Poll: FIRST Dean's List - Did you submit?

[Karthik]

With the short time frame presented with newly created FIRST Dean's List Award, I'm wondering how many teams were able to complete nominations and how many of these nominations were up to the team's normal standard of quality. Please take a moment to answer this attached poll. Thanks.

[mathking]

We did submit, but I know that we did not get as broad a collaborative effort as we usually do. The essays were good, but they could have been better with more input and some more time for reflective editing. At least next year we will know ahead of time.

[Akash Rastogi]

Submitted both but the quality was rushed, not because of the time allotted, but because we had to reduce the content down to 4K characters in the time allotted. 6K would have been much better.

[Dancin103]

Originally Posted by Akash Rastogi

Submitted both but the quality was rushed, not because of the time allotted, but because we had to reduce the content down to 4K characters in the time allotted. 6K would have been much better.

I deffinatly agree with you on the 6,000 characters.

[Dancin103]

Just out of curiosity who is going to read this award submission?

[Vikesrock]

We submitted two students but I am not happy with the quality of the essays submitted. They could have been much better with more time. Both the time constraint and the timing (right after build season) of this award were quite bad.

Hopefully everybody will be able to create better submissions next year.

[Tom Bottiglieri]

We submitted for two students. I believe the quality was fine (it doesn't take much to write 4000 characters when you have the kind of kids we do), but unfortunately due to the time constraints it couldn't really be a full team effort.

[John G]

Originally Posted by Akash Rastogi

we had to reduce the content down to 4K characters in the time allotted. 6K would have been much better.

I agree. The essay my mentors submitted was 5k. We had to spend half an hour during lunch, figuring out which stuff to cut out.

[Vikesrock]

The way I've looked at it to avoid driving myself crazy, is that FIRST could have waited until next year to roll out this award. While that would have given many of us a better first impression, it also would have meant that the benefits of the award from this year (recommendations, seminar, entry fee reduction, etc.) would have gone unused.

I would rather these benefits go to students rather than go to waste. While it is true that the time crunch and trouble with submissions may make it so that the most deserving students don't have the best, or even any, shot at winning, I am confidant that the students that do win will still be plenty deserving.

We can either sit around and complain about what could have been, or we can focus on the upside of what we have and move on.

[kjolana1124]

We nominated someone. Yes, it might have been a little rushed, but I'm also very pleased with the submission. The entire team has their fingers crossed to see if this person will win at Hartford! (Well, everyone except aforementioned person, who still doesn't know about the submission...we would love to see the look of surprise on their face if they won! )

[Rich Kressly]

we were definitely rushed .... I am moderately happy with the quality given our time constraints, but know we would have done a little different/better had this come out with the rest of the awards section.

And I will confide seeing this the other day did burn me up a little. Truth is, I have zero time to pay attention to this now - like most teams. We're in the middle of withholding allowance work and packing/taking care of team needs for a week one regional and we've had bad weather hamper all of it this week. I thought I was going to get a little sleep and recover some before we go compete, but then this happened.

By all rights, we should have decided NOT to do this because of the timing and our other needs, but because this was an opportunity to recognize very deserving students we (well I took the brunt of it) sucked it up and got it done.

I'm proud that we were able to do this, I'm glad FIRST wants to recognize students this way, but I'm less than thrilled with the reckless rollout.

[Boydean]

Mine got rolled out last night. Mentors on my team told me that they nominated me, but due to time limits they needed my help to get all the facts straight.

I want to meet the other kids that got nominated. Possibly interesting backgrounds and contributions to the general good health of FIRST.

[Katie_UPS]

Originally Posted by Boydean

I want to meet the other kids that got nominated. Possibly interesting backgrounds and contributions to the general good health of FIRST.

I agree. I hate meeting kids in FIRST who don't "get it", and would love to meet other students to swap stories and the what-not.

[Not2B]

Submitted... quickly put together, but they were good.

I like this award.

And if any of the students see my post here, they will be wondering who we submitted.

[David Brinza]

Originally Posted by Not2B

Submitted... quickly put together, but they were good.

I like this award.

And if any of the students see my post here, they will be wondering who we submitted.

Wouldn't the student who submitted the nominations know?