[Anupam Goli]

I've been reading some similar threads for the past few days (i spend too much time on this site), and a big difference in this thread and the others is that OP is not attacking a team, but is more curious. yes, this is beating a dead horse, but it's nice to see curiosity rather than jealousy.

Know this OP: If you're inspired enough that you want to make those extra steps to win, you'll have to realize that students don't have all of the answers, and it takes years of studying and experience to even understand a fraction of the answers to any year's game. For this reason, it's important to have mentors. Mentors show you the steps to becoming competitive, which is an inspiring process for all. They'll show you how to design, how to go about doing iteration, and how to continue to engineer your dreams. Don't shun them.

It's up to you and your team mates, but also your mentors to decide how to handle relations among each other. You as a student want to design a solution, and the Mentors want to guide you to whichever solution you choose. Talk with them and discuss how your team wants to go about finding and implementing the solution for this year's game. Just remember that different teams have different methods. You'll find that most of the famous teams boast more than a handful of mentors, and this is because the students and mentors want the relationship to be like this, and both parties find this to be inspiring.