Transitioning From Student to Mentor

[Andy A.]

My full response would really just be rewording previous posts. It seems like a lot of students who turn mentor have similar experiences readjusting.

I will say that my attitude towards 'I need to be a mentor not a student' has mellowed over the years since I left high school and transitioned to being a coach. I've come to realize that it's probably more important for me to be having fun then to reach some ideal of having students do everything. Part of having fun, for me, is to be hands on with the robot sometimes. So I do that.

It's a balance, but I think the less I agonize about it the better I get at finding it. It's also not something you have to get right immediately, or every time. 'Coach' is something you grow into, and no one should expect to occupy that role comfortably right away.

[JamesCH95]

To not re-has what has been said already, I'll take a step in a different direction.

I would strongly suggest participating in an engineering challenge that's not FRC, or even FIRST related at all. There's a whole world out there with many more technologies and freedom than the relatively restrictive environment of FRC.

One of the best things I did was to unplug from FRC (mostly) for my 4 years of college. Instead I helped to found my college's Formula SAE team, a program that has endured for four years since my graduation, as the youngest founding member.

FSAE forced me to develop more serious professional skills. Defending design decisions, report writing, original experimental design, serious computer modeling, serious CAD work, more ambitious fundraising, and more difficult/multi-faceted/different design challenges. I also now have a passion for car racing, which has added a new facet to my life and brought me many new friends.

Another program will expand your horizons. A program geared for college students will further develop your professional skills in ways that FRC simply isn't designed to. After four years, if you decide to mentor an FRC team, there will be no other students on the team that you were a student with. This helps the new students view you as a mentor and not another student. The same goes for existing team mentors.

[funstuff]

Sorry for the lengthiness, this was shorter in my head.

I was on a Texas team (624) for 4 years. After graduating high school, I decided to go to college in Illinois, in a town that happened to have zero FTC/FRC teams at the time. My big focuses during college were academic and a collegiate design competition (SAE Baja = design/build/compete an off-road car), but I also mentored and volunteered with FLL. After graduating, I found out a FRC team (4096) was starting in my college town. I found a niche as the primary mechanical mentor with the team. After the rookie build season, I moved 2.5 hrs away due to my job, but my heart is still with 4096, so I have continued to mentor from afar.

kwotremb and JamesCH95 have made some great points on collegiate design competitions that I will echo. It was great to be involved in other organizations that are run very differently and to continue to work with peers. From being on my Baja team and eventually captaining it, I have learned many things beyond FIRST and things that can be applied to FIRST -- about corporate sponsors, holding new member interest, running a team mostly single-handed, designing with more engineering and experience, defending and explaining those designs, new skills like welding, plasma cutting, larger machine operation, and how to teach new members useful skills for themselves and the future team. FIRST gave me great skills going into SAE, and SAE gave me great skills that I put back into the SAE and FRC teams.

My advice:
Taking a 1+ year break from FRC teams is great for you! Plus you get to see how your team operates without you. I would not have developed as far as I have in both maturity and skills without stepping away from FRC. Also, take some of the things that you learned from the Flying Toasters and bring them to a team that has less (or a different culture). No matter how little you think your team has, there are teams with less!


What were some of the largest adjustments you had to make while undergoing this transition?
Doer and Thinker --> Encourager, Moderator, Interrogator (i.e. Why?)
Working with peers --> Teacher

What lessons did you learn from your first year of mentoring?
On a team with initially very little (working on more!) parent involvement, I was filling a large role on my team. Big things I learned: how to push the students to achieve more without forcing it, how to get money and material when there is little to nothing to start, that "I have an idea" is like a four letter word coming from a mentor's mouth, you can't do everything.

Have you tried mentoring through digital media (ex: Skype video chat, emails, etc.), and if so, how? How successful is this method?
YES. My first build season with the team was in person. Since I moved away, I have been primarily mentoring over the internet. There is no equal to mentoring in person. That has been learned the hard way after I had a Skype session with a group of students putting a hand drawing up to the camera to show me some brainstorm ideas. Long distance mentoring is mostly working out because of the number of dedicated mentors, particularly mechanical mentors, are available, and most of our team's work and notes is on Google Drive. It is not easy to long distance mentor, even with awesome technology, and it does not give the same results.

The pros: I stay involved with students I love working with, I am able to help a lot (fill in the gaps) with some more administrative tasks that others have less time for (BOM management, CAD part drawings, training powerpoints).

The cons: I am notorious for lengthy emails no one ever reads, I didn't meet some of the new students until competition, Skype can be poor quality sometimes, implementing ideas and presenting powerpoints is often left up to others, the students are not getting as much out of it.

What is it like suddenly belonging to a new team? Did you carry over many of the things you learned from your high school/previous team?
It is awesome (after 4 years off)! Being part of a team from the rookie year is even better. All of the former-FRC college-aged mentors involved with our team have brought a lot from a variety of different teams. Some mentors came on as freshmen and did a great job as mentors from the start, but I think they are rare and very awesome for being able to shift gears so quickly. Some mentors came on after being out of FRC for 2-6 years and are still struggling to transition to the role, some do just fine. A lot of the transition depends on you.

Who or what was your inspiration to mentor after high school?
For me personally: I had graduated with a BSME, started a grad school program I was unhappy with, and I was actually kinda lost with regards to my own life when I was contacted by an FLL mentor about helping the rookie FRC team. It made me remember why I got into engineering to begin with, and I realized I needed to drop out of grad school for my own sanity and happiness. (I made some poor decisions about my program/professor, and I may still pursue another degree in something better for me; nothing against grad school, as a whole.) Two years later, I am way happier with my decision to mentor FRC (and work) than I would've been with my master's.

[kwotremb]

I was part of FIRST in high school as well (93), but did not do anything in college with FIRST, and have since came back and helped out two different teams (818 then 3414). First thing to consider is you are still going to be a student yet in college. You will learn a lot and should try to get as much out of it as you can. All colleges have great programs and hands on teams that you can join to improve yourself as much as you can. There are programs like FutureCar/Truck, Formula SAE, Mini Baja, Solar car, Concrete Canoe and many more. Look into these as well to join and they will supplement your learning very well, plus they give you great opportunities to get a job out of college. I know my team had a rule to not let kids that graduate from the team become a mentor on the team for 4 years, and I feel it is a very good rule. Look into ways that you can help further your learning in college as much as you can, and if you have time then consider helping out a team. I was part of Challenge X in college (a hybrid car competition) and that is what gave me the great job I have now out of college and be the best mentor I can. Now to your questions.

What were some of the largest adjustments you had to make while undergoing this transition?
As other have said its taking a step back. You are used to working on the robot, making decisions, but you need to lead and direct more. Also trying to get all the students involved. Make sure there are projects for everyone and with some teams its easier than others
What lessons did you learn from your first year of mentoring?
Sometimes its just learning a new team. Every team will have different dynamics, ways they run things and how everything works. There are also different manufacturing capabilities, and from my design standpoint that has to be learned in order to design to what you can make.
Have you tried mentoring through digital media (ex: Skype video chat, emails, etc.), and if so, how? How successful is this method?
Have not tried.
What is it like suddenly belonging to a new team? Did you carry over many of the things you learned from your high school/previous team?
It can be great but hard at first. It takes me a while to warm up, so I like to see how the dynamics and where everyone falls into place before I jump in to much. I do not like stepping on toes and getting on someones bad side to early. Also remember every team is different. Some things you did on an old team will not be able to work on the new one. Plus there may be some things that your new team does better. Learn how your new team works and suggest things if they might work better. You do not want to make your new team exactly like the old one, then it would be no fun at the events.
Who or what was your inspiration to mentor after high school?
My parents pushed me a little bit, but for me I just like doing stuff. This just gives me another opportunity to have fun teach and even learn new things myself. I had a lot of fun in FIRST when I was in high school and its a great way to give back.

[Lil' Lavery]

Consider taking a year or two (or four) off. College is an opportunity to grow and change as a person, and sometimes you're going to need that additional free time to engage in other activities, schoolwork, and personal development. I jumped right into mentoring, and I don't regret it. However, I often find myself wondering how things may have been different if I had stepped back for a year or two. I wonder if I might have been a better mentor if I had stepped away and seen the rest of the engineering world and become more invovled in other activities in palce of FIRST.


What were some of the largest adjustments you had to make while undergoing this transition?
Figuring out the boundaries between myself and the students. It's a process that I'm still trying to figure out. Especially early on, your age is frequently much much closer to that of the students than it is to most of your fellow mentors. It'll feel more natural to be just another one of the students. As a result, I often pulled back too hard to try and separate myself as one of the mentors. You shouldn't just be another student, but you shouldn't be their "boss," either. Finding the happy medium is difficult.

What lessons did you learn from your first year of mentoring?
How to accept a different role than I was used to, and how to let students learn through experience. It takes a while to get used to being in a different role, and it's often a rocky transition. But sometimes you have to let the students make the mistakes and find solutions themselves, rather than solving everything. You also have to be aware that sometimes their answers will be better than yours.

Have you tried mentoring through digital media (ex: Skype video chat, emails, etc.), and if so, how? How successful is this method?
I have not directly mentored this way, although I have collaborated with other teams via e-mail, dropbox, IM, and phone calls. It has it's value, but it really depends on what type of work needs to be done.

What is it like suddenly belonging to a new team? Did you carry over many of the things you learned from your high school/previous team?
It was a little bit of a challenge, but I landed in a great spot led by one of the best mentors I have ever encountered. I had worked with three WFFA winners on my high school team, as well, which gave me plenty of ideas on how to interact and inspire students. But Rich Kressly was able to take me under his wing in many respects, and help show me the way to being a better mentor and being a part of Dawgma. I brought much of the technical expertise I had learned on Epsilon Delta with me, and I helped Dawgma take some leaps in design philosophy they might not have otherwise taken (and over time, as Dawgma has transitioned to new leadership, it starts to resemble certain aspects of Epsilon Delta more and more). It's certainly an experience I treasure. Being a part of Dawgma, past and present, means a lot to me.

Who or what was your inspiration to mentor after high school?
I always just assumed I would, and I did. I wasn't ready to be done with FIRST.

[Zuelu562]

My final year as a student was rough. We knew going in that literally half of our team would be graduating, so unless a minor miracle occurred, the team would be significantly worse, at best, or die, at worst. I had been a core member, becoming the team's field coach, rules expert, among other tasks.

The next year, I found out my team would no longer be competing in FRC 3 short weeks before the season began (I had an inkling, but it was confirmed at that time). For lack of a better phrase, I was devastated. I had not gone onto college, with my grandfather's cancer and chemotherapy sessions coming that summer, and I was a 10 minute drive from the school.

I got a call the week before the build season began from the director of the local Boys and Girls Club, whose Robotics team was going into it's second season. I joined, and was thrust into a role where walking in as a first year mentor, I was the mentor with the most FIRST experience. It was tough, and I put a lot of the load on myself (foolishly, I might add).

My advice? Find something. Even if you can't find a team, volunteer. Something will find you. It's hard and tough to make the transition, but being a student, and a very involved one at that, you have all the skills in front of you. Teach what you were taught. Show what you were shown. Hopefully, a student will be inspired like you were.

[Kims Robot]

My story has floated around several places for years. I was a founding member (much like you) of Aces High (Team 176) in CT. My stories are oddly still as vivid as yours, and I was a team leader & MVP all 3 years in HS. However, I knew we had a strong mentor base and a great set of kids following me, so I had no doubts the team would only get better - they actually won the National (yes then it actually was only US based) Championship the year after I left!

But I digress. I had many of the same feelings others have echoed, FIRST was so big in my life that I wasn't sure I was ready to leave it. So I made sure to look at colleges that had FIRST teams - WPI, Daniel Webster, MIT, etc. But I also applied to ones that didn't. And along came Clarkson with their "what can we do to get you to come here" - and my answer of "let me start a FIRST team"... that sealed the deal for both of us.

And I won't lie - I cried half the way to college. I was overwhelmed and excited, but I was scared to death of leaving my team, leaving my friends, leaving all of the comfort of the CT teams I knew and loved. So many friends were going to CT colleges and staying close to home. I was scared to be so far away. But I immersed myself in my new life, and in my back pocket, was my FIRST card - I could hold onto something I knew and use it to start something new. And I knew that in March, I would get to see all the teams & friends I knew again.

But enough of my story, I'll answer some of the great questions you posed.

What were some of the largest adjustments you had to make while undergoing this transition?
I'll admit, my transition was probably a bit unique. I was 300 miles from home, and over 150 miles from the closest FRC team. And I was the only person on my entire team who know what FIRST even was. In some ways this was great because it gave me a completely clean slate - I've said elsewhere that after 18 years and 3 teams, the Rookie Years are my favorite years. But it was tough - I had to come up with everything - all of the plans, all of the structure and all of the answers... yet I was only a year older than 1/3 of our students - and the same age as a couple of them!! I only had other college students and two teachers to help me mentor, so we all fumbled our way to a reasonably functioning robot. At times it was a struggle. I wanted to just be a college student. I needed to study, wanted to hang out with my ski team friends, but every moment I had had to be meticulously planned out and balanced so I could run the team and keep up with everything else. It was exhausting but at times exhilarating. That first year I had to fill a lot of roles - lead engineer, coach, programmer, strategist. I was used to filling a lot of roles from my high school team, but I was used to having a lot of mentors & other students with just as much experience to bounce ideas off of. It was a whole new world.

What lessons did you learn from your first year of mentoring?
- Learn when GOOD IS GOOD ENOUGH. I was a perfectionist in high school. I quickly learned that when juggling a million things, sometimes you have to give up some of that perfectionism and look at your (and the team's) overall goal to determine priorities.
- HAVE/GET A LIFE. As much as I say I struggled to fit it all in, the time management skills I gained by trying to have a life outside of FIRST were incredibly valuable, as was the opportunity to have a life outside of FIRST. I had completely separate friends, I was involved in a varsity sport, I had study groups, I was in the honors program. Do stuff OTHER than FIRST, even if it means sacrificing some of your time in FIRST.
- I DONT KNOW is an acceptable answer. Especially if you aren't working with the same team, the change from student to mentor can be more abrupt, and people can expect you to have the answers. Its ok to not know... but then everyone needs to work harder to figure out what the answer is (you included!).
- THIS ISNT YOUR HS TEAM. No matter how hard you try, even with a clean slate, you can never recreate what you had in your old team. You need to learn the new team structure, learn what this new team needs and adapt to it. You can't spend your entire time trying to make it "what you had" or you will just be running into a brick wall.
- FOCUS ON SCHOOL. Other's have said it, plenty have suggested a year off (which I agree, but am not a good example of). My grades slipped my sophomore year as I struggled to balance it all, and balance the growth of a second year team... and it was a fight for me to get my GPA back up to a 3.3 on graduation. I even ended up taking my senior year off from FIRST. Its ok to take time off - FIRST will be here when you get back

Have you tried mentoring through digital media (ex: Skype video chat, emails, etc.), and if so, how? How successful is this method?
I did this after leaving my 3rd team and moving out here to Boston. I returned every other weekend in build season (making the near 400mile drive out there), and obsessively keeping up with their blog, online wiki, webcasts, emails, etc. It can be done... but honestly, its super exhausting and sometimes incredibly frustrating and guilt-enducing. You want to be there to help, you may see mistakes happening or coming and you wonder if you were there if it would have been different. You wonder why certain decisions were made rather than others, and you constantly second guess things. But that team needs to be it's own team, those students & mentors need to learn their own ways of doing things. It can no longer be "your way".
Don't get me wrong, distance mentoring can be done, and it can be easier than ripping off the bandaid... but I would HIGHLY encourage you to pick one or the other. Turn to your old team for questions if you need it, but don't try and mentor/work with both. Its too much. Especially for your freshman year. And sometime change is good. Joining a new team will help you shift your focus, and maybe allow you to feel less guilty about focusing on college.

What is it like suddenly belonging to a new team? Did you carry over many of the things you learned from your high school/previous team?
I was lucky enough to start with a clean slate for each of the two teams I founded after my high school team. This meant I could take all of the lessons I learned (both teams do patron drives - just like my HS team, the most recent runs a preship scrimmage like my HS team, structures were updated versions, etc) and modify them to fit the new teams - to take the best of what they had and the best of the other teams I knew and make a new team. But in joining an existing team, I am sure that you have a lot more existing culture to deal with, and while you may be able to incorporate some of the "best" things you've learned, and certainly can use mentoring styles you know, you won't be able to go in and make this team like your old team. So bring what you know, but don't spend all your time trying to make it your old team.

Who or what was your inspiration to mentor after high school?
Three of my mentors in high school - our team leader Dave, the first engineer I worked with to build an amazing self powered goal blocking device - Tom, and a crazy electrical engineer - Rob. They were amazing mentors, and the reason that I became an engineer. They each shaped me into who I am as a mentor. I decided my dream was to inspire just one student the way I had been inspired, and if I could do that, I could carry on what they gave me.

[BigJ]

What were some of the largest adjustments you had to make while undergoing this transition?
For the first 2 years I was pretty much still acting like a kid. This is partly a function of joining the team as a senior, but mostly because I was still around mostly the same students and mentors as I was when I was a student.

What lessons did you learn from your first year of mentoring?
After about 2 years I got to the point where I didn't feel pressured to write code myself to "make sure it works", etc. Basically I was comfortable in just guiding the students rather than doing things for them.

Have you tried mentoring through digital media (ex: Skype video chat, emails, etc.), and if so, how? How successful is this method?
N/A

What is it like suddenly belonging to a new team? Did you carry over many of the things you learned from your high school/previous team?
N/A for me, though I noticed that when we have college mentors that are new to the team, they matured into the mentor role almost immediately as opposed to post-high-school mentors that helped our team after being on our team.

Who or what was your inspiration to mentor after high school?
I only got one year of it. I wanted more