A survey for FIRST Robotics Students

[Taylor1083]

Please answer all questions if you can. Please only answer the survey one time.

1. How has Robotics prepared you for life after high school?
2. Is there one specific technical skill you learned in robotics you think you will use in life later on?
3. What are some workplace skills you learned while being on a robotics team?
4. Given the Following list, list each skill by order of importance.
Planning,Compromise,Being open to the ideas of others, Delegation, and Commitment
5. What was the most difficult part of being on a robotics team?
6. What was the most important part of being on a robotics team to you?
7. Do you think it is important that there be Robotics teams in the future? Why or Why not?
8. Besides financial aid what effects do sponsors have on robotics teams?
9. What makes a good mentor?

[sanddrag]

1. Most definitely
2. Machining and CAD
3. Presentation making, defending arguments, teamwork
4. 2. Planning, 5. Compromise, 4. Being open to the ideas of others, 3. Delegation, and 1. Commitment
5. GTaking a break to eat, I liked it so much I would rather work. I just couldn't stop.
6. Dedication.
7. Absolutely, there is no better way to prepare students for entry into a technically oriented career. In FIRST you learn things that they just don't teach in school, even in college sometimes.
8. Sponsors give teams the drive to compete harder.
9. A good mentor will not do everything, nor not do nothing. He/she she strikes the difficult balance. Must actively help students, but not do it for them. Must be open to students ideas, but still suggest some of their own. Everything about being a mentor requires "some _____ (insert anything) but not too much" Must be very committed to the team, attend lots of meetings, get students excited about the project.

Now do I get my free computer for completing the survey? Do I have to e-mail it to 50 of my friends?

[Arefin Bari]

1. How has Robotics prepared you for life after high school?

- Robotics has given me a life. When I was a freshman, I had no clue what I wanted to do. But FIRST has give me that answer that I have been asking for the whole life.

2. Is there one specific technical skill you learned in robotics you think you will use in life later on?

- I learned a lot of mechanical aspects of engineering. Starting from designing/manufacturing a gearbox, to a whole robot. Thanks to Andy Baker and John V Neun for sticking with me and making me learn these.

3. What are some workplace skills you learned while being on a robotics team?

- My team was sponsored by Motorola. It's very cool to watch how engineers work in a team, divide the jobs up. Basically their discipline.

4. Given the Following list, list each skill by order of importance.
Planning,Compromise,Being open to the ideas of others, Delegation, and Commitment

- Everybody has some kind of talent to offer to the team. First comes planning, where you plan out your whole season, what makes you a perfect team. A lot of compromise, for me it was sleep, and a lot of times away from family/friends. Since my freshman year, I lost my sleep in the January-June frame. Every idea is an idea, let one express themselves, work with it, use the best idea. My commitment to the team was 100% I should say. I never missed a meeting, even I was there nights after nights working on the robot. I love SigmaC@t.

5. What was the most difficult part of being on a robotics team?

- To learn how to work with a team. But now I think, the outcome of working in a team is a lot better.

6. What was the most important part of being on a robotics team to you?

- My commitment to the team to be there on time and work on the robot, as well as in any other field (electrical, marketting, chairmans) the team would need me. Also I can't forget about the friends, I have gained a lot of friends in FIRST.

7. Do you think it is important that there be Robotics teams in the future? Why or Why not?

- It is very important, because a team shows you what you have to deal with in real life and what you would deal with in future.

8. Besides financial aid what effects do sponsors have on robotics teams?

- The sponsors also provided engineers who helped us solving many problems.

9. What makes a good mentor?

- Personally, I think a good mentor is who stands back and watch the students work. Only steps up when we need help.

[rufu5]

1. How has Robotics prepared you for life after high school?

Robotics for me is far more than just building a robot. I have gained invaluable leadership skills through FIRST. I have also learned the art of networking with others.

2. Is there one specific technical skill you learned in robotics you think you will use in life later on?

The grounding I have aquired in electronics will follow with me for the rest of my life (since I plan on being a electrical engineer).

3. What are some workplace skills you learned while being on a robotics team?

I have learned how to work in specalized groups (electronics, programming, mechanical, etc) and the skills it takes to work between those groups.

4. Given the Following list, list each skill by order of importance.
Planning,Compromise,Being open to the ideas of others, Delegation, and Commitment

Commitment
Being open to the ideas of others
Planning
Delegation (I think you mean "The act of delegating")

5. What was the most difficult part of being on a robotics team?

The time commitment.

6. What was the most important part of being on a robotics team to you?

For me, the people I have met, the connections, and the life long friendships I have made are by far the most important fo being on a robotics team.

7. Do you think it is important that there be Robotics teams in the future? Why or Why not?

YES! It would be selfish to not try and promote and help future robotics teams be them FRC, FLL, VEX, BEST, BBIQ, etc

8. Besides financial aid what effects do sponsors have on robotics teams?

They help tie you into the community, help mold your teams personality, and very importantly they give you someone to answer too.

9. What makes a good mentor?

Man, I would live to write an essay sized response, but I am trying to keep my answers short and too the point, because no one likes a ginormous post.

A good mentor is someone who passes on not only technical knowledge, but life long lessons and skills. A good mentor will not hold your hand, but give you tools, then throw you in the fire, and just when you are about to give up, too frustrated to continue, will teach you a parable that you can relate to life, then tell you what you did wrong, how to do it right, then set you back on your way.

(this is a really good survey, if its ok, im am going to steal it and give it to my team members)

[Bcahn836]

1. It has shown me my true passion in engineering and technology.
2. Systems Integration.
3. Team work, leadership, responsibility, organization, and gracious professionalism.
4. Commitment, planning, Compromise, Being open to the ideas of others, Delegation
5. Respecting the ideas and opinions of others.
6. Team work
7. Yes, I think it is important to keep high school students interested in the progress of engineering and technology.
8. Besides financial aid, our sponsors also provide dedicated mentors.
9. Anyone whom is wiling to dedicate their time, experience and patients to a team.

[StephLee]

1. Robotics has opened me to a whole different area of career possibilities I never thought about before. It's given me my first opportunity to actually work with people instead of just under them.

2. The all-around use of basic tools like screwdrivers, wrenches, hammers, etc., was something I didn't really experience before robotics.

3. Working with other people and listening to their ideas, compromising, allowing others to do things when I think I can do them better (not taking over projects), meeting deadlines, solving problems, and presenting my ideas to other people.

4. Commitment, Being open to the ideas of others, Planning, Compromise, Delegation

5. Trying to catch up on all the skills needed to be an active participant in the team. (And not getting so caught up in it that I forgot to sleep! )

6. The most important part was everything I learned about technology, my teammates (most of whom I hadn't met before), and how to get things done.

7. Why or Why not? Of course there should be robotics teams!! Lots of students with the potential to succeed in technological careers won't even think of them without the robotics teams.

8. Our biggest sponsor gave us the chance to work with and learn from experienced professionals because they supplied two of our build mentors.

9. A good mentor is one who can eventually remove themselves from the picture entirely and know that things will still function smoothly without them because of what they've taught and shown the students.

[xzvrw2]

1. it has prepared me by showing me what it is like in the field i want to go into.
2. everything that robotics has taught me i will use
3. working as a team will always work
4. i feel that they are all equally important
5. my idea not getting used
6. i don't understand the question
7. i do think it is important because i want kids in the future to experience the same awesomeness that i did. i think that robotics shapes kids into what they need to be when they grow up.
8. they have moral support. i think that because if a team is only sponsored by their school and fundraisers then they will feel that their robot isn't as good as the big bad gm or ford machines.
9. they have to be willing to accept the fact that their idea may not work. they have to not take favorites. being able to listen to the kids is a big plus.

[Shu Song]

1. How has Robotics prepared you for life after high school?
- It gave me ample practical experience with the stuff I learned in school. I would never know how to crimp wires, solder, debug electrical errors from the conceptual electronics that I learned in physics. It also turned me into a more social person, I wasn't the guy who just did what he was told in a corner all the time anymore.
2. Is there one specific technical skill you learned in robotics you think you will use in life later on?
- crimping, soldering, don't connect two terminals of a battery with a conductor.
3. What are some workplace skills you learned while being on a robotics team?
- staying focused. You have no idea how tempting it is for us kids to be working an all the sudden get sidetracked for 1/2 an hour and get nothing done.
4. Given the Following list, list each skill by order of importance.
Planning,Compromise,Being open to the ideas of others, Delegation, and Commitment
- compromise, open to ideas, planning, commitment, delegation.
5. What was the most difficult part of being on a robotics team?
- convincing my parents that this was a noteworthy cause to let my grades slide a bit.
6. What was the most important part of being on a robotics team to you?
- camaraderie. Seeing 25 unique kids agree upon one idea and execute it with the utmost fervor is very exhilarating.
7. Do you think it is important that there be Robotics teams in the future? Why or Why not?
- Hell yeah! Robotics was a second family to me. For six weeks each year, I was basically living at the school. (coming home only to sleep) My teammates were my family. Despite the long hours and lack of sleep, I wouldn't trade what I had with the team for anything in the world.
8. Besides financial aid what effects do sponsors have on robotics teams?
- They give mentorship, without them, our team cannot persist. They guide us in our design, and teach us how to build the whole robot.
9. What makes a good mentor?
- The ability to coherently communicate ideas from an expert to a novice, to be able to easily pass down knowledge and experience to the student. One who let's the student make mistakes and learn from them. One who is not stubbornly set on one set of ideas and is open to all others.

[Jizvonius]

1. How has Robotics prepared you for life after high school?

FIRST Robotics enabled me to create larger goals than simply get a good job, and make money. It also exposed me to the realities that make those goals necessary.

2. Is there one specific technical skill you learned in robotics you think you will use in life later on?

No there isn't. There are far too many for me to relate in this post.

3. What are some workplace skills you learned while being on a robotics team?

Working with team members with different technical backgrounds and analyzing/integrating the solutions that these backgrounds influence to solve a problem. Also, good design documentation skills that help to avoid many problems.

4. Given the Following list, list each skill by order of importance.
Planning,Compromise,Being open to the ideas of others, Delegation, and Commitment

Commitment, Planning, Being open to the ideas of others/Compromise, Delegation (that was hard, they're all really important)

5. What was the most difficult part of being on a robotics team?

Remaining objective in the face of many internal and external team problems.

6. What was the most important part of being on a robotics team to you?

It showed me that classroom science can be applied to the real world, and more importantly, I could do it.

7. Do you think it is important that there be Robotics teams in the future? Why or Why not?

Yes, incredibly. Robotics teams offer so much in terms of education that no structured class can offer. The problems that a team must overcome alone provide a learning experience that ties together the personal and technical aspects of any team. For now the medium is robotics, but as technology advances who knows what it may become.

8. Besides financial aid what effects do sponsors have on robotics teams?

In high school, having an active sponsor (technical or not) can show students that people in the proffesional world care about what they are doing. It serves to motivate the students and sometimes the schools that they are a part of to do bigger and better things. The money and facilities help too.

9. What makes a good mentor?

There are many good mentors that serve different roles on their respective teams. The role that I like to see the college mentors on our team play is that of older sibling. We share the knowlege that we have gained in college and from previous teams, but always let them know that they are only a few steps away from being in the same position as us if not a better one.

Jevawn Roberts
Co-Leader - GTFIRST
President - RoboJackets

[Bharat Nain]

1. How has Robotics prepared you for life after high school?
It has prepared me well enough to decide what I want to do. To a certain extend, it has prepared me with the skills to deal with obstacles after high school life.

2. Is there one specific technical skill you learned in robotics you think you will use in life later on?
I used the C programming language a lot that that is something I will definitely use in the future. I have also learnt a lot of the basics of engineering which I will definitely use in later life.

3. What are some workplace skills you learned while being on a robotics team?
I learnt to be calm under pressure, to be a leader, reliability, honesty, hard work, smart work, more skills than I can mention here.

4. Given the Following list, list each skill by order of importance.
Planning,Compromise,Being open to the ideas of others, Delegation, and Commitment

Commitment
Compromise
Being open to the ideas of others
Planning
Delegation (I think you mean "The act of delegating")

5. What was the most difficult part of being on a robotics team?

Time and money - some of the most precious things in life.

6. What was the most important part of being on a robotics team to you?
It was learning from my mentors (Wayne Cokeley and Shaun McNulty) about various aspects of the team. It is a rare opportunity.

7. Do you think it is important that there be Robotics teams in the future? Why or Why not?
Yes, because it gives the normal high schooler an opportunity to go way beyond their ability.

8. Besides financial aid what effects do sponsors have on robotics teams?
Our sponsors, BMS, help us build the robot to the core and their skills and knowledge are very precious to us.

9. What makes a good mentor?

Wayne Cokeley

[Ryan M.]

1. Yes. It has given me practice in teamwork, group projects, engineering, programming, eating donuts (), etc.

2. Probably writing a program to fit outside specifications. (vs. just what I feel like)

3. Teamwork

4. Commitment, Planning, Delegation, Being open to the ideas of others, Compromise

5. Dealing with the screwballs. Actually, learning that there's always a different way and sometimes it's better.

6. The fun! Despite how great a learning opportunity is, I'm still in it mainly for the late nights with friends.

7. Yes! I don't know, it just is. See above questions.

8. Some sponsors are also willing to give expertise. Exposure for your team (as well as their company) is also an effect of sponsors.

9. Leadership and know-how, but a willingness to listen to students (and others) and allow them to do their own work and make their own mistakes so that they learn through experience, not just say-so.

[Elyse Holguin]

1. Definitely taught me teamwork, and nothing is as important im college as being able to work in a team. Another thing I got from FIRST was leadership, which is something just about every kid involved with FIRST is going to get, because we all know what should be done on the team, and get to work on it.
2. Not as technichal, but public speaking in an impromptu setting, you never know who's going to ask you something about your robot, and you NEED to be prepared.
3. How to not give myself an aneurism, how to get along in a group.
4. Given the Following list, list each skill by order of importance.
(1)Commitment, (2) Being open to the ideas of others, (3) Planning, (4) Compromise, (5) Delegation
5. The most difficult? Not being able to put everything you wanted on the robot. Oh wait, that was because of the weight requirement. So the most difficult thing was meeting the weight requirement.
6. The 2 most important things about being on a team for me, even more than the wealth of skills that come along with FIRST, was meeting people who will be my lifelong friends, and giving all of us something meaningful to do with our time. These days, it's so much easier to be a slacker, to dropout, or get involved with the wrong things. Personally, I have a lot of friends from middle school who are parents now. Helping me find a direction away from all of that was really important.
7. Like I said before, robotics teams are helping kids find a direction in their lives and getting them involved in something meaningful, that they can be important in, so it's important to see that they stay around.
8. Besides financial aid, our sponsors were our mentors on our team, and it was nice to work one-on-one with such great people.
9. The same things that make a good mentor are what makes any good leader: determination, optimism, responsibility, trustworthiness and honesty, charisma, and knowledge. A good mentor will get in there with a bunch of kids (who all have different interests and agendas) and bring them all together so that everyone gets along happily.

[Ashley Christine]

1. How has Robotics prepared you for life after high school?
Well, it has helped me to look into different fields of study. It has also helped me with socializing and meeting new people. I used to be the shyest person ever, and now I have met so many people from other places and made so many new friends.. and heck, they dont even bite!

2. Is there one specific technical skill you learned in robotics you think you will use in life later on?
Not yet, but I expect to learn more with my two more years of highschool robotics.

3. What are some workplace skills you learned while being on a robotics team?
Well, Safety -- I was safety person, and I learned that it is a big deal. Also just keeping things organized, it makes everything so much easier and makes things get done faster.

4. Given the Following list, list each skill by order of importance.
Planning,Compromise,Being open to the ideas of others, Delegation, and Commitment
1)Commitment 2)Planning 3)Being open to the ideas of others 4)Compromise 5)Delegation

5. What was the most difficult part of being on a robotics team?
Getting all the different personalites to mesh. Also, having no time for friends/family.

6. What was the most important part of being on a robotics team to you?
Well, being able to share a common intrest and get something done out of it. Also, I like how getting involved in the community and helping others is involved in robotics.

7. Do you think it is important that there be Robotics teams in the future? Why or Why not?
Yes, it is very inspiring. I think that it is a great tool to get youngins to learn about the more complex and fun things. It is just an amazing experience.

8. Besides financial aid what effects do sponsors have on robotics teams?
I think the sponsor makes you want to work harder because you want to be able to show them that they did something good and that their money went toward a good cause.

9. What makes a good mentor?
Someone who wants to teach, and is fun, and has awesome leadership.

[Lisa Perez]

1. It has given me an insight into the opportunities that our world holds, not just in the field of engineering but also in the business area. It's helped me to learn what time management, cooperation, enthusiasm, and responsibility are.

2. I'll most likely still be machining and CADing once I graduate from college.

3. As project manager, I learned how to successfully manage tasks and sub-tasks so as to ensure that each part of the team fully finished its goal on time.

4. Commitment, being open to the ideas of others, compromise, delegation, planning

5. The most difficult part of robotics was when people would refuse to be open-minded to others' ideas, thus delaying the design/build process.

6. The most important part of being on a robotics team, for me, is being able to not work as a group of individuals, but rather, as one union.

7. It is important that there are more teams in the future because the youth of our world need to be given the opportunity to use their minds to the fullest. There is so much talent out there - it just needs to be used for the better.

8. Sponsors give teams the confidence that somebody (besides schools and families) supports them. They add to the overall team spirit.

9. A good mentor is someone who will not be afraid to get into the chaos of things and serve as an example, someone who will make sure everyone is involved in some way or another.

[brandy836]

1. How has Robotics prepared you for life after high school?
It gave me a better look at the different engineering fields that I could major in in college, and what I could eventually do professionally.

2. Is there one specific technical skill you learned in robotics you think you will use in life later on?
It wasn’t really a technical skill, because I am in public relations/marketing for our team, but I learned how to talk in front of large groups of people, and to answer technical questions quickly and correctly.

3. What are some workplace skills you learned while being on a robotics team?
Time management and teamwork.

4. Given the Following list, list each skill by order of importance.
Planning,Compromise,Being open to the ideas of others, Delegation, and Commitment
Commitment
Planning
Open to Ideas of Others
Compromise
Delegation

5. What was the most difficult part of being on a robotics team?
Finding the time to do all the things that needed to get done.

6. What was the most important part of being on a robotics team to you?
Getting stuff finished on time.

7. Do you think it is important that there be Robotics teams in the future? Why or Why not?
Yes, being on a robotics team teaches kids all kinds of things that they will need in everyday life: time management, teamwork, and skills they would need if they were to get involved in an engineering career field.

8. Besides financial aid what effects do sponsors have on robotics teams?
They give the teams mentors (engineers), who work with the students to make us smart(er).

9. What makes a good mentor?
A good mentor is someone who is willing to dedicate their time and energy into teaching students about things they will need to complete a task without their help in the future. A good mentor is someone who is also willing to be a good friend as well as a good teacher.