[nerdrock101]

I took a complete break from FIRST for my first three years of college. Would not recommend...

But! In some ways, it was really nice when I finally did go back and mentored my old high school team. It was a very smooth transition to being familiar with a few members of the team, but not so much to make the mentor/student situation awkward. I found that some alumni who came back to mentor their first year fell into the trap of being "just one of the guys" and not setting a good example for the students.

I highly recommend volunteering, but it's not for everyone. If you don't think it'd be a good fit for you, then definitely mentor. In the end, as it's been said over and over, time management is huge.