Dilema...

[aaronbr28040]

When you actually start doing the work it seems like you have been working an hour when you've actually been there for 4 hours. I remember thinking it was a huge time commitment when I first heard about the team at my high school but I never really thought about how much time I put into the team when build season started. It got to the point that I felt that I couldnt spend as much time working on the bot. They had to force me to leave every night.
-Aaron

[Yov]

We actually have couches (kinda) in our robotics class heh

As long as I can tell my classmates that there are less hours involved than originally thought, it's good news.

[Ken Loyd]

Originally Posted by Yov

We actually have couches (kinda) in our robotics class heh

As long as I can tell my classmates that there are less hours involved than originally thought, it's good news.

Yov,

We work on our robot every night after school and on Saturday. We have several students on our team, so we break up the work schedule so that students only work two nights a week and half a day on Saturday. This allows more students to have "hands on" with the robot. It also allows them time for their other classwork. Very few of our students ever suffer "burnout". Most of the time the mentors need to force students to go home.

Ken

Ken

[Tom Bottiglieri]

FIRST is like riding a bike. At first it may seem hard and confusing, but after a few tries you get the hang of it and its smooth sailing from then on out.

[Gamer930]

We also have finals. It normally happens the second week of build. We have a "The shop is closed for finals week" rule. This allows us to stay some what concerted on Finals and not robots.

What we do is quickly come up with what functions want to do. We break up into different groups and do designs and everyone has to have their Bill of Materials in the Sunday of Finals week. A mentor then orders all the parts on Monday and we have the parts Thursday-Friday and start to build on the Saturday. It really never has been a huge problem.

Most of the kids on our team puts in about 120 hours in during the 6 week build period. We do officially 6-9 Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday and 8-4 on Saturday. Toward the end or if we feel behind yes we put in longer hours or extra days.

[Katie Reynolds]

Originally Posted by Tom Bottiglieri

FIRST is like riding a bike. At first it may seem hard and confusing, but after a few tries you get the hang of it and its smooth sailing from then on out.

... Of course, you occasionally fall on your bum, or get a flat tire, but for some reason, you always get back on and ride.

Hey, I like that analogy!

[Testament-Doom]

Originally Posted by Katie Reynolds

... Of course, you occasionally fall on your bum, or get a flat tire, but for some reason, you always get back on and ride.

Hey, I like that analogy!

Well for me, FIRST can't be like riding a bike to me. I can't seem to be able to ride it at all. I have borrible balancing and I get pretty scared when trying to move on a vehicle (other than a car). FIRST has to be something else for me... hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....

[Alex Golec]

30 or so is a great start, especially considering half of them have some mechanical know-how. From my team's history, we started as a garage team with very little funding and a handful of dedicated members. We learn as we go and are not expected to be perfect. FIRST is an excelent program to participate in, considering the amount of knowledge you learn from your own teammates and other teams. Good luck to your team!
_Alex

[Yov]

Well, tommorow's decision day...
Wish me luck!

[Katie Reynolds]

Originally Posted by Yov

Well, tommorow's decision day...
Wish me luck!

Good luck!!!

[Yov]

Well, our teacher kinda worked around the whole voting concept and decided to just do whatever he wanted to do- so we're joining FIRST!
YAY!

[Wetzel]

Welcome!


Wetzel

[RogerR]

Originally Posted by Yov

Well, our teacher kinda worked around the whole voting concept and decided to just do whatever he wanted to do- so we're joining FIRST!
YAY!

congratulations, and welcome to the organization...enjoy these last 54 days of "normal" life.

[Yov]

Enjoy?
I'll be happy when I'm welding at 2 AM and forcing people to work when they don't want to >: )