Starting a college team

[ngreen]

Originally Posted by Paradox1350

I'm heading off to Tufts next year, and plan on starting a team there. I already know how hard it is to start and run a FIRST team. I founded, and ran, mine. We had barely any adult support. I honestly DO know what I'm getting into.

Honestly, the thing I'm most worried about is finding a high school that is interested. Intersted, motivated, and dtermined high school students make al lthe difference. Trust me when I say adults, machining tools, and money beyond $8000 is completely irrelevant. I can say this because we (#1350) only used $8000, had no mentor for a few weeks, had nothing more than hack saws and hand drills, and barely any engineer input.

Really, you need determined high school students. That's the hardest thing to find. Companies throw their wallets at you once they know what you're doing, and just like 1396 demenstrated AT the Championship: there's always a way to get a robot built.

True. But you can't be that dedicated high school student. I need teachers because I'm in a different town and not well aquainted with the high school students here. I want that high schooler but I need the teacher first unless a high schooler who is in FIRST want to transfer to a school in Manhattan, Kansas (e-mail me if you do) I need a dedicated teacher to get students. They may not be inspired off the bat. I don't think I was completely inspire until really after my first regional. Yeah I did a lot and spent a lot of hours researching it but thats because I'm an engineering type and like to know everything. I think starting a team as a college student is a lot harder than starting one as a high school student because you can't be that dedicated student and without students there is no team. But I applaud everyone who is that dedicated mentor because that takes so much and they don't even let you drive the robot (except at night after all the kids have gone home).