What is your favorite Season?
 

Everyone knows the four seasons of the year: Pre-Season, Build Season, Competition Season, and Off-Season. What is your favorite season and why?




Merged old thread with new thread. DF

Build all the way. That is when you have to deal with robotics on a daily basis and you are thinking of the design and other stuff...

I gotta go with Build, It may be the most stressful time but its also the time in which I can test my self the most to get stuff done on time

Build for me. There's just so much to do then. There's never a dull moment, and I enjoy getting to have fun with my friends in the shop for 4 or more hours every day. My second would be competition season, but the long interludes between the action makes it a little less appealing. Build wins, because it's just six weeks of non-stop robotics.

competition season, cuz there's FUN trips to regionals and nats, followed closely by off season, purely cuz there's less work while still competing.......i like competition:D

Build is my favorite. That and the time period between build and our first regional. Its when I get to actually sit down and work on my programming. It might be hard work, but a lot of fun in the process.

My favorite is build, definately. It's great to have stuff to do everyday, and weekends. The atmosphere is so comfortable and I love being with friends all the time. Competition is great too, but I like to work on the test bot, tweaking sensors and programming and stuff like that. Plus we got free food on the weekends from the local deli :D.

I really enjoyed build, but I think I liked competition because there was always something to do or someone to talk to.

I like the build season. If nothing else, its a way to get out of homework and spend lots of time with all my friends!

Build season is so much fun, but it wouldn't be any fun if it wasn't for competition season. Being both a strategist, and a competitive guy, I would have to vote for Competition Season all the way :yikes:

Im partial to competition season because there is nothing better then spending 24 hrs on a bus or 8 hrs on a plane to nationals with the team!!!! Plus competions are like no other place on earth! i live for the times when i can see Dean in person riding that Segway or actually walking!!

I want another selection...the entire year. Preseason is fun because you anticipate the unexpected, and get to play around with test mules, and be really creative. Your still doing some off season comps then too. Build is fun because your creativity is stretched designing, and mentoring the youngins. The season is fun because, at least here at WPI, we go to interesting places. THe past few years we've gone to Long Island, Virginia, San Jose, Seattle, Houston, Florida. Off-season is the most intense I think. Teams have now had enough time to work through things they didn't during the real season, and the competitive spirit is quite a bit higher. I think some of the best competition is during the offseason. anywho, my vote is for the whole year!

The competition season is definately the most fun! Thats when you get to travel, meet everybody, have fun, and show off the robot that you've been working on for forever!! Plus, the competition season is the best season to go out and get all of the fun buttons!! Definately a plus!:D

I would have to agree with Deej. All the seasons are great. The pre-season you get to meet all the new team members and know that you will become good friends with several of them. The competition season you have endless days of fun building the robot or thinking of the best way to do something. Then comes the party in the Competition Season. In the post season comes all the after parties where you get to see your friends that you first met in the preseason.

Nothing says FIRST like the build season. It's what's FIRST is all about. The creativity, the innovation, the strategy, the teamwork, the planning. The excitement of what will be. It' s the main course.
The competition season is just the desert. Unless you work in the pits or are on the field as the drive team, your work is mostly done (except for team spirit) so mostly it's fun.
The pre season is the entree. Light and not very filling. Just prep before the main course really.
Off season is bed time. All you think about is " I can't wait til next year". It's the worst season, obviously.

For me, it was always about Competition Season. I loved build, that's for sure.... but only in competition could I have the chance to meet up with friends on other teams, compare notes, and see what kind of creative solutions other teams came up with for the same problem.

i would have to say a tie in all four...

Build season cause you get to work with all your friends and see your creations come to life...(and sleep and work at school all through the night and morning)

Off Season because you get to do demos for all people and you get to have stress less fun (usually)

Competition Season because you get to see your creations at work and just get to hang with people and friends you dont see very often!

Pre Season because of the stress of wondering whats going to be this years game and knowing its only days or weeks away from being revealed.

~Mike

Build season for me because thats when I learn the most and get to stay up late at Johnson and Johnson building our robot... Also during this time is when our team decides on how we tye-dye our team shirts, after that we get to tye-dye 300 shirts! FUN FUN FUN!!!

But I do love the competition season because I get to wear all my buttons and I get to collect more... Plus I get to see all my friends I have made...

Pre-Season and offseason are fun though because you can relax more instead of worrying too much about scouting and all the regular stuff...

I absolutely have to agree with you 100% on that one!!! There is nothing better than 8 hrs. on a plane with the team... especially with Starkey.. hehe... there is no place on earth like competitions.. they are one of a kind. It's like a whole "nother" side of people comes out during competitions... and hey, who can say that they don't love the late nights with the team.. or getting home at 2 in the morning after being up for the past 24 hours!?

And I to live for the times when i can see Dean in person.. riding the segway. marry me dean, j/k!!

Build season all the way. I think it's that drive to accomplish something seemingly impossible in 6 weeks and that feeling of triumph once the object of your desire is done. I'm fully focused on one thing and that's to get a robot working and ready for the competition season. It's such a rush and definitely keeps me on my toes for those 6 weeks. Can't slack, can't procrastinate, can't fall behind; in and out of the workshop. I love it! When it's all over and in time for competition season, I get depressed -- even though I've attained my goal. It's just that there's no more filing or drilling or anything fun like that... until I get to see the robot again at competition that is.

Oh now this is a hard one. I live for the build season, but the competition season brings me to life :) It's live eating your favorite dinner, and then having your mom bring out your favorite dessert. lol.. hmm... FIRST and food- interesting combination :P

Competition season is the best. Build season is fun, but way too stressful. Competition is when you can finally let loose and act crazy hanging out with your friends and cheering for your team.

hmm.. I guess I'll use 2002-2003 as an example...

I reall enjoy build season.. with meetings everynight of the week, there is always Robotics going on.

I have the most fun during competition and post season except for the fact that I had so much more work to do then. I spent last March - September continuously doing scouting work. Competitions also bring along all of the great stress associated to as a driver.

We didn't really have a pre-season this past year. Some people would say that our team did, but for the few of us who were still continuing with last year (02) and that robot.. we were still going the end of Nov. We have a couple weeks off for xmas.. and then it was time for Build again..... I'm really not sure what preseason would be like???

Build season is definately the best. Robotics almost everyday. You can't beat that.

Build season is the best because you get all these toys and with those you get to Build a BIG toy!

But Competition time is the best Because you get to play with Your BIG toy And Evrybody Elsees BIG Toys (Oh, and the girls)

I LOVE the build season. I love the closeness and seeing the same people everyday and working with them. And while I LOVE LOVE competitions and meeting other people (:D) build season is deff. my favorite season. There's nothing like the craziness that happens during build season :p

(Well, besides hotel craziness.. but yeaaa :D)

Build Season (my vote leveled it off 26-26).

Yeah... too bad Steve isn't going to be here for most (or any) of next build season.

But hm... competition was also a possible choice because I remember using my mad azn skills to obtain room keycards and dumping lots of ice in various places (along with rearranging whole rooms lol...)

Yeah, funny stuff.

OMG yan... when you asked me for my room key in Canada.. and then later Jen, Vanessa and I discovered our toliet totally filled up with ice... THAT WAS YOU????

Well, ONE mystery is solved.

In 2002, we had a toilet filled with ice... but it was done by one of the kids in our room. Dave decided to dump the ice bucket out for something, and where did he put the ice... the toilet. Almost overflowed the toilet trying to flush the ice down, too.

Favorite Part of FIRST
 

I was wondering what most people think is the most fun part of FIRST. now i know what ur all going to say.. theyre all fun.. but if u had to pick one what would it be?

Re: Favorite Part of FIRST
 

I have got to love the compititions. Thats prolly why my team is attending 2 events and I am volenteering in 2 events.
Kevin Antaki

Re: Favorite Part of FIRST
 

everything about this program is awesome, but if i had to choose one, i will choose one that is not on the list. the high school students i work with is my favorite part of this program. they make it worthwhile and meaningful. and along with that, the college and other mentors that i get to work with everyday. these are the people who make this program awesome.

Re: Favorite Part of FIRST
 

Competitions may be great, but how can you not love the FIRST community overall?! I started last year as a freshman and I am so involved into my FIRST team now, I dont know what I am going to do when I am a senior and have to deal with college and still trying to get back to help my team. I think I am going to be choosing colleges based on if they have FIRST teams. LOL.

Re: Favorite Part of FIRST
 

The competitions are the best. Not just the competition, but being with your friends and not having to be constantly building unless your in the pits. Being able to cheer for your team and hang out with all your friends is what makes the competetions my favorite part.

Re: Favorite Part of FIRST
 

i love it all .. i love the off season when the nationals has just ended .. i love the off season in december when im dying to find out what the game is .. i love the build season because as stressful as it is .. its a lot of fun .. but i must say .. the competition season is the best .. because that is when you see all your hard work that you have put in over 6 weeks come into play ... and you can be as loud as you want and you are with friends .. and it is just sooo much fun !!

Re: Favorite Part of FIRST
 

I think everthing is so much fun, but if i had to pick one it would have to be competition. I mean the excitement you get when you are traveling there. The energy in the pits the lack of sleep you get. (like 6 hours the whole weekend) Hanging out wiht people you know and love the same thing you do. The excitement of doing good in a match, the strategy to beat other teams. When youi know you have friendly competiton and at the end of the day you are all friends. The team meetings after competion all day and then the drivers retreating to there rooms to go on soap to check out all the match play from that day and to stragize for the next day. That last one is my favorite