A survey for FIRST Robotics Students

[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