Re: Homework V.S Robotics
 

Last year I didn't do so well with juggling robotics. My advice, make sure to keep up in your hard classes, the easier classes are better to take a hit in. If you can, do homework during low times in robotics, for example as a part of the cad team I don't need to work 100% of the time except from weeks 1-2.

Re: Homework V.S Robotics
 

If you're taking any hit at all, are your priorities straight?

Re: Homework V.S Robotics
 

I know this selection has been discussed, but not in a constructive way. There's a saying that floats around a lot of FRC teams - "After your rookie season comes your mentor season." Leadership doesn't have to come from folks old enough to remember the Challenger. In the absence of strong, dedicated adult leadership, take it upon yourselves as team veterans to help organize the tasks that need accomplished in the team. Do it now, before the school year :really: starts.
I think you'll find that when the students take a stronger and more thoughtful role in the team, the adult leaders will respond and reciprocate. If their workload is lightened, they'll be more productive on the things they can do.
Good luck and I hope to see you in STL.

Re: Homework V.S Robotics
 

Work smarter.

Manage your workspace well: your home area where you study, your school locker, and your backpack. Organize all of them and keep them organized. If you think that it takes time to do that, you are right. If you don't keep them organized, it will take more time playing catch up and trying to locate the assignment, the schedule, the paper, the book. Homework isn't just assigned - it is meant to be a process that is problem-solved through to completion. It is also meant to be taken care of in a timely fashion without procrastinating. If you are a person who is not strong in the organizational side of things, seek out someone who is and who can help you get yourself more organized. A school counselor or adviser could be used as an organizational resource.

If you find yourself whining, complaining, or blaming - stop. Become productive and helpful, contributing to solutions rather than harping on the problems. Maturity plays a big role in the productivity of the team and in the development of the individual.

Jane

Re: Homework V.S Robotics
 

Definitely.

Take a step back, make sure your grades aren't dropping full letter grades. A lot easier to do this kind of balancing act in high school than college. And if you already find yourself with dropping grades in high school...well then good luck doing activities in college.

Re: Homework V.S Robotics
 

I know it may seem downright impossible, but try to stay off Chief Delphi for a while. I know I check it more than Facebook sometimes, and with a similar course load (though I'm a sophomore), I find I can get a lot more done if I stay away from Chief Delphi, or even just shove my laptop under my bed. Out of site, out of mind, my mom used to say, and it's true. If you can't see it, you are usually not thinking about it. Like the homework supposed to be done while you're on CD. So, I'd say eliminate distractions as a first. I also recommend some things said previously on the thread, about waiting until you are feeling tired, because then you are more motivated. BUT, I wouldn't recommend doing that all the time. Like said earlier, you should try to do as much work as possible during school, and lunch. I know how the battle between eating with friends and doing homework t lunch feels like, but you've got to prioritize. Would you rather have your social time at a 1/2 hour of lunch, or during the entire robotics meeting? Plus, There are a great number of resources available at school for you, so if you may need any, lunch is usually the perfect time to do it.

School>Robotics, but as I always say, School=Education, and Robotics=Education, so therefore school=robotics (That probably makes no sense.)

WHat I'm saying is it's important to do both. While school is a bit more important than robotics, the education and experience you get from a FIRST robotics team is more valuable than most of what you can learn in school (that is, until Amir Abo-Shaer changes it).

Just my $0.02, but I hope it helps.

Re: Homework V.S Robotics
 

Some good advice in here already.

Going through my last couple years of college at Northeastern taught me a lot about time management. The biggest piece of advice I'll give you is to try and learn to start thinking a week or two ahead of time. If you can see ahead at what blocks of free time you'll have and plan around them, you will be able to make much better use of your time.

For example, my schedule would often have gaps in it based on what classes I had that day. I may have blocks of time where I have an hour or two off between classes. I got the majority of my work done in these breaks. I could stagger and plan my assignments based on when they were due and how important they were.

Studying for exams was another critical skill. I developed a system that worked for me that allowed me to best retain the information I would gather from a large study session. What worked for me, often didn't work for my friends, so it's important to learn about yourself and develop your own set of learning tools.

It's all about working efficiently. Don't watch TV and do homework at the same time, or cruise the internet intermittently while you are studying. It will only make you spend more time (which you won't have) on it.

It's good that you are recognizing this a hurdle to being involved in FIRST. Just about every student will need to deal with this, so tackling it head on is definitely the best course of action.

-Brando

Re: Homework V.S Robotics
 

I have 4 APs plus other courses this year, and I'm our team's VP, and I'm so glad I'm not the only one. My main focus is attempting to do whatever simple homework possible whenever given a minute free. I'll stay up at night working on reports and such, but simple nightly assignments are done whenever I find a moment.

Re: Homework V.S Robotics
 

What does "V.S" stand for ?

Re: Homework V.S Robotics
 

I manage to balance robotics (which goes pretty much year round for my team) with daily football practices and during the winter hockey practices... on top of this I have 3 AP classes 2 honors classes as well as a business class and economics... its a lot of work to do but its all about time management which is something u learn as u go through high school. I've always been a busy kid so whenever I get a few minutes to work on homework I do. Even if you only get a couple questions done each time its still more than u had done before. When you're working on homework stay focused, don't let your mind wander off... just get it done... one more thing that helps me a lot is dividing and conquering amongst friends for large assignments... doing that only works if youre paying attention when u talk about the answers though... I don't condone cheating but if it comes down to losing 2 hours of sleep or just trading the answers of confusing questions and talking about them tomorrow before school is take the trade part... I do all these things and maintain a 4.1 so it should work for others too... that's my $.02

Re: Homework V.S Robotics
 

It stands for not having done enough homework. :D

Nah, it's probably just a typo, transposing the S and the period. But you knew that, right?

Re: Homework V.S Robotics
 

come again?

I may be misunderstanding your post, but it sounds like you're saying that you and your friends are cheating your way to high grades in your AP classes.

If I'm wrong, please clarify.

Re: Homework V.S Robotics
 

Especially if you or your friends are in the running for class valedictorian or salutatorian. Public admissions of unethical behavior can be very damaging not only to yourself but all implicated.

Study groups can be a critical method to use, both in secondary and postsecondary education, and I think any educator would be in favor of them. But when it's just trading answers, not only is that unfair to the classmates who actually do the work, but the offenders don't really learn the material in the first place. When you cheat, you mostly cheat yourself.

Re: Homework V.S Robotics
 

Ah, I see someone shares my sense of Socratic irony :-)

Re: Homework V.S Robotics
 

Fresh out of high school, here's how I did with IB (like AP but different):

a) Take some time to breathe and zone-out. Otherwise you'll be less focused during your productive hours because you're burnt out.

b) Avoid super-caffine products when its time to hunker down and do things. When you're all jittery, your not going to focus (be honest when assessing if you are an exception to this rule).

c) Accept that you might not be able to give all three options (homework, robotics, sleep) 100%. You're going to miss out somewhere (either less sleep, not-as-great grades, or less time with the team). Pick your poison.

d) Plan out your time. Assess how long an assignment will take (over-estimating is better). Figure out some sort of system where you can block out when you have robotics, band, that one meeting for that thing, and when you have free time (which should become homework time).

e) Don't procrastinate. (Yeah, right.)


I tried to keep it short. Remember that robotics looks good when applying for scholarships and colleges, but it doesn't make up for bad grades.