[Stuart]

well as some one who was on a robotics team(I was that student who found all the flaws to your designs then solved them, and said that that alternitive would be "easy to do") and who now is mentoring one(im a college student on a team with no engineers and only 1 real coach Im as close to a mentor as you can get) I kinda have an intresting perspective on this

most of the students your working with are smart . . very smart, they have probly been smarter than their teachers for some time now, and have probly never come across a problem that they could not solve. you may call this arrogence but I say its only that if they cant back it up, and most of them can.

most mentors have gone through college, they have a job in industry and are doing pretty good . . they also are probly smarter then their colleges/bosses, and can usuly solve a problem before it becomes one(admit it youve done this).


the problem become is that you have 2 very smart very confidant people, argueing about their own personal abilitys. and thats what both students and mentors need to realise, that when you argue with each other your really arguing with yourself from 10 years in the feature or past. and your both probly right. the solution to this is respect, for the student remember that your mentor does have experiance behind them and that "getting it working" is a great place to start from, you can then add onall your little whisslebobs after that. and the mentors nead to remember that that student your talking to can do what they say they can, and that paper with fancy writeing/ paper with big numbers doesnt neccicarly make you always right.


and thats my take on it