What I have Learned in FIRST

[RBrandy]

This is an off-shoot of the "Sad Day for Seniors" Thread. I ask the question to any member: What have you learned during your FIRST years?

I'll start.

I know I have learned a lot about engineering and mechanics than anything else(ie. putting a piece of aluminium on the two battery contacts is a bad thing, when a set screw is not tight, your robot tends to not go very far, and are milling somthing, forget to have the spindle going, move the table, a large piece of metal get ruined. However, I learned many more lessons about the more important, what-FIRST-wants-us-to-learn things. Like: You should always take advantage of the oportunities you have; It doesn't matter how you do at something, just try your hardest, enjoy being there, have fun. You most likley won't have another chance to do it again; Try something you have never done before, you may find a new hobby or something; stressing out about things only will make the situationg worse, so chill out. So many more. FIRST was deffinatly a GREAT time in my life.

I've made many new friends, and learned some cool stuff along the way.

GOOD LUCK NEXT YEAR, SENIORS

So team RAGE (173) had a nice laminated paper... remember the "everything I needed to know I learned in Kindergarten"? It's like that...
So credit to them for this... I'm just typing it since I have it right by my computer and I love it =)

All I ever Needed to Know I learned from FIRST

• Science, engineering, and technology can be fun
• Be nice to others
• Share your resources
• Duct tape is what holds the world together
• It's not about winning, it's about how you play the game
• Meet your deadlines
• Work hard when it's time to work and play hard when it's time to play
• Listen to other people; adults can teach you a lot
• Listen to other people; Students can teach you a lot
• You can build all the robots you want, but you still need people to make the world turn
• Become a lifelong volunteer
• There is no "I" in "TEAM"
• Smile
• Gracious Professionalism goes a long way
• There's always going to be tough calls
• The world does not revolve around you
• Make new friends
• Riding on a Segway is the closest thing you'll get to a magic carpet ride
• Set goals
• Sometimes you just have to move out of your own way
• Don't whine
• If it ain't broke, don't fix it
• Life is full of successes and failures and you can learn a lot from both
• Lend a hand
• Don't operate machinery unless someone shows you how
• Reach for the stars
• Safety glasses are not forehead protectors
• If you've learned something, pass it on
• Say "Thank you" often
• It's OK to sleep if you're tired, even during the middle of Build
• File these memories so you can take them out in old age
• Take pride in what you've accomplished
• Agree to disagree
• Challenge yourself
• Laugh at your mistakes
• Use the right tool for the right job
• Measure twice
• Act as though your grandmother was watching you
• Take risks; you can always ask for forgiveness later
• If you're not willing to be part of the solution, don't be part of the problem
• Pursue your passion
• Think outside the universe

Thanks 173

Otherwise, personally I learned
sometimes things go worse than expected, but sometiems they go far far better than expected.

[RiceRobotica]

Well, I learned the extended basics of metal work:
~How to use a mill
~How to use the circle-y thing on the mill (technical term for the base that turns the piece of metal around)
~How to use the metal laithe
~How much my legs can hurt after a 6 hour marathon at the metal laithe
~That if you give stuck programmers a blank stare, they figure out exactly what's wrong in the program
~The value of clear comminication
~Teamwork can be ambitious but attainable
~Robot nerd boys have the BEST hair!
~Robot nerds will hug anybody who screams out, "Free hugs!"
~The scouts are mightier than the drive team
~Great legs can be attained with four flights of escalators as long as you take them in a rush 8 times a day
~And fireworks with people I met two days before after an evening of "telephone" and good food will be as unforgettable as the people themselves.

[Mike Schroeder]

I've learned that there is no one way to do things, that the box, isnt that big, so think outside it, to listen to what those guys with the degrees are saying, they know what they are talking about but think for yourselves, your ideas are important too

[Greg Perkins]

Originally Posted by RiceRobotica

Well, I learned the extended basics of metal work:
~How to use a mill
~How to use the circle-y thing on the mill (technical term for the base that turns the piece of metal around)
~How to use the metal laithe
~How much my legs can hurt after a 6 hour marathon at the metal laithe
~That if you give stuck programmers a blank stare, they figure out exactly what's wrong in the program
~The value of clear comminication
~Teamwork can be ambitious but attainable
~Robot nerd boys have the BEST hair!
~Robot nerds will hug anybody who screams out, "Free hugs!"
~The scouts are mightier than the drive team
~Great legs can be attained with four flights of escalators as long as you take them in a rush 8 times a day
~And fireworks with people I met two days before after an evening of "telephone" and good food will be as unforgettable as the people themselves.

Just so you learn a few more things about FIRST, that "circle-y thing" is called an indexing head. Also, a "Laithe" is spelled Lathe Its nice to see you are learning however

j/k

[RiceRobotica]

Ah, well then. Good to know.

[aaronbr28040]

FIRST has taught me so much, i dont think I could list it all here. Although this is my first year as a team member, and my last (i'll be a mentor next yeaer) I learned so much. What you learn about life, serious time management skills, and having fun is so much more important than the robot. I know that I was a little let down when my team did poorly at Nationals, but it was an uplifting experience because we were able to spend more time talking to other teams about their innovations rather than having to spend time fixing things on our bot. I learned so much more in those few days by losing than i would have by winning. Life isnt always about winning and FIRST will teach you about that.
-Aaron

[Amanda Morrison]

I've learned that the measure of success isn't the money you make, the education you get, or the car you drive. Your success can only be measured in the amount of people in whose lives you've made a difference and the size of your heart.

[Adam Y.]

BTY: electricity is stupid anyways, Mechanical things are Awesome!

Hey without electricity your robot would be a lump of metal.

[KathieK]

Originally Posted by ellenchisa

So team RAGE (173) had a nice laminated paper... remember the "everything I needed to know I learned in Kindergarten"? It's like that...
So credit to them for this... I'm just typing it since I have it right by my computer and I love it =)

Thank you, I'm glad you enjoy the essay. I compiled it using ideas gathered from Chief Delphi. You can download a copy from the White Papers section. I have it on my desk at work to remind me why I love this program!

[Terminator6]

Originally Posted by ellenchisa

All I ever Needed to Know I learned from FIRST

Awesome list covers some of the best....

but....heres my big one....

* caffine sustains life

(for me anyway)

[E. The Kidd]

I've learned a few things thanks to FIRST:

Saying I told you so dosen't help anyone! so don't waste time saying it cause it takes time away from your bot

Don't judge a team before you know them! many teams that have had sucess in the past are willing to share how they did it (not to mention they have really friendly people)

Make friends with your old team, you never know when you'll be asked back! I believe this now

and finally... Remember to have fun! I think you can get a lot more out of FIRST if you do it for fun rather than winning, I've made that mistake in that past and trust me FIRST wasn't nearly as fun as it is now

So much was learned...
~You are free to do whatever you want...but every action has a consequence whither good or bad.
~If you really listen to people, you learn much more then what they are saying
~Guys in Robotics hug much more then guys not in robotics
~It's ok to say you don't understand; it's not ok to say you don't understand and not let anyone explain it to you
~Give people a chance...they will surprise you more than likely
~Differences in race, color, creed, nationality, and gender all seem to blend together and become less important when you're working on a robot
~Never ever go to bed mad; especially if you talk in your sleep.
~Don't be too surprised if someone down the road qoutes you on something you said.
~Talk nicely to yourself. You are your own personal cheering section
~Mentors and other team mates and people will help you out if you need them; all you have to do is ask for help
~Your team cares about you...whither you like it or not
~Wendy's is a balanced meal
~No matter how hard you wish and pray...the people you don't like wont go away any faster and the people you do like are always leaving too soon
~The best part of being on a team isn't about the robot or about the web site or about this or that...it's about the great friends you make and the fun you have with them
~Tell people you appricaite them while you can...tell them you love them...tell them you care...because you may not have a tomorrow to do it.
~Life is precious. Respect it.

[sanddrag]

Let me put my learning experience this way:

The semi-important things I have learned would take up more than the character count allowed in a post.

The really important things I've learned can't really be described in words.

Or maybe I haven't learned at all, because FIRST isn't an education, it is a way of life.

[BandChick]

Originally Posted by RBrandy

What have you learned during your FIRST years?

I don't think there's a complete answer to this question. One, because I haven't left FIRST yet, and two, because I learned so much that it'd be near impossible to touch on everything FIRST taught me. I will try, because I think some of these experiences incoming freshman are missing out on. I learned the value of a team. 1089 started the season antsy, bossy, and complete individuals, but by the end of build season we had not only developed close friendships, but we were no longer snapping at each other over our disagreements. I learned the value of compromise, and especially that you can't always get what you want.

I learned what friendship really is, and that regardless of where you live or what race and religion you are, FIRST will give you friends, not only nationwide, but worldwide.

I learned your general electronics, mechanics, and a ton of tool names and their uses (because being your semi-geeky girl before this I was limited in my knowledge).

I learned that building a decent fully-functional robot in 6 weeks is acheivable, but hard nonetheless.

I learned that FIRST is about the experience you bring to the table and how you interact with other teams, and because of this, I realized life is too. I learned that gracious professionalism is important on the playing field if not moreso in real life. I've learned that FIRST is a piece of the real world, and it's more than just a game, it's a way of life.

I've learned more from FIRST than I could ever succesfully post in 10,000 characters, and more than I could express in words.

What I learned in FIRST will take me a lifetime to forget.