Maintain a healthy level of FIRSTism ( the addiction to FIRST)
 

I started this thread in response to the 1000+ thread that shows people weither or not their addicted to First. Here are some of the ways I have thought of to maintain a healthy level of FIRSTism.

*FIRST make a CD of music that would be heard a a compition

*buy some building material to keep busy

*Go out Saturday night with a group of FIRST friends

*Register yourself on Chief Delphi so you can post your thoughts

*Feel Free to Add to this List.

Re: Maintain a healthy level of FIRSTism ( the addiction to FIRST)
 

-Have your team number somehow integrated into one or several of your online aliases
-Have enough FIRST-related shirts to wear one every day of the week and then some
-Your AIM profile consists almost entirely of quotes some poor, luckless, dead-tired soul said one night of the build-season
-Your buddy list has the following categories: Buddies, Co-workers, family, robotics
-Robotics is the largest category on your buddy list
-You plan to name your first child Dean

Re: Maintain a healthy level of FIRSTism ( the addiction to FIRST)
 

You do realize that every thing that is in this thread can be put into the "You know you are addicted to FIRST when" thread.


Try it.

Re: Maintain a healthy level of FIRSTism ( the addiction to FIRST)
 

Reason Given ^^^

Re: Maintain a healthy level of FIRSTism ( the addiction to FIRST)
 

So I guess I'm an overachiever, eh?

SN: ThundrChicken217
FIRST Shirts - 39 and counting...
DJ at Kettering Kickoff = 10 CDs of music heard at FIRST

Profile at one point:
"FIRST - we've got the balls for this competition"
"...Except for secret dodge-ball clubs that are cropping up all over the nation, where students meet at night in abandoned warehouses to play the forbidden sport!" etc.

AIM groups: Close Friends, Family, Close Robotics Friends, Other Robot Friends (Biggest Group)....


Other things you can do-
Collect swag from every team you meet and hang it on a cape in your room
Decorate your room entirely with FIRST memorabilia
Start an unofficial FIRST DOX Fraturnity at your school
Actually WEAR robotics shirts every single day for entire Build season
Realize that when nonrobotics friends ask you "what's up?" you immediately think about what happened at Robots that day...
Make a list of all of the inside jokes you have at robotics
Show school cheerleaders some moves that you learned at Robotics competitions
Buy denim shirts just because Dean looks cool in them.

Re: Maintain a healthy level of FIRSTism ( the addiction to FIRST)
 

That sounds like a good idea and I might do that.

The three songs that are really sticking in my head from the Chesapeake regional are Darude - Feel the Beat, Zombie Nation - Kernkraft 400, and the Chicken Dance. I don't know why.

Oh yeah and Sugar Hill Gang - Rappers Delight. Thats an awesome song. Heard it in the morning the 2nd day of the Chesapeake Regional and it got me really excited.

- Sharp

Re: Maintain a healthy level of FIRSTism ( the addiction to FIRST)
 

-make every paper you write for classes about robotics in some way
-write programming flow charts in your spare time
-convince all your non-FIRST freinds that robotics is the greatest thing since sliced bread
-convert your local drama club to an odd made up religion based around a random handout you got at a competition
-(see my signature for more ideas)

Re: Maintain a healthy level of FIRSTism ( the addiction to FIRST)
 

next time Sears has a sale on small drill presses, buy one - and when you feel antsy and anxious go out to the garage and drill lots of holes in something

like, your keys, the handles on your silverware, your bicycle frame, your trash cans, your dining room table, your pocket change - you know, anything that you would like to make lighter.

Re: Maintain a healthy level of FIRSTism ( the addiction to FIRST)
 

*convert a room in your living quaters into a mechine shop.

*devote you computer to FIRST items( ie. programing, aoutcad drawings of robot parts, awards won,etc).

* Paint the FIRST logo on your ceiling so it's the FIRST and last thing you see everyday.

Re: Maintain a healthy level of FIRSTism ( the addiction to FIRST)
 

Get a copy of Inventor and see how many different gear ratios you can fit into one transmission without making it too big or heavy. Then calculate the speed and torque and current draw and voltage drop of the battery in each of the gears.

Re: Maintain a healthy level of FIRSTism ( the addiction to FIRST)
 

-buy a segway.

Re: Maintain a healthy level of FIRSTism ( the addiction to FIRST)
 

Set your table saw on fire and then try to put it out with a broken fire extinguisher...Then wonder why the fire extinguisher failed.

Sew a vest and cover it with buttons.

Memorize every team, where they are from, and there past history.

Break something so you can fix it. Or design something, make it, and break it so you can re-design it.

Figure out how many configurations you can make the edubot in without modifying parts.

Re: Maintain a healthy level of FIRSTism ( the addiction to FIRST)
 

Hahaha i've already done that one, my dad describes my bedroom as a workshop that is somtimes slept in. :D

Re: Maintain a healthy level of FIRSTism ( the addiction to FIRST)
 

Keith's Top Twelve List of "You Know FIRST Has Taken Over Your Life When..."

12) At night, you dream mostly about FIRST build sessions, contests, and design problems;

11) You have woken up screaming "Eureka!" so many times, you now keep a pencil and paper by your bedside for furious note taking;

10) Your wardrobe / jewelry / room decor consists more of FIRST items than other themes;

9) Your conversations with friends, strangers, and relatives at family gatherings mostly focus on you ranting about how cool FIRST, your team, your latest robot, (etc.) all are;

8) The first thing you think to ask every local storekeeper is "Hey, how'd you like to help sponsor our FIRST team?"

7) You've lost your fear of strangers, because they're all now simply "potential customers for your fundraising item";

6) Robotics hardware and/or drawings have taken over your room, and all other hobby items are somewhere in a box, corner, or closet gathering dust;

5) You know everyone's name, job title, extension number and email address at FIRST HQ by heart, but can't remember your SO's birthday or anniversary date;

4) You've overfilled your system's hard drive by mirroring FIRST's "Documents & Updates", and every kit vendors' data sheet and app note website;

3) To wake you, instead of buzzing, your alarm clock now sounds like bowling pins crashing, and dumps eighteen large rubber playground balls onto your bed;

2) Your teacher caught you in class with a "Centerfold" hidden in your books, only to discover you were really drooling over a full sized CAD rendition of either the FIRST Playing Field or your team's latest robot subassembly;

...And lastly...

1) Due to the number of shop hours you've put in this season, a bowl of mashed potatoes now has a MUCH better tan than you do...

;)

- Keith

Re: Maintain a healthy level of FIRSTism ( the addiction to FIRST)
 

*You get in trouble with your parents for staying at school too long every night.
*Start boycotting stores that refuse to sponsor the robotics team.

Re: Maintain a healthy level of FIRSTism ( the addiction to FIRST)
 

done that...
I think I have 9 or 10 team shirts, and like 3 other FIRST shirts.
2/3 of my current AIM profile consists of things team members have said.
New ideas:
*sacrifice what would've been a fun day hanging out w/ friends a the town festival to advertise your team at its booth
*Watch the NASA channel w/ team members instead of going out with them on a saturday night
*Do the previous in front of a news camera
(note: i've done all of those too...)

Re: Maintain a healthy level of FIRSTism ( the addiction to FIRST)
 

Hey now, I'm a cheerleader. Now robotics is some major cheering too, but dont down the cheerleaders what we do for competition is hard as well.

Definitly try and get some cheerleaders on your team tho cuz its so funny to be all showing up at robotics meetings after games in your uniform... everyone pauses and is just kinda like *what?*

and things on this list I have done... almost all of them... it makes me happy...

*you try to convince the drama teacher to use the robot in the school play [done this]

*you are trying to build something and you thing 'gosh this would be some much easier to make from aluminum'

*you throw surprise birthday parties for team mentors... and then post pictures online on a robotics forum

*one of your pet peeves is when someone uses the wrong name for a tool

Re: Maintain a healthy level of FIRSTism ( the addiction to FIRST)
 

Or Use inventor to build new Field designs.

Re: Maintain a healthy level of FIRSTism ( the addiction to FIRST)
 

Here's another one...

*You think of FIRST team numbers when you see numbers on the street, text books, and other numbers you see in your daily life

(This has happened to a lot of people in robotics, and me)

[Addition]
*You speak of the wonders of using a gearbox to your "enemy" (Your school's low tech, other robotics team) because they don't use gearboxes.

*You start promoting people in your school to join robotics at least once a week

*You actually miss the stress of the build period during off-season

*You spend more time on Chief Delphi than doing your homework
[/Addition]

Re: Maintain a healthy level of FIRSTism ( the addiction to FIRST)
 

you no longer worry about your suffering grades

Re: Maintain a healthy level of FIRSTism ( the addiction to FIRST)
 

My friend thought there was 564 days in a year.
Ooo.... man. I did that. My English teacher thinks Im nuts and its a creative writing class.

Re: Maintain a healthy level of FIRSTism ( the addiction to FIRST)
 

^yep

*Whenever you see your non-robotics friends, the first thing they say is "I know, I know, I need to join the robotics team."

*You watch the Dave Cam at school.

*You hear the name of a city and instantly think of a team in that city

*You have had serious conversations about outlawing the superbowl and replacing it with the FIRST championships.

*You have already started your team's 2005 animation submission.

*You complain about the lack of media focusing on FIRST.

*You also complain that the media that does feature FIRST does a bad job.

*The first thing you do after memorial day is ask your mentors why the team wasn't in the parade.

*You've told total strangers to start a FIRST team.

*You have a physics test next hour and haven't finished your math homework, but still proceed to post a list of thingson the chief delphi forums showing how "dedicated" you are to FIRST.

Re: Maintain a healthy level of FIRSTism ( the addiction to FIRST)
 

When you wonder why there is bullet holes in Dave's office.

Re: Maintain a healthy level of FIRSTism ( the addiction to FIRST)
 

I actually have 2 categories for robotics: Raider Robotix, and Other Teams

Re: Maintain a healthy level of FIRSTism ( the addiction to FIRST)
 

*The whole time your taking the physics test you relate each question to the robot

Re: Maintain a healthy level of FIRSTism ( the addiction to FIRST)
 

*After leaving Atlanta, you tell everyone leaving the local Waffle Hut why exactly it is that you're wearing black jackets with flames on them... and proceed to get unbelievably strange (but interested!) looks from the people to whom you're speaking

Re: Maintain a healthy level of FIRSTism ( the addiction to FIRST)
 

Someone in drama asks you to build a robot for the school play...during build season.

You've converted a large portion of the drama club to the robotics team.

You've converted PVC marshmallow cannons built by other eccentric members of your team to fire off FIRST memorabila into the crowd at local sports events.

Re: Maintain a healthy level of FIRSTism ( the addiction to FIRST)
 

the only way you can understand your calculus and some physics is to relate it to robotics.

Re: Maintain a healthy level of FIRSTism ( the addiction to FIRST)
 

You found a way to understand physics? Lucky...

Re: Maintain a healthy level of FIRSTism ( the addiction to FIRST)
 

Physics is life!

Ball goes up, ball comes down.

If ever there was a subject one could learn through observation... ;)
Gotta love it!

Re: Maintain a healthy level of FIRSTism ( the addiction to FIRST)
 

True for mechanics, and then one gets to E+M...

Re: Maintain a healthy level of FIRSTism ( the addiction to FIRST)
 

Same here. :D After writing 2 papers about FIRST, my english teacher told me I should write about something different. And it was a creative writing class.

Re: Maintain a healthy level of FIRSTism ( the addiction to FIRST)
 

director? of the school play comes up to you and asks if you can make a remote controlled prop for them for $500. they tell you the tech department may have all the pieces newly bought for the prop donated once the play is over.
you say maybe. and think about how much 'extra stuff' the robotics department may be getting from this.. then you find what you need, and add up the figures, and say,,, maybe i should ask for $1000 just to be safe..(example: a 3in bore cylinder @120psi will lift alot of weight.... but 120psi? oooooh, wasssy too dangerous :D .... lets try it at 30 psi.... oh, thats safer... but we probably need more cylinders then... well then... i think we need a better compressor too... ) and the guy tells you to wait for a while... he's gonna check his budget. a week later.. nope, no money. sorry to waste your time... :p not even $500...
and you feel bad because you just lost a very good opportunity to get some spare stuff for free.

Re: Maintain a healthy level of FIRSTism ( the addiction to FIRST)
 

*You write your essay on the SAT II Writing on an event in build season, explaining the details of various obscure parts of the rules in the process.

Re: Maintain a healthy level of FIRSTism ( the addiction to FIRST)
 

Hehehe.. I did this also, and then described how my choice to do robotics has affected my life as a whole.

And I've written at least 3 essays on FIRST for writing class too :p

Ahh.. I love FIRST :)

Re: Maintain a healthy level of FIRSTism ( the addiction to FIRST)
 

I did that on practically every practice test that i've taken. There is a lot to write about. so anyone out there studying for SAT II writing and can't figure what to write all the time, write about robotics. :)

Re: Maintain a healthy level of FIRSTism ( the addiction to FIRST)
 

You continue to check out CD after Nationals because of the fear you may miss something.