What I have Learned in FIRST

[BandChick]

Originally Posted by RBrandy

What have you learned during your FIRST years?

I don't think there's a complete answer to this question. One, because I haven't left FIRST yet, and two, because I learned so much that it'd be near impossible to touch on everything FIRST taught me. I will try, because I think some of these experiences incoming freshman are missing out on. I learned the value of a team. 1089 started the season antsy, bossy, and complete individuals, but by the end of build season we had not only developed close friendships, but we were no longer snapping at each other over our disagreements. I learned the value of compromise, and especially that you can't always get what you want.

I learned what friendship really is, and that regardless of where you live or what race and religion you are, FIRST will give you friends, not only nationwide, but worldwide.

I learned your general electronics, mechanics, and a ton of tool names and their uses (because being your semi-geeky girl before this I was limited in my knowledge).

I learned that building a decent fully-functional robot in 6 weeks is acheivable, but hard nonetheless.

I learned that FIRST is about the experience you bring to the table and how you interact with other teams, and because of this, I realized life is too. I learned that gracious professionalism is important on the playing field if not moreso in real life. I've learned that FIRST is a piece of the real world, and it's more than just a game, it's a way of life.

I've learned more from FIRST than I could ever succesfully post in 10,000 characters, and more than I could express in words.

What I learned in FIRST will take me a lifetime to forget.