Very informally. IMHO, to become a very good mentor, you need to be in the trenches everyday working with students. You need to establish those personal relationships, and you need to be able to hear and see things that aren't necessarily directed to you.

What is it like suddenly belonging to a new team? Did you carry over many of the things you learned from your high school/previous team?
This is one of the biggest points to touch on. Almost everyone graduating high school and moving on to new teams has become accustomed to 'FIRST as it is done by team XXXX". It is sometimes a difficult transition for people to now experience the same program through a different set of lenses so to speak.

My advice on this one is to offer advice when you think its quite applicable. Do it the right way but explaining why your team chose to do a task a certain way. But also keep an open mind when you are on that team. Many teams do little things for certain reasons, or based on tradition. Just because its different than you are used to, doesn't mean its wrong. Pick your battles as well- it can sometimes become irritating hearing about how XXXX used to do something all the time.

Who or what was your inspiration to mentor after high school?
FIRST is a great program. It helped me tremendously (and still helps me as a working professional). I view it as a way to pay it forward while having some fun on the side.

-Brando

Re: Transitioning From Student to Mentor
 

My transition was about 8 years ago, but in some ways, I am still transitioning.

Contrary to several posts, I find that you don't need to separate yourself too much from the students. As JVN has said elsewhere, some students look at mentors as friends as well as teachers. It's a unique role to play. I love goofing around with the students, so long as it's appropriate.

If you have the luxury of letting other mentors take the reigns, I highly recommend it for the first year or two. Be observant. Besides that, avoid saying derivatives of the following:
- "you have to do it this way because that's what works."
- "I've had X years of experience in FIRST, so you should listen to me."

I can count on one hand the number of times I have encountered phrases like this, but when it happens, it usually comes from the younger crowd. Just remember to have an open mind. Good Luck.

Re: Transitioning From Student to Mentor
 

I'd say please please make FIRST your 4th or 5th priority ( whatever it is but a lot lower than what it is now) as a new college student, not only is your school work more important, but so is the actual college experience, join some clubs, make some new friends, etc. In fact, i usually tell my seniors: if they want to be involved, volunteer for an FLL team or just as staff at a competition, these gives you time to focus on school and your new environment. AT A MINIMUM, don't get sucked in as a primary/critical mentor. I am saying all of this because I have had several students/friends that got sucked in and took 2-4 more years to finish their college and ultimately get burned out.

With that said, my experience is possibly a bit dated. I was a student in 99

I think most of the advise above is similar to what I have to say, but to inspire, ask questions do not do actual work (think management at work =). I work with a few local teams, and i find my job for the most part is

1. bring food/drink coffee
2. keep an eye on everything and make sure nothing unsafe is going on (wrong tool/wrong job, etc)
3. ask questions to kick start thinking
4. suggest different tools, processes, doing things a different way (perfectly ok if your suggestions are ignored as long as safety isn't an issue)
5. answer questions that are asked, typically explain concepts or how things work.

I usually do get hands on to hold things or if it is crunch time and they need an extra hand...

As to what inspired me to mentor initially, it was the mentors that spend many hours of their time mentoring my team. Now I mentor because of the energy and the process of seeing the students grow over the years.

Re: Transitioning From Student to Mentor
 

What were some of the largest adjustments you had to make while undergoing this transition?

The weirdest thing for me was realizing that somehow I was expected to have the answers to problems now.

What lessons did you learn from your first year of mentoring?
What it was like to not play in eliminations. I know it seems weird but when I was a student we never missed elms. CMP 2008 was the first time I missed it at an on season event. It was a real eye opener to me.


Have you tried mentoring through digital media (ex: Skype video chat, emails, etc.), and if so, how? How successful is this method?
I had a few days where I was sick this year, I mentored via github comments, text messages, and phone calls. It "works" but I'm an in-person kind of guy. I communicate best that way. So it's awkward for me.


What is it like suddenly belonging to a new team? Did you carry over many of the things you learned from your high school/previous team?
I've been on a fair number of teams with any number of different mentors. I've taken the good from each of those teams. I always try to understand why a team is run the way it is. It's weird, and sometimes scary, to join a new team. I know coming into 79 I was pretty terrified. For reference, I'm the youngest mentor on the team by 8 years. I was worried they'd just assume I was some punk kid. But the thing I've found about most of FIRST is they are pretty accepting of new ideas.


Who or what was your inspiration to mentor after high school?
I didn't have a choice. I promised I'd give back to my community when I graduated. Nah, but really, FIRST has played such a huge part in my life I couldn't think of not sharing that with others.

Re: Transitioning From Student to Mentor
 

I was on 234 as a student for four years, mentored team 1747 at Purdue University for four years, and now have joined team 225 as a professional engineer. I'll give you my insights into these transitions.

What were some of the largest adjustments you had to make while undergoing this transition?
This is largely reiterating what others have said, but the biggest adjustment is having to step back more. From the student's perspective, if a mentor is jumping in and doing all the work, the student may wonder why he/she is even there. One of the biggest challenges of a mentor is inspiring students to be intrinsically motivated to complete tasks and better the team, and (at least for me) this is what most of my time goes into as a mentor--i.e. you're building the people to build the robot as opposed to building the robot.

What lessons did you learn from your first year of mentoring?
How to deal with problems and issues that generally fall into mentor hands to solve-- conflict resolution, purchasing, travel logistics, etc

Have you tried mentoring through digital media (ex: Skype video chat, emails, etc.), and if so, how? How successful is this method?
If you are considering remotely mentoring your old team, I would recommend looking into the local teams as well. I personally like to be working hand-in-hand with students working at least as hard and long as them, because I believe that mentors set examples, and that is easiest when the example is right there with them as opposed to instructing from a distance. I know that many students become attached to the culture of their old team, but (at least for me) I have found it pretty easy to fit into whatever local FRC team there is around.

What is it like suddenly belonging to a new team? Did you carry over many of the things you learned from your high school/previous team?
I have done this twice--it isn't as difficult as it seems. You start slow, and as you prove yourself, you gradually have more say in the workings of the team. You may or may not find yourself mentoring in the stuff you did in high school depending on what is required (this year, I was the most-involved electrical mentor, though I barely touched electrical the previous eight years). You'll disagree with some people about how things are done, but those differences get resolved over time.

Who or what was your inspiration to mentor after high school?
I knew a bunch of students from 234 who were mentoring at Purdue after high school, and I wanted to too. Teaching/inspiring is tons of fun. Don't bite off more than you can chew, though--different people can handle different workloads, and if it is too much, FIRST will still be waiting for you four years later.

Re: Transitioning From Student to Mentor
 

I've never been a student on a FIRST team, but have mentored both during my college years and now in to my post college years. Both of the teams which I have mentored (677 and 1675), have had students that immediately turned around and became mentors on these same teams. I understand the appeal in trying to give back to the same organization which you were a part of, and in some cases this will work. However, I think it is a much better idea to join a new team if you are looking to continue with FIRST (which, of course, is what most of us mentors hopes).

There are several reasons I feel this way, some based on personal observations, and some generalized thoughts. First, it seems that if a student continues on as a mentor with their original team it takes them longer to come to terms with their new role. You will still likely have friends on the team, and even though you have graduated it is easy to fall back in to the "student" mindset when this is the case. Secondly, it can show you how other teams work. Even joining my second team as a mentor showed me how differently all teams work. Each team has a different dynamic, and different challenges. Its possible that a previous team you worked with has a solution to the problems your new team is facing.

This year we were privileged to have two former students of two (relatively) near-by teams join our organization as mentors. Having never worked closely with our team before this season (other than friendly banter at regionals/off season events), they jumped right in to their roles as mentors with little to no hesitation. It is possible that these new mentors just had the correct mental make-up to make this transition easier, but I believe separating themselves from their original teams helped this transition as well. I am NOT saying cut all contact with your former team (both of these members are still in very close contact with their former teams), but just find another organization to mentor.

That rambled a lot more than I intended.

Re: Transitioning From Student to Mentor
 

I was part of FIRST in high school as well (93), but did not do anything in college with FIRST, and have since came back and helped out two different teams (818 then 3414). First thing to consider is you are still going to be a student yet in college. You will learn a lot and should try to get as much out of it as you can. All colleges have great programs and hands on teams that you can join to improve yourself as much as you can. There are programs like FutureCar/Truck, Formula SAE, Mini Baja, Solar car, Concrete Canoe and many more. Look into these as well to join and they will supplement your learning very well, plus they give you great opportunities to get a job out of college. I know my team had a rule to not let kids that graduate from the team become a mentor on the team for 4 years, and I feel it is a very good rule. Look into ways that you can help further your learning in college as much as you can, and if you have time then consider helping out a team. I was part of Challenge X in college (a hybrid car competition) and that is what gave me the great job I have now out of college and be the best mentor I can. Now to your questions.

What were some of the largest adjustments you had to make while undergoing this transition?
As other have said its taking a step back. You are used to working on the robot, making decisions, but you need to lead and direct more. Also trying to get all the students involved. Make sure there are projects for everyone and with some teams its easier than others
What lessons did you learn from your first year of mentoring?
Sometimes its just learning a new team. Every team will have different dynamics, ways they run things and how everything works. There are also different manufacturing capabilities, and from my design standpoint that has to be learned in order to design to what you can make.
Have you tried mentoring through digital media (ex: Skype video chat, emails, etc.), and if so, how? How successful is this method?
Have not tried.
What is it like suddenly belonging to a new team? Did you carry over many of the things you learned from your high school/previous team?
It can be great but hard at first. It takes me a while to warm up, so I like to see how the dynamics and where everyone falls into place before I jump in to much. I do not like stepping on toes and getting on someones bad side to early. Also remember every team is different. Some things you did on an old team will not be able to work on the new one. Plus there may be some things that your new team does better. Learn how your new team works and suggest things if they might work better. You do not want to make your new team exactly like the old one, then it would be no fun at the events.
Who or what was your inspiration to mentor after high school?
My parents pushed me a little bit, but for me I just like doing stuff. This just gives me another opportunity to have fun teach and even learn new things myself. I had a lot of fun in FIRST when I was in high school and its a great way to give back.

Re: Transitioning From Student to Mentor
 

Consider taking a year or two (or four) off. College is an opportunity to grow and change as a person, and sometimes you're going to need that additional free time to engage in other activities, schoolwork, and personal development. I jumped right into mentoring, and I don't regret it. However, I often find myself wondering how things may have been different if I had stepped back for a year or two. I wonder if I might have been a better mentor if I had stepped away and seen the rest of the engineering world and become more invovled in other activities in palce of FIRST.


What were some of the largest adjustments you had to make while undergoing this transition?
Figuring out the boundaries between myself and the students. It's a process that I'm still trying to figure out. Especially early on, your age is frequently much much closer to that of the students than it is to most of your fellow mentors. It'll feel more natural to be just another one of the students. As a result, I often pulled back too hard to try and separate myself as one of the mentors. You shouldn't just be another student, but you shouldn't be their "boss," either. Finding the happy medium is difficult.

What lessons did you learn from your first year of mentoring?
How to accept a different role than I was used to, and how to let students learn through experience. It takes a while to get used to being in a different role, and it's often a rocky transition. But sometimes you have to let the students make the mistakes and find solutions themselves, rather than solving everything. You also have to be aware that sometimes their answers will be better than yours.

Have you tried mentoring through digital media (ex: Skype video chat, emails, etc.), and if so, how? How successful is this method?
I have not directly mentored this way, although I have collaborated with other teams via e-mail, dropbox, IM, and phone calls. It has it's value, but it really depends on what type of work needs to be done.

What is it like suddenly belonging to a new team? Did you carry over many of the things you learned from your high school/previous team?
It was a little bit of a challenge, but I landed in a great spot led by one of the best mentors I have ever encountered. I had worked with three WFFA winners on my high school team, as well, which gave me plenty of ideas on how to interact and inspire students. But Rich Kressly was able to take me under his wing in many respects, and help show me the way to being a better mentor and being a part of Dawgma. I brought much of the technical expertise I had learned on Epsilon Delta with me, and I helped Dawgma take some leaps in design philosophy they might not have otherwise taken (and over time, as Dawgma has transitioned to new leadership, it starts to resemble certain aspects of Epsilon Delta more and more). It's certainly an experience I treasure. Being a part of Dawgma, past and present, means a lot to me.

Who or what was your inspiration to mentor after high school?
I always just assumed I would, and I did. I wasn't ready to be done with FIRST.

Re: Transitioning From Student to Mentor
 

My full response would really just be rewording previous posts. It seems like a lot of students who turn mentor have similar experiences readjusting.

I will say that my attitude towards 'I need to be a mentor not a student' has mellowed over the years since I left high school and transitioned to being a coach. I've come to realize that it's probably more important for me to be having fun then to reach some ideal of having students do everything. Part of having fun, for me, is to be hands on with the robot sometimes. So I do that.

It's a balance, but I think the less I agonize about it the better I get at finding it. It's also not something you have to get right immediately, or every time. 'Coach' is something you grow into, and no one should expect to occupy that role comfortably right away.

Re: Transitioning From Student to Mentor
 

To not re-has what has been said already, I'll take a step in a different direction.

I would strongly suggest participating in an engineering challenge that's not FRC, or even FIRST related at all. There's a whole world out there with many more technologies and freedom than the relatively restrictive environment of FRC.

One of the best things I did was to unplug from FRC (mostly) for my 4 years of college. Instead I helped to found my college's Formula SAE team, a program that has endured for four years since my graduation, as the youngest founding member.

FSAE forced me to develop more serious professional skills. Defending design decisions, report writing, original experimental design, serious computer modeling, serious CAD work, more ambitious fundraising, and more difficult/multi-faceted/different design challenges. I also now have a passion for car racing, which has added a new facet to my life and brought me many new friends.

Another program will expand your horizons. A program geared for college students will further develop your professional skills in ways that FRC simply isn't designed to. After four years, if you decide to mentor an FRC team, there will be no other students on the team that you were a student with. This helps the new students view you as a mentor and not another student. The same goes for existing team mentors.

Re: Transitioning From Student to Mentor
 

Sorry for the lengthiness, this was shorter in my head.

I was on a Texas team (624) for 4 years. After graduating high school, I decided to go to college in Illinois, in a town that happened to have zero FTC/FRC teams at the time. My big focuses during college were academic and a collegiate design competition (SAE Baja = design/build/compete an off-road car), but I also mentored and volunteered with FLL. After graduating, I found out a FRC team (4096) was starting in my college town. I found a niche as the primary mechanical mentor with the team. After the rookie build season, I moved 2.5 hrs away due to my job, but my heart is still with 4096, so I have continued to mentor from afar.

kwotremb and JamesCH95 have made some great points on collegiate design competitions that I will echo. It was great to be involved in other organizations that are run very differently and to continue to work with peers. From being on my Baja team and eventually captaining it, I have learned many things beyond FIRST and things that can be applied to FIRST -- about corporate sponsors, holding new member interest, running a team mostly single-handed, designing with more engineering and experience, defending and explaining those designs, new skills like welding, plasma cutting, larger machine operation, and how to teach new members useful skills for themselves and the future team. FIRST gave me great skills going into SAE, and SAE gave me great skills that I put back into the SAE and FRC teams.

My advice:
Taking a 1+ year break from FRC teams is great for you! Plus you get to see how your team operates without you. I would not have developed as far as I have in both maturity and skills without stepping away from FRC. Also, take some of the things that you learned from the Flying Toasters and bring them to a team that has less (or a different culture). No matter how little you think your team has, there are teams with less!


What were some of the largest adjustments you had to make while undergoing this transition?
Doer and Thinker --> Encourager, Moderator, Interrogator (i.e. Why?)
Working with peers --> Teacher

What lessons did you learn from your first year of mentoring?
On a team with initially very little (working on more!) parent involvement, I was filling a large role on my team. Big things I learned: how to push the students to achieve more without forcing it, how to get money and material when there is little to nothing to start, that "I have an idea" is like a four letter word coming from a mentor's mouth, you can't do everything.

Have you tried mentoring through digital media (ex: Skype video chat, emails, etc.), and if so, how? How successful is this method?
YES. My first build season with the team was in person. Since I moved away, I have been primarily mentoring over the internet. There is no equal to mentoring in person. That has been learned the hard way after I had a Skype session with a group of students putting a hand drawing up to the camera to show me some brainstorm ideas. Long distance mentoring is mostly working out because of the number of dedicated mentors, particularly mechanical mentors, are available, and most of our team's work and notes is on Google Drive. It is not easy to long distance mentor, even with awesome technology, and it does not give the same results.

The pros: I stay involved with students I love working with, I am able to help a lot (fill in the gaps) with some more administrative tasks that others have less time for (BOM management, CAD part drawings, training powerpoints).

The cons: I am notorious for lengthy emails no one ever reads, I didn't meet some of the new students until competition, Skype can be poor quality sometimes, implementing ideas and presenting powerpoints is often left up to others, the students are not getting as much out of it.

What is it like suddenly belonging to a new team? Did you carry over many of the things you learned from your high school/previous team?
It is awesome (after 4 years off)! Being part of a team from the rookie year is even better. All of the former-FRC college-aged mentors involved with our team have brought a lot from a variety of different teams. Some mentors came on as freshmen and did a great job as mentors from the start, but I think they are rare and very awesome for being able to shift gears so quickly. Some mentors came on after being out of FRC for 2-6 years and are still struggling to transition to the role, some do just fine. A lot of the transition depends on you.

Who or what was your inspiration to mentor after high school?
For me personally: I had graduated with a BSME, started a grad school program I was unhappy with, and I was actually kinda lost with regards to my own life when I was contacted by an FLL mentor about helping the rookie FRC team. It made me remember why I got into engineering to begin with, and I realized I needed to drop out of grad school for my own sanity and happiness. (I made some poor decisions about my program/professor, and I may still pursue another degree in something better for me; nothing against grad school, as a whole.) Two years later, I am way happier with my decision to mentor FRC (and work) than I would've been with my master's.

Re: Transitioning From Student to Mentor
 

Some thoughts.

Going to college is a big transition in itself.It is critical to keep in mind that doing well in school, focusing on your classes, and achieving good grades is the most important use of your time. FIRST wants students to get scholarships, do well in school, and become positive influences in the workforce. Alumni who take on too much responsibility mentoring a FIRST team and suffer for it, hurt themselves, something nobody wants.

My son mentored as a college student, and managed to still do well, but I have seen others take on too much and as a result their college work suffered.

I think volunteering at local FTC events, which need volunteers on a Saturday, and don't require as much travel, since there are many more FTC local venues, is a good compromise. Also, there is usually no need to spend the night in another distant city, which is hard for a student on a tight budget. Volunteering fofrFLL events may be another good option. You meet a whole new group of folks, but still those tuned into the FIRST culture.

When you are a college student, the intense build season of FRC and subsequent need to take off Thursday, Friday and Saturday for a regional, can be demanding for a student who needs to be at college classes. Also,unless the regional happens to be in the city the college is located, often requires travel.

This year, I helped 2 freshman college students (among others) to volunteer at the St Louis Championship. They worked with their college professors to get work done early, take tests before and after championship, and to get permission to go. While other FIRST participants were having fun in the evenings, they were back in their hotel rooms studying, in some cases late into the night, to be prepared for their tests when they got back. I admire their dedication as alumni to FIRST greatly, but I hope it was not too much for them. It is critical to have alumni continue to be involved, and we should all help them find the best opportunities to do so, which complement their school workload and their budget.
FIRST Alumni have many more opportunities to join other clubs after high school and this is where we lose them, some may come back, some not. But providing great volunteer and network opportunities is the key.

Re: Transitioning From Student to Mentor
 

In the interest of not creating a break in my FIRST record, and the fact that I still had family on the team/go to school very close by, I jumped right back as a mentor my freshmen year of college.

Whether that was the right decision or not is only for my future self to decide, but investing in those on the team who I had previously been a lead for gives me great joy. Seeing how those who were freshmen on the team and will shortly be seniors have blossomed continues to bring me back. Seeing those adults who were my mentors need to step back for health or personal reasons makes me feel the need to step up even further.

I have certainly not restricted myself to participating only in FIRST in college (nor was this true in high school), but as an organization that impacted me greater than anything else, I feel it gets priority in my life. I owe everything I am today from my LEGO League coaches, my experiences mentoring, judging, reffing, and my FRC mentors. Not paying it back when I am able just seems like a travesty.

Mentoring during college has been one of the most draining and insane things I have attempted to do. I have had some of the worst nights directly result from that time commitment. But really, it isn't a choice I make. There is no choice, it is and always will be a part of me and it is just something I do.

Re: Transitioning From Student to Mentor
 

It was mentioned already, but one thing a mentor needs to do is give every student the opportunity they should have. So, if there is "one kid" who is "weird" in some way - we all know a few on each team - you need to not ignore or avoid them, instead find a way to get through to them and make their time on the team the best it can be.

Students do not need to concern themselves with this, but mentors must.

Ah, yes: take a whole year off to do College properly. Trust Me on this.

Re: Transitioning From Student to Mentor
 

I know it's hard to take Somebody Else's Wisdom seriously, but do try at least to hear Don's advice.

The transition from High School to College is a whole lot more important in the long run than the one from Student to Mentor. Put your focus on being a college student. As a bonus, if you take a break from FRC for a year to get yourself settled into the new situation, you'll probably find that it's a whole lot easier to come back as a mentor than if you tried to keep continuity.

Re: Transitioning From Student to Mentor
 

Firstly, as many have mentioned, taking a year or two off of FIRST while you are adjusting to college is a fantastic idea. This is helpful to adjust to the college atmosphere, extend your reach to other college clubs or groups, as well as identifying yourself as a mentor. If you are mentoring your old team (which it sounds like you aren't... but someone else reading this might be), some of the students that you were on the team with won't see you as a mentor. They will see you as a friend. This is yet another reason to take time off.

What were some of the largest adjustments you had to make while undergoing this transition?

For me, the largest adjustment I had to make was the fact that I couldn't just jump in and do something as thoughts popped into my head. When the team needed someone in the shop to work on the robot, I couldn't be the one to volunteer (unless there were students that wanted to be there too).

What lessons did you learn from your first year of mentoring?

The good: Mentoring is extremely rewarding. It was a pleasure to see the evolution of the students as they grew into more well rounded individuals. Students that were extremely shy came out of their shells, and students that didn't know how to operate a screwdriver at the beginning of the season, became leaders at the competitions. This was wonderful.
The students (sometimes) honestly believe you know more than they do. Although this was scary for me at first, it made me realize (or at least think) that the students looked up to me as a role model. This means that they wanted to follow my example. I had to set a good example.

The bad: It is very hard to let the students fail, but it is very important. The students learn much more from a short term failure than they do from being told what the right direction is right off the bat. I had an issue with allowing the students to fail when I began mentoring, but as time progressed, I realized that they needed it. After a failure is where a mentor can step in and say, "Hmm, maybe there is a more [elegant/easier/plausible] solution to this problem."
Conflict management is also difficult. Make sure you are prepared for this; I wasn't.

What is it like suddenly belonging to a new team? Did you carry over many of the things you learned from your high school/previous team?

I had the pleasure, along with several other FIRST alumni, to help mold the team as it started. This probably made this transition very easy, as I felt I could bring over the good from my former team and allow for all the other mentors to do the same. Overall, the transition to a new team was natural and easy for me. All the experience I had with robot design and general FIRST experience definitely carried over and helped me guide the students in a productive direction.

Who or what was your inspiration to mentor after high school?

I immediately fell in love with FIRST as a student. This inspiration, I feel, is shared among many students in this program.

Words of "wisdom"

-When/if you become a mentor, jump in and be a leading mentor, but be sure to respect the team rules and culture.
-Mentor != Boss, and Mentor != Student. Mentor = Teacher.
-Encourage the students to get into everything they want to get into, make sure they don't just "settle" in a niche. Just because a student shows interest in electrical systems one year does not mean that they necessarily want to be stuck there the next year.
-Although it may be hard to find time to commit sometimes, for me it was almost always worth it. The students have chosen to make this rather large time commitment, they will respect that you did as well.


Thanks for reading this gargantuan post. Hope this helps some future mentors out there.

Re: Transitioning From Student to Mentor
 

I think it's great that you want to go straight into mentoring once you graduate. I have several students on my team now that are just dying to make the transition but I'll share the same advise that I tell them:

School comes first, then robotics.

Speaking from experience, once I graduated high school, I wanted to jump right back in and mentor. Problem was I was 250+ miles away so it wasn't easy and I was having HUGE FRC withdrawals. (So much so that a friend and I started a team here my junior year :D ) The way I handled it (and still help out today with my first team) is by doing a lot of email communication and Google+ Hangouts. It keeps you in the loop, allows you to give feed back and also allows you to focus on other things such as school. Freshman year of college is not easy. Everything is new, depending on if you go away to school, your lifestyle will change. It's best to get accustomed to school the first year then try to slowly get back in to the FRC lifestyle. If you are able to go back and help, do it on holidays or weekends when things at school aren't stressful. The biggest mistake a mentor-student can make is since they are just removed from the student role, they want to jump back in and help. You have to remember that it's the next set of student's turn to experience what you did as a student.

This past season we had a student go through the student-to-mentor transition and we made it easy for him. We had enough mentors and students with previous experience that help from him wasn't needed as much as he thought. We were glad to have him come back and help the team and it was a huge benefit for us but the last thing we would want for him is to go back and tell his parents that the reason his first year of college was so bad was because he was working with the robotics team so much, it took away from his studies. :ahh:

The transition though is tough. You just have to change your mindset. It's ok to help out and work on somethings but remember, you're a mentor and the mentor's purpose is to guide the students and be of assistance.

Re: Transitioning From Student to Mentor
 

First of all — sorry for the belated response! :ahh: Senior year (especially the conclusion of it) is an insanely tumultuous time, between preparing for AP exams, family obligations, scholarships, homework, and running two separate robotics events at different venues... "Free time"? I've forgotten what that even means!

Thank you for all of your insights. :) I greatly value the experiences each of you have shared here, and I have considered everything stated.
Regardless, I'm conflicted at the decision on whether or not to take a break from FRC. I fully understand the rationale behind taking a year off, and I know where my priorities should lie; academia is more important. Perhaps I'll base this decision on my performance during the first semester of college.

Re: Transitioning From Student to Mentor
 

My final year as a student was rough. We knew going in that literally half of our team would be graduating, so unless a minor miracle occurred, the team would be significantly worse, at best, or die, at worst. I had been a core member, becoming the team's field coach, rules expert, among other tasks.

The next year, I found out my team would no longer be competing in FRC 3 short weeks before the season began (I had an inkling, but it was confirmed at that time). For lack of a better phrase, I was devastated. I had not gone onto college, with my grandfather's cancer and chemotherapy sessions coming that summer, and I was a 10 minute drive from the school.

I got a call the week before the build season began from the director of the local Boys and Girls Club, whose Robotics team was going into it's second season. I joined, and was thrust into a role where walking in as a first year mentor, I was the mentor with the most FIRST experience. It was tough, and I put a lot of the load on myself (foolishly, I might add).

My advice? Find something. Even if you can't find a team, volunteer. Something will find you. It's hard and tough to make the transition, but being a student, and a very involved one at that, you have all the skills in front of you. Teach what you were taught. Show what you were shown. Hopefully, a student will be inspired like you were.

Re: Transitioning From Student to Mentor
 

My story has floated around several places for years. I was a founding member (much like you) of Aces High (Team 176) in CT. My stories are oddly still as vivid as yours, and I was a team leader & MVP all 3 years in HS. However, I knew we had a strong mentor base and a great set of kids following me, so I had no doubts the team would only get better - they actually won the National (yes then it actually was only US based) Championship the year after I left!

But I digress. I had many of the same feelings others have echoed, FIRST was so big in my life that I wasn't sure I was ready to leave it. So I made sure to look at colleges that had FIRST teams - WPI, Daniel Webster, MIT, etc. But I also applied to ones that didn't. And along came Clarkson with their "what can we do to get you to come here" - and my answer of "let me start a FIRST team"... that sealed the deal for both of us.

And I won't lie - I cried half the way to college. I was overwhelmed and excited, but I was scared to death of leaving my team, leaving my friends, leaving all of the comfort of the CT teams I knew and loved. So many friends were going to CT colleges and staying close to home. I was scared to be so far away. But I immersed myself in my new life, and in my back pocket, was my FIRST card - I could hold onto something I knew and use it to start something new. And I knew that in March, I would get to see all the teams & friends I knew again.

But enough of my story, I'll answer some of the great questions you posed.

What were some of the largest adjustments you had to make while undergoing this transition?
I'll admit, my transition was probably a bit unique. I was 300 miles from home, and over 150 miles from the closest FRC team. And I was the only person on my entire team who know what FIRST even was. In some ways this was great because it gave me a completely clean slate - I've said elsewhere that after 18 years and 3 teams, the Rookie Years are my favorite years. But it was tough - I had to come up with everything - all of the plans, all of the structure and all of the answers... yet I was only a year older than 1/3 of our students - and the same age as a couple of them!! I only had other college students and two teachers to help me mentor, so we all fumbled our way to a reasonably functioning robot. At times it was a struggle. I wanted to just be a college student. I needed to study, wanted to hang out with my ski team friends, but every moment I had had to be meticulously planned out and balanced so I could run the team and keep up with everything else. It was exhausting but at times exhilarating. That first year I had to fill a lot of roles - lead engineer, coach, programmer, strategist. I was used to filling a lot of roles from my high school team, but I was used to having a lot of mentors & other students with just as much experience to bounce ideas off of. It was a whole new world.

What lessons did you learn from your first year of mentoring?
- Learn when GOOD IS GOOD ENOUGH. I was a perfectionist in high school. I quickly learned that when juggling a million things, sometimes you have to give up some of that perfectionism and look at your (and the team's) overall goal to determine priorities.
- HAVE/GET A LIFE. As much as I say I struggled to fit it all in, the time management skills I gained by trying to have a life outside of FIRST were incredibly valuable, as was the opportunity to have a life outside of FIRST. I had completely separate friends, I was involved in a varsity sport, I had study groups, I was in the honors program. Do stuff OTHER than FIRST, even if it means sacrificing some of your time in FIRST.
- I DONT KNOW is an acceptable answer. Especially if you aren't working with the same team, the change from student to mentor can be more abrupt, and people can expect you to have the answers. Its ok to not know... but then everyone needs to work harder to figure out what the answer is (you included!).
- THIS ISNT YOUR HS TEAM. No matter how hard you try, even with a clean slate, you can never recreate what you had in your old team. You need to learn the new team structure, learn what this new team needs and adapt to it. You can't spend your entire time trying to make it "what you had" or you will just be running into a brick wall.
- FOCUS ON SCHOOL. Other's have said it, plenty have suggested a year off (which I agree, but am not a good example of). My grades slipped my sophomore year as I struggled to balance it all, and balance the growth of a second year team... and it was a fight for me to get my GPA back up to a 3.3 on graduation. I even ended up taking my senior year off from FIRST. Its ok to take time off - FIRST will be here when you get back :)

Have you tried mentoring through digital media (ex: Skype video chat, emails, etc.), and if so, how? How successful is this method?
I did this after leaving my 3rd team and moving out here to Boston. I returned every other weekend in build season (making the near 400mile drive out there), and obsessively keeping up with their blog, online wiki, webcasts, emails, etc. It can be done... but honestly, its super exhausting and sometimes incredibly frustrating and guilt-enducing. You want to be there to help, you may see mistakes happening or coming and you wonder if you were there if it would have been different. You wonder why certain decisions were made rather than others, and you constantly second guess things. But that team needs to be it's own team, those students & mentors need to learn their own ways of doing things. It can no longer be "your way".
Don't get me wrong, distance mentoring can be done, and it can be easier than ripping off the bandaid... but I would HIGHLY encourage you to pick one or the other. Turn to your old team for questions if you need it, but don't try and mentor/work with both. Its too much. Especially for your freshman year. And sometime change is good. Joining a new team will help you shift your focus, and maybe allow you to feel less guilty about focusing on college.

What is it like suddenly belonging to a new team? Did you carry over many of the things you learned from your high school/previous team?
I was lucky enough to start with a clean slate for each of the two teams I founded after my high school team. This meant I could take all of the lessons I learned (both teams do patron drives - just like my HS team, the most recent runs a preship scrimmage like my HS team, structures were updated versions, etc) and modify them to fit the new teams - to take the best of what they had and the best of the other teams I knew and make a new team. But in joining an existing team, I am sure that you have a lot more existing culture to deal with, and while you may be able to incorporate some of the "best" things you've learned, and certainly can use mentoring styles you know, you won't be able to go in and make this team like your old team. So bring what you know, but don't spend all your time trying to make it your old team.

Who or what was your inspiration to mentor after high school?
Three of my mentors in high school - our team leader Dave, the first engineer I worked with to build an amazing self powered goal blocking device - Tom, and a crazy electrical engineer - Rob. They were amazing mentors, and the reason that I became an engineer. They each shaped me into who I am as a mentor. I decided my dream was to inspire just one student the way I had been inspired, and if I could do that, I could carry on what they gave me.

Re: Transitioning From Student to Mentor
 

Wisdom (above)! The first year in college is critical, especially so in tough majors (EE/ME/ChemE/Physics etc). If you screw up that first year it is a long uphill climb to pull your GPA up. Help out during your winter break, spring break and in the off season (summer) but don't compromise your education. It is more important to set an example of success at the university level to the secondary school team members.