The subtle disadvantages of being a FIRST Alumni

[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.

[PayneTrain]

Originally Posted by Oblarg

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

[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.

[Michael Hill]

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

[MARS_James]

Speaking from experience I feel for you. I actually got into my first choice of University, and chose to go to the local community turned state college to save money. I was BORED more BORED then I ever have been in my entire life. I was like some people on here and my arrogance and intelligence coming out of FIRST allowed me to cost through my AA degree. I also got a rude awakening upon transferring into an accelerated Master's Degree program (which I am still in), let me be the one to tell you, use these moments of being bored to read up on the classes you plan on heading into if you don't want to/can't do extracurriculars. This will help you in the long run.

I also feel your statement several alumni and friends have started pursuing engineering degrees and switched, but as you said statistics don't lie(which if you take a stats class you would know how wrong that statement is) the number of major switches in comparison to the population as a whole is shockingly less.


On another note:

Originally Posted by jee7s

But, a question to ask yourself: Can you explain how the fact that the divergence of a 4 dimensional anti-symmetric rank 2 tensor equals zero means that there is light? Can you explain why a square pulse in the time domain equals something like sin(w)/w in the frequency domain? Can you explain why a single pendulum is well governed by algebra, but a double pendulum is chaotic? Can you explain why a curve ball curves, in a mathematical sense?

Thank you for supplying me with some great questions that I used to be able to answer and will now be spending some time beating myself up for forgetting then being proud of myself once I remember

[Laaba 80]

I actually had the complete opposite experience. I spent 9 years as a student hearing how far ahead FIRST was putting me, and I started to believe it. Once I got to college I realized I wasn't ahead at all.

[AlecMataloni]

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

[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.

[Allison K]

Originally Posted by Laaba 80

I actually had the complete opposite experience. I spent 9 years as a student hearing how far ahead FIRST was putting me, and I started to believe it. Once I got to college I realized I wasn't ahead at all.

A new mentor (no prior FIRST experience) pointed this out almost immediately after becoming involved in the program and I was a bit flabbergasted that I had never noticed. It's shocking how often the message in speeches is "FIRST kids are special because they are in FIRST" and not "FIRST kids are special because they work hard" or some variation on the value of work ethic. Since that was pointed out to me I've been very careful with how I word messages to my students to make sure that I'm emphasizing that on our team we value working hard, not just having FIRST on a resume.

[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.

[RyanCahoon]

It sounds like you had a fantastic mentor on your FIRST team. In addition to the great suggestions already given for ways to challenge yourself, I would suggest finding a mentor at your university. I would suggest a grad student or post doc as they're usually not as busy as professors, but seek out professors if you can't find a grad student that you respect.

It's great to get advice from online forums, but developing a longterm relationship with a mentor will give you someone who knows your position and progress and can give more specific suggestions what to pursue next. They'll also be a excellent letter of recommendation when you apply for grad school or a job.

[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

[magnets]

What a weird disadvantage. You've taken advantage of a great opportunity and you've worked hard, and as a result, you currently know more than people who've never studied engineering.

I honestly struggle to see how this is a disadvantage. If the courses are really too easy, ask somebody if you can take harder classes. Could you sit down and take the final for the class you're in right now, and get an A? If so, ask to take another class.

[EricH]

Sooner or later, you WILL get a wakeup. There's a reason I took 5 years to graduate college, and that reason wasn't my first year. It was my second year.

See, in the first year, most colleges like to get the general stuff out of the way. By the second year, you've still got some of the general stuff (but it'll be spread-able through your remaining time), but you'll start getting your major-specific courses. Or should I say, your major-specific "Weeder" courses--the type of courses that if you pass 'em, you should have a relatively simple time the rest of the way (and the concepts will stay with you), but if you don't pass 'em, you may want to think about your career path. (Don't forget to retake those courses!)

In my case, I hit Dynamics, Intro to Solid Mechanics, and Diff. Eq., 'long about the second semester of my second year. The only course I passed that semester was Physics II (and its lab). Insert retakes, and another year in college. I did manage to make my escape eventually, just not in the 4 years I wanted to.

So, just like everybody else: Go find something to do that ISN'T programming/robotics, and then go find something that challenges you in the programming realm. I hear some helicopters and quadcopters want to be programmed to find their way through mazes (don't remember the competition, though)--that oughta keep you busy for a couple years or so.