[JesseK]

I've sat on my thoughts for this, and think I'm ready to give some input.

FIRST is about inspiration, yes. College FIRST should be about intrinsically inspiring individuals, not a society. Typically, students who would choose to do a FIRST challenge in college have already chosen the path that FIRST's message wants them to take, so FIRST in college with all of the high school mentality is like preaching to the choir.

In college it's time to face the real world, including actual failures that lead to loss. In high school the mentors told them failure is ok; in college it's the same, yet students should at least mature to understand the risk in endeavor. Take the training wheels off and force the students to get GOOD at what they're trying to do in the most technical sense possible. This is how FIRST in college could inspire an individual.

Any bonus points should come from a business plan for the design of the robot that the team comes up with. The rest are frivolous intermediary awards that serve no purpose for a college that's in the business of pushing engineering students to their technical limits.