The relation between Mentor/Student should evolve as your team gains experience.
As dcbrown posted, Failure teaches, sucess just is. Our team is also a rookie team. We finally bonded after the van motor ( my dumb idea
) failed to hold the arm up. Ideas poured out like water and the design by students was on.
I am no longer the sole driving force behind design, and the students have started to assert themselves on the team.
Each team develops at their own pace, depending on needs, personalities, and set goals.
Set the goals, set the design, then build the parts. By then, everyone is on the same page.
Definitely work out the differences before the whole thing becomes a bad experience.