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Unread 18-08-2008, 15:33
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Martinez Martinez is offline
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AKA: Jeff Martinez
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Team Role: Alumni
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Rookie Year: 2002
Location: Apalachin, NY
Posts: 144
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Re: What Do You Wish You Would Have Known Your Rookie Year?

My first year of FIRST was also my freshman year of college. Its funny how very different I was...

1) Cutting metal will not kill you. I was not a shop guy and had no interest in being a shop guy.
2) Its ok to put students to work, if they are a fooling around to much kick em out of the lab.
3) Don't invest your heart into a project none of the team cares about.

Back then all I was interested in was Design and CAD. So I locked my self in the lab, didn't interact much, only worked on the inventor & animation awards, and never touched the robot. When every thing was said and down, I had a partial finished project that couldn't be submitted. I don't know which then was more discouraging: that it didn't work out or that no seemed to care.

It wasn't until my junior year of college that I made any sort of part. My machining was horrible (still is in fact), but at least was able to help out and feel like I contributed. I even kept a small peice of scrap (with its S-Shaped straight cut) as a momento which is still in my wallet to this day.

Oh and scouting is huge. I've been doing it seven years and don't plan on quiting. There is no doubt in anyones mind on Chuck that we won the Philly Regional twice these past years because of our scouting team and alliance pairing. We even take the extra step of running match results to the drive team then organize our big book by match order. This way the drivers actually have an idea who they are up against (or with), and since typically all they get to see is their match or plan for the next, it becomes a huge advantage.
__________________
Jeff "Martinez" Martinez
Mechanical Engineer with JH Robotics
Clarkson University and Division by Zero Alumni
Former 2053 Tigertronics Mentor and Engineer
Former Chuck 84 Mentor and Engineer
Former Lockheed Martin, VH-71 Program Employee.
Let us never rest till every student has FIRST Rate Opportunities!
Program Proposal: FRC

Last edited by Martinez : 18-08-2008 at 15:38.
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