Dealing With FIRST Withdrawal Symptoms?

[treffk]

Leave FIRST? That's an option? =)

I agree with lots of the ideas mentioned here. There are so many opportunities to help out with our addiction to being connected. We have the internet and phones both can help out a far away team in need. Though video calls you can see what they are having issues with and help identify the issue and possibly walk them through it. If your not technical you can have teams send you their drafts of documents and you can proofread them and help with edits.

Another great option would be find a group of interested friends and road trip to an event to volunteer.

Or even get an FRC/FTC/FLL/JFLL started near you so you can help mentor them. Although it can be a challenge to help a rookie team while in college. You would really need to be able to balance your time wisely and not fall behind on school work for this to be a good option for you.

In my brief period where I was 2.5 hours away from my team I helped out over the phone a lot. I also went home almost every weekend during build and helped out at other FLL events and the FRC Regional(I run our FLL demo section in it every year).

[AlexH]

battlebots?

no seriously.

http://www.nerc.us/

http://combots.net/

[Hallry]

Orrrrr you could start a C.A.R.D. team at your college. A former C.E.O. from our team started one at Steven's University with a bunch of alumni from our team and a few others in the area. http://collegiateaerialrobotics.org/

[dcarr]

I'm personally involved with the AUVSI Aerial Robotics Competition which is incredibly awesome and challenging.

I must say though - the robot is just one part of what makes FIRST so special. And it's for the countless other reasons that I plan to continue being involved.

[KelliV]

One of the best things about being involved in FIRST is the tools it gives you to succeed in other areas as you grow. College is a great place that allows you to really follow your passions and really delve into what you would like to do when you grow up. You've already experienced FIRST as a student and there are years ahead of you to experience it as a mentor, so take the time you have right now to explore what college REALLY has to offer you. Get involved in some of the programs others have suggested and share the things you learned from the program with other's who weren't fortunate enough to have FIRST at their schools. The lessons you learned in FIRST can serve as a guide to you and your new friends in your future endeavors. Then you can take what you learned doing those new things and bring them back to students in the future and mentor them.

6 years ago I was in the same boat as you, I went from being on a team that demanded hours of my attention and encapsulated a lot of my life to being a full time college student with a ton of seemingly extra time. Rather than going to WildStang meetings and mentoring I became involved in my college. Now I can not only say that I won a Championship, a CCA, and wrote a WFA award, but started intercollegiate lobbying efforts, organized several key student projects for the Olympic Bid, and was Vice President of Student Government. All of which I am incredibly proud of and have helped shape where the college and City of Chicago are today. I couldn't have done any of this without what I learned in FIRST, but I couldn't properly inspire other students to achieve what I did in school without branching out. Try something new, be daring, be what FIRST taught you to be and change the world around you.

[Al Skierkiewicz]

David,
We know you have a lot to share but right now we need you to get through school. The things you will learn will help you in whatever path you choose, post college. We have watched many students struggle with these issues over the years and many succeed in other areas that don't compromise studies (See Kelli's post above, a true success story). If FIRST events coincide with school breaks then volunteer or at least stop in and visit. Our greatest reward will come from knowing you are doing well in school and finding something you can be happy with for the rest of your life. If you get a little homesick, please contact one of us. We really want you to do well.