Attn: Present & Future College Students, Think carefully before you mentor

[Billfred]

This is very important stuff--until FIRST opens its own college, you need to keep your grades up. (It'll open up far more opportunities.)

I'm lucky to be in a college with a reasonably flexible timeline. With some intelligent scheduling, I was able to take some of the harder classes in the fall of this year, while holding on to one or two easy courses for the spring, which helps take the load off at times. Don't let it completely rule your scheduling, but be smart if your college allows it. You will not want to be doing work for five hardcore, lots-of-small-assignments courses in the middle of build season.

That said, know yourself and know what's important. You have the rest of your days to help with FIRST--but only one relatively easy crack at college. (The rest, from what I read, are far more costly.)