Does FIRST only make engineers?
 

This is something that I started to notice last year as I applied for college: FIRST seems to produce a great number of engineers and programmers at the expense of other science and technology fields. We rarely hear about FIRST students in these other areas. I love designing and building robots, but I also love art and design, so I chose to concentrate (my college doesn't actually have majors) in industrial design. That said, it felt weird standing next to my fellow graduating teammates and saying that I would be studying industrial design while they all listed engineering or programming majors. I think that a lot of this is a product of the FIRST program design, which emphasizes the build process and engineering mentors, but should FIRST do more to promote non-engineering majors and careers that still fall within science and technology related fields? Was this just my experience, or have other people noticed this as well?

Re: Does FIRST only make engineers?
 

I think that because FIRST, or more specifically FRC, is an engineering challenge, it produces engineers. I don't think it's a problem. The world needs many more engineers than scientists.

However, I will note that FRC also encourages business and liberal arts careers through the Chairman's Award, the Excellence in Design award and many of the other "side" awards for FRC.

Re: Does FIRST only make engineers?
 

The goal of FIRST is to produce a culture that embraces and celebrates STEM activities, not shun them as in the past.

Admittedly some people will choose STEM careers as a result of all this activity. Others will choose careers with a new found respect for STEM.

Someone may become a teacher and encourage and support STEM activities unlike what used to happen in schools. Others will become parents or uncles/aunts/other career influncer and will support a kid interested in STEM (unlike the past).

Having said that it is a concern of mine that there is probably a overrepresentation of ME college applicants relative to other fields such as MSE, ChemE, BioE, CE, and the range of science degrees, engineering technology, and other related fields.

As for an art or communications majors: If they leave with a great attitude toward STEM activities, we did our job.

Re: Does FIRST only make engineers?
 

Wiley,
While this program appears to favor engineering, we celebrate getting students to think about and attend educational institutions beyond high school. It really doesn't matter what discipline they enter, just that they continue their education. I met one of our former students over the weekend who is a teacher now coaching FLL. Another student now mentoring with WildStang, is an architect. We have had students study biomedical, foreign relations, political science, physical therapy, law, business, art, computer animation, game design, etc.

Re: Does FIRST only make engineers?
 

I agree with what the previous three posters said. I was in FIRST for four years as a student, last year I began to volunteer at events, and this year I'll be volunteering and mentoring my old team. But I'm majoring in History and English hoping to become a high school teacher.

I was never really good at the robot side of things, but at the "other" half of FIRST. But I think that's the really good thing about FIRST. Even though it is an engineering competition at its core, there are skills there that can be applied to practically any field someone could study. Personally, my experience on the team helped me to become outgoing and better at interacting with people, while it also showed me that teaching others is really what I'm good at and love doing.

So no, FIRST doesn't only make engineers. At least one :D

Re: Does FIRST only make engineers?
 

It makes sense that the majority of STEM majors coming out of FRC are engineers or computer science, because those disciplines are directly related to robotics. But one alum from our team is now a chemistry major, and she will likely go on to grad school.

Re: Does FIRST only make engineers?
 

Just in the past couple years we have had students graduate the team and head towards a major in biology, chemistry, industrial design and mathematics. We also have students headed for science-oriented positions in the military.

I'm not sure how much of an outlier our team is, but we certainly seem to have a diverse group of STEM majors leaving our team.

-Brando

Re: Does FIRST only make engineers?
 

There are all sorts of opportunities on a team for someone interested in STEM fields other than engineering to go more in depth. Have you ever stopped to ask how the robot battery works, and how it's different from the battery in your cell phone? That's chemistry. What about material selection - depending on what type of aluminum you're using, it may bend to the shape you want, or trying to bend it might make it snap. That's material science. In building your robot, have you ever had to build a strong, stable structure to mount things to (like a tower for an arm)? Have you ever looked around your build space and said "We need a table to build our robot on", and actually built such a table? That could be a nice entrance into architecture.

What FIRST teaches is a way of looking at the world, of investigating what you could do and how things work. Sure, we all run out every year to solve an engineering problem, but someone with interest will find other STEM fields lurking just below the surface, waiting to be investigated and put to good use.

Re: Does FIRST only make engineers?
 

I am an 8 year veteran of FRC. I have seen accountants, math majors, and marketing people come out of the FIRST. I myself hold a degree in Urban Planning and am getting into the GIS field. All of these people solve problems everyday just like engineers, it is just a different skill set. The FIRST program teaches it all. That's the beauty of it.

Re: Does FIRST only make engineers?
 

I attend WPI and during my freshmen orientation they asked for the students involved with FIRST to raise their hands. With WPI attracting many FIRST grads more then half of the room raised their hands. But this same question was asked to the robotics engineering majors at WPI and less then half of the room raised their hands. I talking with my classmates i believe that the FIRST grads are spread across all the majors offered at WPI. FIRST teaches much more more the Engineering. I am a robotics engineering major but the skills that i value most form first are not technical i value project management and leadership skills over the engineering.

Re: Does FIRST only make engineers?
 

And occasionally there are anomolies like Billfred. For that, we sincerely apologize ;)

Re: Does FIRST only make engineers?
 

I suspect that Billfred is a biological sport, like Calvin O'Keefe -- he has a special gene driving him to change the culture.:)

Re: Does FIRST only make engineers?
 

tl;dr: nope.

Re: Does FIRST only make engineers?
 

I'm a 16 year veteran of FIRST and I'm posting this on my lunch break from an elementary school art classroom.

FIRST does produce students that go into STEM (obviously) but I've always known there's a strong population of people that benefit from the program and go into different fields, like myself.

The program inspired me to want to work with people and students in a way where creative problem solving and working hands on would be constantly happening.

Just as much as we need scientists and engineers to solve problems we have going on in this world we need new, dedicated and enthusiastic educators that will rejuvenate our youth and get them learning hands on. Students get so much screen time and testing preparation that they're hungry for a hands on learning experience where they use tools and get to explore creative problem solving. For me, FIRST was a way of doing that and now as an art teacher I am able to provide that type of quality learning and exploration experience on a daily basis to my students.

I think sometimes the non STEM path of students involved in FIRST is overlooked, but understandably to an extent because of the intent of the program is to get students interested in science and technology. But to all of you non STEM career pursuant out there, I'd be interested to hear what you're doing/what made you decide to take the path you did.

Re: Does FIRST only make engineers?
 

The biggest award in FIRST is decidedly non-engineering.

Our team turns out everything from pharmacists to Air Force Officer Academy personnel to someone I'm fairly certain will end up being in journalism or literature.

I don't think there is a problem.

Re: Does FIRST only make engineers?
 

From a mentoring perspective, I'm not much interested in robotics, but am interested in programs that promote teamwork and problem-solving and leadership skills as well as show opportunities available. So I am back helping for Year 10. It appears there is even a place for the non-engineering people like me. ;)

Be proud of what you are accomplishing, regardless of what the major is. Study hard, make connections like crazy, and try something you don't think you are interested in. College can be a great experience, regardless of the major.

Re: Does FIRST only make engineers?
 

I must say the majority of students go on to study engineering after being involved in FIRST. We have had a very eclectic mix of majors over the years. They include engineering, chemistry, biology, mathematics, computer science, finance, business, and graphic design.

I myself am a business major with a concentration in decision and system sciences, which is statistics and information systems on the business end.

Just my $0.02.

Cass

Re: Does FIRST only make engineers?
 

Try being in the same boat, but instead of industrial design you're going into film :rolleyes:

Do I want to be an engineer? Nope. I hated math in high school. But my time in FIRST has added a whole new view to the way I look at film. I love pirate swashbucklers from the 40's. Those real-sized ships? Someone made those on a soundstage. There was no filming on location. Someone built a pirate ship. Anyone see the new Batman trailer? Bam, Earthquake Machine.

I don't want to be an engineer. I don't want to build pirate ships or earthquake machines. But because of FIRST I realize that it's someone's job to design these things, and that it's pretty darn cool.

Re: Does FIRST only make engineers?
 

FIRST produced an architect right here (although some of that had been decided before I joined FIRST) Regardless, FIRST taught me invaluable lessons about teamwork, time management and the design process in general. I accredit my time in FIRST to my excelling past my peers almost every semester (and the reason I've never even come close to pulling an "all nighter") No matter what major you choose these principles you learn in FIRST will give you a step ahead of everyone else.

Re: Does FIRST only make engineers?
 

This thread makes me smile! :)

I'm a NEM, never was interested in the robot as a mentor on the team, still not interested in the robot even as a FIRST contractor employee.

My background was library science, a career I held for 25 years. But then the Internet became widely accessible and my library focus switched to providing online information. I've been working on websites for over 15 years. It's a technical field, so it's a STEM area, and I have great appreciation for it.

As Ed stated,
And for all of you who are post-high school and interested in non-technical topics, join NEMO! www.firstnemo.org.

Re: Does FIRST only make engineers?
 

a) we need more film. we keep trying to make film and here are a couple of samples:

www.mitfirst.org

Girl Scout Camp

We need MORE good film !!!!!!!!!!!

b) I'm an engineer and the robots don't interest me very much, it what it does to the students that interests me.

Re: Does FIRST only make engineers?
 

I know what you mean by that lol. i'm pursuing degrees in finance and economics, just about the farthest you can get from engineering. Last year when we made up a list of all the majors that people are going into i felt the same way, there was one bio major, but other than that it was all engineering or computer science majors.

surprisingly enough, and its weird to say, FIRST made me realize that i DIDN'T want to be an engineer. When i joined the team my freshman year i was considering becoming an engineer, a thought that stayed with me til the end of my junior year. By the time the end of my first marking period of senior year was done i was sure i was gonna be a finance/econ major, and that I really didnt like engineering.

So, no FIRST does not make just engineers, it allowed me to participate in the other parts of FIRST, the non-technical aspects and made me realize that I wanted to do something involving business in my career

Re: Does FIRST only make engineers?
 

Of our five graduating seniors last year, I was one of two to go into engineering. The remaining three went into liberal arts, German language, and architecture. Most of the graduates from previous years did major in engineering or computer science, but we do have some in other fields.

While participating on my team did sway me towards engineering (and I realize now that music, my previous choice, never would have been a good option for me), it made me realize that business and management isn't all too bad. I definitely know what I would look into if engineering doesn't work out so well for me.

Re: Does FIRST only make engineers?
 

I've known a bunch of art-minded FIRSTers go into Industrial Design, like I did. For some FIRST is a club, for others it's career tryouts. You'll get a mix of everyone all the time.

Re: Does FIRST only make engineers?
 

Honestly, I think this is one of the areas that FIRST does not need to improve in. They get it just right. They provide the program and by drawing in mentors from different professions and fields of interest and expertise, the program is ripe with possibilities and diverse opportunities. The possibilities and opportunities open doors to educational choices and career decisions. When those doors open, the futures of the generations impacted by the FIRST program(s) have a very solid and promising potential for becoming realities. The realities have a very solid and promising potential for strengthening and improving our world as we know it. No, FIRST does not only make engineers - it creates change.

Jane

Re: Does FIRST only make engineers?
 

I think that something unique to FIRST is the availability of engineers for students to talk to. I thought I wanted to be an engineer, after being in FIRST and talking to some of them I realized that engineering is not quite for me.

I instead went on to major in Television Production & Directing at an all art school, where my experience in FIRST helped me understand the business like nature of pitching, producing, and filming television shows.

FIRST shows students that they should get involved with something other than themselves. FIRST students go on to be actively involved in their schools and education though clubs, organizations, and student governments.

I do, however, think that FIRST is lacking in support for students that chose to go into a career path other than engineering. If you are a NEM please reach out to those students and put them in touch with people in the field they wish to go into. FIRST has graduated several successful non-engineers and it is important for students to see that that is an option for them in life.

Now that I am out of college I realize how much STEM education helped me, but when I was in school I was confused as to where it fit into my career choice. So if you have a student that wants to be in television, producing, film, or technical theater please feel free to give them my name for advice.