[Liz Smith]

My advice is to be at a lot of meetings, listen, and watch. Ask questions about something until you're able to explain that thing to someone else.

Looking at successful robots is a great way to learn about the different options there are for building a robot. I would suggest also looking at some of the less successful robots as well. Figure out why robot A is more successful than robot B. Maybe they decided to use acrylic sheets instead of lexan to protect components, but quickly realized upon impact it shatters all over the field. You can learn from their mistakes without actually making the mistake yourself.

Don't be afraid to ask your mentors and teammates questions. At competition, don't be afraid to ask other teams questions, most are more than willing to explain components.