FIRST for Non-Engineering Students

[RoboMom]

I have had the pleasure of getting to know hundreds of students over my years in FIRST. Many of them have never touched the robot, but played important roles on the team and have gone on to major in important fields like teaching and communications and business and yes, music. I know of two who have duel majors in music and engineering. One is involved with engineering of sound (there is a fancier name for it )

There is a reason that 40% of the FIRST scholarships are for students majoring in any field. Colleges know that FIRSTers know how to work as a team, can problem solve and know how to work hard. These are skills useful for any productive member of society.

Follow your dream, understanding that it is ok to to change your mind. Hopefully college will be an experience where you will be exposed to all sorts of opportunities to learn about new things. You may end up majoring in something completely different than you think right now.

I have had lots of wonderful jobs and experiences because I was willing to take some chances. One of the best career decisions I ever made was to drop out of college with 9 credits to go to take a job washing dishes at night so I could hike during the day. This sounds crazy, (and there is obviously a story here) but sometimes life presents itself in crazy ways. Be open to these opportunities.

ps. I did go back to college years later, different major, and also went on to earn a graduate degree.