[boomergeek]

"I cannot begin to explain how much mentors building the bot disgusts me. "

I think such a sentiment is real for some. It would be interesting to explore actually why.

Does a novice student have a better experience if they only work side-by-side with expert students and not expert mentors?

I think expert students get a dramatic ego boost out of FIRST. The question is: does that ego boost go up or go down if mentors are added side-by-side to the mix of expert and novice students?

Some teams do not have students that have been building items long before they joined FIRST. Some teams have exceptional students that have been fabricating mechanical and computer marvels since grade school. When mentors are side-by-side with these exceptional students, these students are no longer just comparing themselves to other students- they are being stretched to consider their work to experienced engineers. They are getting an understanding of professional engineering.

The resent of mentors working side-by-side with students can come come many quarters. If mentors are not vigilant, they can dominate and squash the students' feelings of ownership and contribution. I can imagine urban legions about a team using all the students as drones for the pleasure of the mentors, but I have yet to observe one.

Some people get a greater thrill of accomplishment when they have done it with as little help as possible. FIRST is not about getting as little help as possible - In fact, it's the opposite- the goal is have to make you feel obligated to thank as many people as possible for helping you in ways that you didn't really think you needed or even considered that you could use help. And that's true if you are a student or a mentor.