[Libby K]

Originally Posted by DevenStonow

(snipped)

I was told today, by a fellow college student (albeit one who is going for his postbaccalaurete/masters; his first degree in engineering) that, as opposed to mentoring a FIRST team in college (which I plan on) I should "do something real with my life, like SailBot"(or concrete canoe or Baja SAE or one of the many other engineering extracurriculars my school offers).

(snip)

Outside of the idea of being a mentor (in the educational/inspirational sense) what does mentoring a FIRST team in college have that other college extracurriculars don't?

I don't like the way he said it, but ...

I think when he said 'something real' he probably meant something DIFFERENT. Having new experiences is a really good thing. That doesn't make FIRST any less of a real, valuable, and enriching experience, but the idea of doing 'something else' with your time while you have so many opportunities in front of you isn't a bad suggestion.

I mentored in college, and continue to mentor as a graduate student. However, I always make sure to have some 'me' time to do something that interests me that ISN'T FIRST. (Yes, somehow it's possible that something in my life isn't connected to FIRST). Having a diverse set of experiences and new things to draw from is a very good thing.

Make sure you have a 'you' outside of FIRST. This community will be here when you get back. It's perfectly okay not to stay hyper-involved during your college years.