FIRST after Highschool

[Nica F.]

Thanks to everyone who replied to this thread. It's really great to hear what everyone else did post high school.
I do agree that it is one person's choice and everything but it's nice to know to what factors other people made the decision based upon.

Thanks everyone

[Otaku]

I would imagine that I might not mentor, at least not for a while. I'll definitely attend local competitions if they're there, though, because the opportunity to see what a bunch of high schoolers without engineering degrees and tons of experience can think up, and how practical their application of these designs are. I think that's my favorite part of the competition, too. Just checking out the 'bots, especially since I know how much thought it takes to build one of these things.


Thank god I don't have to make that decision right now though -- I'm a 11th year, meaning I have this year and next year of FIRST left, which is plenty of time to have a great time.

[nparikh]

Originally Posted by Bharat Nain

This is a very important consideration. You can search CD for FIRST alumni who have said something on this topic. Many students have graduated and royally messed up their college grades. Once you enter college, you are in a whole different world. I think everyone should remember the big picture in that FIRST really is designed so that you can grow up and excel in different fields. Dean Kamen really wants people to become entrepreneurs and inventors and people of high value. To do this, it is OK to not do FIRST for a few years. There are other ways to support this cause. I know there are students who graduated from our team (25) who have grown up to become important people in their respective fields and society.

With all that said, in college, students should always consider their grades a priority. No one is going to hire you if you have a -5.9 GPA and a ton of FIRST experience. We also need to remember that there are other things in this world such as family, friends, the whole college experience etc etc.

On the other hand, if you do decide to participate in FIRST during college, make sure that your first priority is your grades. I was able to do FIRST comfortably last year (my first year) because my classes got canceled due to logistical things at college. It was unfortunate but I had no choice. It let me participate actively. This year is different though so I will not be as active.

You should also consider the money commitment it takes to be in FIRST. It costs a lot to be a part of college already, and on top of that doing FIRST will inevitably cost a lot. For some teams, alumni get paid to be a part of the team due to their expertise. The reason I still participate is because of the value I get out of being a part of team 25. It is an environment where I can grow and help others grow. What I am trying to say is make sure you have a clear cut reason as to why you want to continue to do FIRST. Simply contributing to society is great but you need a plan or at least thoughts for your future or else you will end up where the waves take you and that may not be very pretty.

As a final thought, I'd say you should make your decision after/during your first semester. A lot of it depends on the college you are going to and what your goals in life are. It is not usually one choice that messes people up but rather a series of choices. A series of choices can also make their life. So consider all factors when you make a series of choices. Remember that FIRST will be around when you graduate college so if that is where your focus needs to be, then so be it. Good luck.

I agree with Bharat wholeheartedly. I decided to come back and mentor 25 part time / when I can, but it's very important to see what college life will be like. Most likely, you'll be busy with classes and getting settled in and I wouldn't make a huge commitment like mentoring a team without knowing what your schedule, etc will be like.

I used this past semester (my first) to get accustomed to college life and classes and helped out when I could. Now that I have a better idea of my time commitments and whatnot, I feel like I'm in a much better position to decide how much time I can devote to other things.

I'd recommend taking first semester easy and gradually working your way up. I know people that did 234 clubs, an intramural sport, and mentored a FIRST team and their grades weren't so great first semester because they had a tough time managing all the work and focusing.

That said, it's always fun to go to competitions and see your team and others that you've befriended over the years. If you absolutely cannot stay away from FIRST for a semester, ask your team to keep you in the loop of what's going on and provide help where you can and when you can.

[Otaku]

Originally Posted by nparikh

If you absolutely cannot stay away from FIRST for a semester, ask your team to keep you in the loop of what's going on and provide help where you can and when you can.

One of 675's former members (Mike Jefferies or however you spell it) asks we do this. He goes to school in Rochester, NY and we're kind of in California. He's a huge robotics geek to boot (he has his own combat robotics team called "Near Chaos Robotics") and a cool guy all around. I do happen to know, however, that he does mentor a team in NY (I forget which one but I knew I saw one of their members at champs last year).