How has robotics affected you?

[sp33chy]

FIRST helped me realise sleeping is for losers. Thanks FIRST!

[BJT]

I haven't gone ice fishing in about 5 years.

[Pavan Dave]

Robotics has done many things.

In the beginning it was my way of passing time, but it became something I loved. It taught me that anything is possible if you have the resources, and if you don't it is still teaching me how to obtain those resources and even work without them.

It has given me a chance to network, meet new people across borders (domestic and international), and pass time with people who think the way I do, without having to explain odd jokes or interesting technological news and updates in great detail.

It has made me efficient. I have become more involved in the things i pursue, and it has helped me stay sane in the world of 20 hour differential equations homework assignments not to exclude dealing with the politics of a University, School and other organizations.

It has given me the resources to find answers. It has given me the resources to answer questions and do more research to find better answers.

It has made me more aware of when I speak, whom I speak to, how I speak, without leaving out what I really want to say.... [but many will disagree]

It was one of many things that turned into another thing that turned into another which has made me a very successful leader of my school, my fraternity and in my community.

But most importantly, Robotics has given me the opportunity to argue with world class engineers, to even prove wrong some world class engineers, to work with world class engineers, but most importantly it has given me the opportunity to call many of these world class engineers my friends.


There is more to write but unfortunately differential equations must take priority to the internet.



Pavan Davé




.

[jmanela]

First has made me re-think what my future will be. Instead of becoming a doctor, i want to become a software engineer.

First has given me my first real job, programming an Electronic Medical Record application.

First has helped me visualize physics in real-world terms.

[Captain Slacker]

I went into robotics not having touched a tool in my life and wanting to be a hair dresser. Now I want to be an engineer and I brought physics to my school. This has been the most incredible experience of my life.

[TPNigl]

FIRST has been such a great experience. I had no clue how motors and most tools worked, how to program, and many other things. Through many, MANY, long hours, amazing engineers and mentors, and trial and error, I have been able to confirm my love for science and engineering and will definitely hold all the values FIRST has taught me in my high school life.

[Jagbots(Mark)]

At first I joined the Robotics team as a way to pass time and maybe get something that looks good on my college resume. Even in my first year I'm starting to feel like it's changing my life. Our team has had lots of ups and downs and through our hardships, I've learned a lot.

[simpsonboy77]

I first joined robotics in 2005, my freshman year. At that time I didn't know much of anything, other than I liked computers a bit. I only knew 1 language at the time: QBASIC.

My sophomore year I took programming 1 and 2. Unfortunately the programmers didn't pass their knowledge down, and and all 3 of them graduated that year. In 2007, this forced me to learn C, a completely new language to me, in 2 weeks. Oh we also needed a PID control for the robot. Before then I thought it would be simple to control. If its to the left go full speed to the right, and vice versa. This causes gearboxes to implode in case you were wondering . But boy do you learn fast when the entire team is counting on you. The code stabilized 2 days before ship, but mechanical issues plagued us through the regional.

Senior year I learned so much about signal processing and how to get a better SNR. We ended up winning the NYC regional, and making it to a DOUBLE TIE BREAKER in the quarter finals at Archimedes. I still remember how I felt when the scoreboard came up. This is really what sealed the deal for me to major in electrical engineering. FIRST also got me a full ride to college, for all 4 years. I still mentor the team, not because of the scholarship, but because FIRST is addictive.

This isn't all FIRST did for me. The summer before my freshman college year, I interned at ANADIGICS, our sponsor. I did some really fun stuff there. My boss was also the engineer that helped at the school, so he knew exactly what work to give me. It would be challenging, but fun.


And above all: I learned how to learn.

[tomy]

I can honestly say that because of first i have lost weight in a good way.

[coldfusion1279]

I was a student on my team when we first started in 2004.

I am currently a PhD candidate in Materials Science and Engineering.

Robotics connects those two dots. I drive back weekly during build season to help, and I am in constant communication with the other mentors/students. I have a strong connection to the team because it got me started. It's too fulfilling to give up.

[ks_mumupsi]

There is soo much to be said for here.. FIRST plays such a huge role in the first 3 months of our lives its difficult to see Jan. - Mar. without FIRST!

Anyways so for me FIRST is responsible for everything I am and where I stand today... started in 2000 on team 56 as a student, didnt know what it would hold, at first I thought it was just another school trip to Disney. But 10 years later I guess I was very wrong about.

3 years on the team taught me more about what I wanted to do in college, than I could have asked for.I didnt know what biomedical eng. was at that time as it was still early developmental field and today its one of the more popular majors.. I wouldnt have selected it if not for robotics.

Joined Ethicon our sponsor as a Coop in my senior year or R&D, learned how much industry is different from academia. Helped me decide between a PhD and industry position. I got a second Coop working to develop my current team, 2016, and helping them in their sophmore year. Learning to be a mentor and being an example for the students..

Now I am full time at J&J, still continuing with 2016 and still trying to stay involved with it. Theres so much more to say but i dont want to write a bible here.. There are 100s of examples similar to mine...

[Wildcat]

Thanks to FIRST, i actually socialize with other people IN REAL LIFE

[JoeXIII'007]

So let's see... FIRST walked into my life in 7th Grade... and changed my career hopes in way that I can make a career goal vs. grade plot with it:

7th - Engineer
8th - Still an engineer, something with auto
9th - Electrical engineer
10th - CAD/Programmer mix
11th - Computer Programming
12th - Computer Science
Freshman in College - Same
Sophomore - Wanting to mix something in there
Junior @ umich - Informatics (CompSci blended with Statistics) under the data mining/info analysis track, loving it and loving the potential shelf life of this one.

My experiences in FIRST definitely had a hand in charting this course. Enough said.

[gren737]

I'll bite because my life the way it is now is directly related to FIRST.

I joined as a soph in highschool in 1995. I was planning on being a pastry chef. Yes, if you start adding it up, I have now been involved in FIRST for 1/2 of my life!
Junior year, I had a "moment" at 4:00am machining sprokets. For you young folks out there, we weren't allowed to buy metal sprockets, only nylon ones. If you wanted metal you had to make them.

This was when I decided I wanted to be an engineer.

I went to WPI because they had a FIRST team and my mentor went there.

Graduated in 2001 and was hired by the company that sponsored me in high school, my former mentor became my boss.

In 2004 I was on Monster Garage which I will directly attribute to my experience in FIRST because without FIRST I never would have become interested in building cars, nor would I have had the skills to be on the show.

I know work for Black and Decker and with Greg Needel started team 2775 down here in TN last year.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
Sarah

[SteveGPage]

Originally Posted by waialua359

What life?
Ever since we joined first in 1999, I dont know what people do in January and February anymore, and many weeknights, weekends, and holidays.

I know of some that gave up FIRST because they got married and/or had kids.
You need an understanding wife, and for that, I'm grateful for.

My wife of 24+ years proudly wears the label of "Robotics Widow" during January - March of each year!

I got involved because my then Freshman son wanted to join, so I figured it was a good Father-Son thing to do. He is now a Junior in college (so hasn't been on the team for 3 years), but here I am as a Mentor for my 7th season. I have loved every minute of it - watching kids go through the program, seeing them mature and become young adults - Engineers, Mathematicians, Computer Scientists, etc... all because of this program!