How do you manage homework and robotics?

[legolas52]

I am a straght A student, and I'm joining robotics. We are going to be at robotics from after school to about 10:00. How do you guys manage robotics with other E.Cs, and homework.

[Leo 1529]

Originally Posted by legolas52

I am a straght A student, and I'm joining robotics. We are going to be at robotics from after school to about 10:00. How do you guys manage robotics with other E.Cs, and homework.

i get out at about the same time but im also in track and academic decathalon. I try to get all of my homework done during class or lunch so i dont have to worry about it

[Steve Howland]

It's tough, I'm not gonna lie. I generally lose a lot of sleep during the build season to try and keep my grades up. Sometimes it comes down to choosing one or the other, team vs. school. I simply try to do homework whenever I have spare time. If I can get something done between classes or early in the morning, I use it to my benefit.

Also utilize the weekends, or whenever your team takes a day off, to your advantage. Read a few chapters ahead, do the lab report, and ask your teacher what's coming up next week. If you don't have a day or two off to stay caught up in schoolwork and you feel your grades slipping, try to request a night off from robotics to catch up.

Remember your priorities and the necessary things you have to do in life (i.e. school) but also know that FIRST may ultimately be just as important, or perhaps more so, in the long run. Don't let robotics ruin your report card, but don't let the fear of a B ruin your opportunity to learn amazing things and have terrific once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

[santosh]

Slack 1st period class. Doing hw doing the 20 min. lunch period we have and just plain old staying up late. And not screwing around while I do my hw.

[Alex Burman]

Our team has meetings twice a week going from 4-7pm I try and squeeze in what I can in the meeting and recently the teachers have really been piling it on and I have just been forced to stay up till around 12, 1, 2 am doing Homework before my parents say enough is enough your going to bed.

[mikeday51]

My team and I honetly dont manage homework and robotics all that well. We usually do all of the homework from the robotics season just before the quarter ends as late work. Usually at the time the robot gets shipped out the majority of our grades are pretty close to failing. Not a good method at all but its how we do.

[Andrew Blair]

A half of a study block helps, but as for studying for our finals tommorrow, I'm screwed. And I went home early today...

[phrontist]

You'll probably get a few responses to the effect of:

School is much more important!!!1!!! Don't skimp!!! Oh noooes!

What it really comes down to is your priorities. Choose them now and stick to your guns, or you'll be caught in a hellish limbo. This is not to say you can't have both, but there very well could be instances where you are forced to choose, and it's best to do so now while you have your wits about you.

[Rickertsen2]

I never mastered this one. My grades drop alot during robotics.

[Damelvin]

I am on animation and the only one doing it so it is hard to manage the 2, since you spend many late nights working on the animation. Also, since finals is tomorrow through Friday, our team is going to do anything till Friday and the on Friday we are going to build the robot with the parts coming in.

[Billfred]

I suppose that having no Friday classes helps for me.

Seriously, though, to get the job done, I trim back on other things. I may skip a sub opportunity for WUSC, or miss a meal at Preston dining. By putting the cuts in the stuff other than academics, it lets me do everything just about right for academics.

I'm betting on a vastly improved spring over last year, between taking 15 hours (as opposed to 16--darn lab sciences) and having some simpler classes.

[kenz9000]

Ahhh... perfect solution. DONT DO IT! hahaha nothing is more important that FIRST! gracious professionalism will get you further than A's!

[Stephen P]

It helps being a second semester senior.

[SirLancelot]

I don't know if you're in high school or college, but it seems to be easier once one's in college. There are more odd blocks of free time.
Last year, I managed to get my homework done only by staying up late/early and blasting loud music to keep myself awake....this may be why I looked totally exhausted/perpetually stoned...You may just find that you can take off a good 4 hours on a given workday (saturday, weeknight) where you get all caught up on work and ahead of the game, if possible. Or just bring your work to robotics and work on it in any moment you have off. I think you'll simply have to chose which is more important to you. Another thing, even if you slip a little (like, to a 'B" average), a cumulative semester exam and a really good fourth quarter could totally save you. I didn't find it that difficult to keep straight 'A's, but everything depends on how important sleep is to you. Good luck!!

~Anna

[devicenull]

I don't get much homework this year, which I am happy about. In the previous years.. If I had to choose homework or robotics, I chose robotics. It's taught me a lot more then I could have ever learned in school, so I have no problems with it. It also helps that I can get a B+ average without studying, and doing my homework right before class, so..

You have to decide which is more important to you, grades or robotics.