The subtle disadvantages of being a FIRST Alumni

[Oblarg]

Originally Posted by Andrew Schreiber

If you're bored in college it's your own $@#$@#$@#$@# fault.

I don't entirely disagree with the message, but is this really a constructive way of putting it?

[Ether]

Originally Posted by Oblarg

I don't entirely disagree with the message, but is this really a constructive way of putting it?

Some people need the 2x4.

[pmangels17]

As a freshman myself at Notre Dame, I'm jealous, I wish I was ahead of the class all the time. But more importantly, you should branch out and do something new! I'm in the Notre Dame Marching Band. We have more engineers than any other major (>30%) and we do zero engineering at band, we just play music, have a good time, and do something that a lot of people enjoy.

Obviously band isn't for everyone, but try something completely out of your comfort zone or out of your usual skillset. I'm glad I did, it's a fantastic break from what is usually a day full of quite difficult classes and it's the single coolest thing I've been a part of in my life. All I'm saying is, there is always an opportunity to fall in love with something new, you just have to go for it. (And by it, I mean something not directly related to robotics or at the very least you're particular strongsuit in robotics)

[Michael Hill]

Also, I'll go out on a limb and suggest NOT doing robotics in college. Branch out and find something new for a while like Formula SAE (if your school has it), Ribe Goldberg, or even non-STEM organizations. College is a time where you can really grow as a person. You finally have an opportunity to be out on your own without supervision. Looking back after being out of college for a few years now, I really wish I made better use of my time in college...as in making more friends, getting into a bit more trouble (but not too much of course), etc. You will likely never be surrounded with such a variety of types of people again, so take advantage of it. I currently work in an office full of introverted engineers. I sure miss the variety of people.

[AlecMataloni]

Do I see a first semester freshman complaining about how engineering school isn't challenging? That's precious!

[MaxMax161]

The only excuse for being bored is incompetence or laziness. Smart, motivated people find things to do and problems to solve. It's a contradiction for both these statements to be true:

Originally Posted by faust1706

(I'm) Bored out of my mind

Originally Posted by faust1706

I am too far ahead of my peers.

If none of this makes sense I'd suggest the solution Ether proposed.

Keep that in mind. :-P

[Chadfrom308]

I know how you feel sometimes. It's not a bad thing, but sometimes challenges are too easy. I joined the Formula SAE team, which is a lot like robotics in many ways, but different and more difficult in a good way. I am sure your school has one, I would check it out. And since I am on Formula SAE, I get to use the machine shop for 'Formula SAE things only'

Anyways, story time.

We had to create a Lego NXT robot in our engineering 100 class, and that was fun, but also wayy to easy. We had to make one that followed a line (line sensor and a variant of a P-loop), pick up a ball, and put in in a bucket.

I ended up throwing away all the code, and used PID loops on both the drivetrain and the arm. I ended up doing all the work on the robot, but I didn't mind the least bit. And needless to say, our (my) robot was the best by far

And you can tell the FIRST robotics kids from the other (as one of the programmers on my team says) plebs (plebeians). The FIRST kids excel at pretty much everything.

[BBray_T1296]

Originally Posted by Chadfrom308

I know how you feel sometimes. It's not a bad thing, but sometimes challenges are too easy. I joined the Formula SAE team, which is a lot like robotics in many ways, but different and more difficult in a good way. I am sure your school has one, I would check it out. And since I am on Formula SAE, I get to use the machine shop for 'Formula SAE things only'

Anyways, story time.

We had to create a Lego NXT robot in our engineering 100 class, and that was fun, but also wayy to easy. We had to make one that followed a line (line sensor and a variant of a P-loop), pick up a ball, and put in in a bucket.

I ended up throwing away all the code, and used PID loops on both the drivetrain and the arm. I ended up doing all the work on the robot, but I didn't mind the least bit. And needless to say, our (my) robot was the best by far

And you can tell the FIRST robotics kids from the other (as one of the programmers on my team says) plebs (plebeians). The FIRST kids excel at pretty much everything.

In our MechE "100" class we had to do similar. Our robot had to follow a line on non-flat terrain, pick up some small PVC pipes, carry them through a tight tunnel, and dump them off. Our group (randomly assigned of course) consisted of entirely FRC and FTC alum by chance. We were given something like the last 5 weeks of the semester to build the robot (2x1hr classes per week). We finished on day 2, got our 100, and were done for the semester.

[EricH]

Seeing as we're going there... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hG9tZ9O60dA

For reference, the rest of the competition was somewhat larger and took somewhat longer (the ones that didn't have to be picked up mid-run or nudged back on-course). I'm not aware of any other FIRSTers in the class, though. (The team I was on had one ME, one EE, and one computer engineer/computer scientist.)

[Billfred]

A couple of thoughts from someone ten years removed from his freshman year:

1) Beware boredom early on, since it's possible you'll get a rude awakening. Diversify, but keep it where you can ditch the extra stuff if you have to.
2) You are the composite average of the five people you spend the most time with. If they're motivated and excited, you will be. If they're broke lazy bums, you will be.
3) I'd definitely advise you to go beyond your major. I have a marketing degree, but I took the CAD course out of USC's MechE department anyway and minored in media arts. So ignoring the fact that I'm horribly rusty in both fields, I could CAD the robot and shoot and edit the reveal video. Odd tools like that make you a better prospect down the road.
4) Hang on to the oddball stuff you grab out of boredom. In the summer of 2007, I had a long layover in Washington, DC at Union Station. That day, Chevrolet just happened to have the Volt concept on display there. This was pre-iPhone (for me anyway), pre-free-WiFi-everywhere, and I didn't really have time to go enjoy the city proper...so bored me pulled out my point-and-shoot and gave the car as much of a photo shoot as one can when one's not allowed to touch. Ten months later, as fate would have it, I applied for a job at a GM dealer--and those photos went in the portfolio. Sure enough, got the job.

[Andrew Schreiber]

Originally Posted by Oblarg

I don't entirely disagree with the message, but is this really a constructive way of putting it?

Seriously?

Look through the 3k or so posts I've got on here, there's only a handful of times that appears. Go on, I'll be here when you get done checking. Back? Ok, EVERY time it's to emphasize a point. So, yes, not only did I view it as a CONSTRUCTIVE way of putting it, I viewed it as a point in need of emphasis in that manner.

[Michael Hill]

Also, if you're bored, go to the gym and lift.

[Oblarg]

Originally Posted by Andrew Schreiber

Seriously?

Look through the 3k or so posts I've got on here, there's only a handful of times that appears.

What does this have to do with anything, at all? I'm not talking about your previous posts, I'm talking about that post.

So, yes, not only did I view it as a CONSTRUCTIVE way of putting it, I viewed it as a point in need of emphasis in that manner.

I think we have differing views on what constitutes "constructive." I don't imagine many people at all are going to react positively to that, moreover, it comes across as rather unpleasant and juvenile.

[Jared Russell]

A big fish stops growing unless he finds a bigger pond.

[Swan217]

Come back once you've:

Built a college radio station from the ground up
Saved a robotics team from collapsing
Mentored a robotics team that became world champs
DJed multiple semiformals, campus events, and robotics competitions
Established a FRC Kickoff at your college
Built a FRC field for Kickoff, paving the way for them to build a community Robotics Center
Served on an offseason competition planning committee
Done 4 years of co-op including a thesis
Joined Greek Life

I was once a cocky freshman too, and it took the whole 4 years and then some to realize my limitations. If college isn't challenging enough for you, you're doing it wrong. You want a real challenge - do a suicide double-major, like Mechanical / Electric. Or just coast & see how little the "real" world is impressed by your coasting through college.