QotW [4-27-03]: Colleges and FIRST Teams

[Madison]

In last week's question, it was revealed that a lot of teams use post-season competitions to train their newest members and to show them first-hand what a FIRST competition is like.

This week, I'd like to examine what happens to students once they graduate from high school and move on to college.

Question 4-27-03: How much of an impact will FIRST have upon the decisions you make regarding college or university? Will you only attend a school that is already involved in FIRST? Will you help start a team at a school that isn't yet involved?

Dean's homework has been consistant over the past few years. He's asked us to carry FIRST with us as we move into college or university. So, let's find out what FIRST's retention really is and if we're spreading FIRST to new colleges and universities, or if we're staying involved by attending colleges with the program already in place.

(Edit: My PC said it was midnight when I posted this. Honest.)

[Cory]

Im starting to look at colleges and whether or not they have a team is definitely a factor. A couple of my top schools right now are in that position because they have teams. If a school I go to doesnt have a team, I would probably join a local team, or a rookie team as a mentor.

Cory

[Mike Schroeder]

Like cory, i would have to say that If i goto a school that doesnt have a team, they will have one by the time i am done, i dont know how i could live w/o a team of my very own

[Kristina]

As great as an impact FIRST had on me, I picked college on other factors. Of course I came to UCLA very idealistic of starting a team but I tried working with engineering clubs and I learned that they are very flaky and I was invovled with many other things (and now amassing a huge pile of schoolwork) so forming a team alone was unrealistic. I kind of gave up hope and just helped out where I could with my old team 691 (1/2 hour away) and found other ways to get involved like ref'ing at SCRFF. At LA I found a old team that has told me that they are falling apart, near LA, and would love help. We'll see I can put something together, I would love to mentor a team in need next year. So that's where I am now.

Moral of the story: Even if forming a team because your college doesn't have one is a lot harder than it appeared to be, you can still find other ways to help out and things usually fall into place in the long run so don't lose hope!

[Courtney]

My college decision was definatly based on my experiences with FIRST. Junior year of high school I attended a summer robotics camp there and fell in love with both the school and the atmosphere. I've heard many wonderful things about team 190 and cant wait to be there next year. So yea, the fact that they had a team was a big part of my choice

-Courtney

[Ashley Weed]

when I began my search.... I had no idea what I was doing.. all of my first ten schools or so I checked out were scratched off my list for various reasons.... once I finally knew what I was looking for... I narrowed it down to Olin, WPI, Drexel, PSU, Daniel Webster, and Mansfield... Olin, WPI, Drexel, and Daniel Webster all have team affiliation, and Mansfield and PSU I would be able to be involved with teams.. or stay with my own team.

When all said and done... I have choosen PSU W-B.... and I am planning on working with 222.

For me, FIRST made a big impact on choosing my school.

[Madison]

Originally posted by weedie
When all said and done... I have choosen PSU W-B.... and I am planning on working with 222.

Just to clarify - is that Pennsylvania State University at Wilkes-Barre?

[Randi267]

A college with a FIRST team definitely was not a requirement for me to choose the school; however, in the end it was pretty much the deciding factor. I think that dedicated high school FIRSTies who apply to schools already associated with FIRST sets them apart from the other applicants, and the university makes that much more of an effort to seek YOU out. After Houston was over (quite the emotionally draining experience), I visited Wellesley to help in my decision making process, and I spoke to people about FIRST. Most were either oblivious to its existence or did not really have much of an interest. I knew that any attempt to start a team there would probably be in vain, and I realized that I needed FIRST to be a key part of my college experience. Cornell will allow me to keep in touch w/ my high school FIRST memories while making new ones. So I guess my only advice if attempting to start a team at a school, is make sure there is some kind of interest. The liberal arts atmosphere is not really much of a place for a FIRST team anyways...Yay team 639!

[Melissa Nute]

Having a FIRST team at the college I choose will be a major factor.
In fact most of the colleges on my list have first teams - WPI, RIT, RPI, Northeastern, Boston Uni, Georgia Tech, Clarkson. I know that some of the colleges I am applying dont like Rice, UF, and Tufts.
In the end, it will come down to which schools are involved in FIRST, and then which one I can afford the best.

[srawls]

When I was visiting colleges last year, I found myself talking to the Chair of Computer Engineering at Virginia Tech. She asked me the standard questions (tell me about you, why do you like engineering, etc.), so of course I started talking about FIRST. She then went in the back room and said "Hold on one moment." She came out with a free 401 t-shirt, and gave it to me! Unbeknownst to me, this lady was involved with the FIRST team at VT. Well, at that point in time I didn't really want to go to VT, but that was certainly a positive expirience that made me look favorably on them. I had wanted to go to Carnaige Mellon University (because they have a robotics institutue, and you can even minor in robotics), but I ended up deciding to go to VT based on money.

To asnwer the question--the existence of a FIRST team is definately a big plus, but if need be, I would help start a team if my college didn't have one.

Stephen

[Amanda Morrison]

Excellent question, M. Here's my story (hopefully not typical):

When I came to Ball State University, I did not know anything about the school itself FIRST-wise, except that it did not have a team. It was only after I got here that I realized that BSU also had no engineering program whatsoever. The only thing it did have was a good technology program and a couple very dedicated on-campus high school students that had previously been on teams. I tried to get Ball State faculty involved (our one professor that agreed to help the team and was very interested in the team stopped taking my phone calls after a while) and we've been interviewed by the BSU newspaper, but they just aren't interested. If I tell anyone about the team, they are always amazed that BSU even has a team.

Our high school students tried to get the team started last year, to no avail. They were told by most of their teachers that the idea was impossible and that they would never get a team started. (Great encouragement there.)

Now that we have the team started, it has been a constant personal struggle to maintain passing grades in my classes, have some kind of family life, and still attend FIRST events, activities, and meetings. After a lot of tears and deliberation (and some early morning conversations with the great Ken Leung), I realized that FIRST has completely overtaken my life, schoolwork, and I simply can't afford all of that responsibility. I found that more and more students will be coming to BSU next year that are interested in the team, and wonderful Josh Hambright from 461 decided that he would be a 'travelling mentor' and would help out team 1020 on weekends during the build season. I announced to my team about two weeks ago that after IRI, I wouldn't be returning as a mentor, but if anything only a spectator. I'm still uneasy with the situation, but I think it is my only option at this point.

When M. and a couple CD cohorts came up with the spectacular idea of freelanceFIRST, I thought, "This is something I can help with that won't completely take over my life and something I can help with from good old BSU." I'm hoping that freelanceFIRST will be something that I can really work with and adapt to. My school year this year is pretty much shot, so let's hope that freelancing can bring up my grades a bit.

All right, there you go. A long and boring account of my personal college team experiences - fun, huh?

[gsensel]

The status of First at us nonexistent, and when I first chose the school I really was not thinking about changing it because I am a biology major. Now after meeting a kid from Cleveland, OH, area during a fire drill (I was wearing a first shirt and he started talking to me about it) we have made it our mission to get a team started here before we graduate.

[nickma]

A big part of the reason I came to Clarkson was that it had a FIRST team, plus I got a FIRST scholarship from the school which also helped in my decision, but there was still more. Before coming to Clarkson I was on 190 (WPI) as a high school student and I a great time with those guys.

Some of my reasons for attending Clarkson where
I wanted to attend a school that wasn't 2 miles from my house.
I like the way the classes where structured.
It has many different extra-curricular activities.
It was in my price range.

My advice when choosing a school is:
Visit the school to see what the campus is like, what the professors and like, how the classes are structured and what the students are like.
See what extra-curricular activities (other than FIRST) they have. Many engineering schools have teams, for example we have and Indy Car, Baja Car, Solar Car, Steel Bridge etc. I was very close to trying something different, which I will probably do in the future.
Apply for as many different scholarships as you can. I did not take advantage of this and I regret not doing this. I only looked at the FIRST scholarships. Do apply for those but still look else where for more so the school can fit in your price range.

Also I will say other than the fact I can't be on stage driving, being a mentor is more enjoyable, educational, and rewarding.

[Ashley Weed]

Originally posted by M. Krass
Just to clarify - is that Pennsylvania State University at Wilkes-Barre?

yup that is correct

[Jeff Waegelin]

Well... I never really made FIRST part of my decision process for college. I chose University of Michigan because of the good engineering program, nothing else. There are a few teams in the Ann Arbor area, so if I get the urge, I may help one of them. It's not my primary goal, though. There's a lot more to do at college, and I'm planning on helping with freelanceFIRST and another interesting project my team is starting (more to come later on that). I'll be busy with FIRST stuff regardless, so I'm not worried too much about being directly involved with a team.