just thought I would type something up on my thoughts during the season. feel free to post your own.
before build season: i thought that the season was going to be standard fare, sort of like math team. this was deception by our former mentor.
during build season: my general thoughts were changed by the build season. at first our team had problems but in the fifth week we fired our mentor, a teacher with too much ego and not enough respect, and sought help from professionals. after that things went smoothly
at reigonal: I was thoroughly unprepared for what awaited me in boston. I would of thought it unimaginable that so many people would come to see robots compete. before the most exciting event was a math team meet where about 30 people came to cheer on the 300 students.
overall: this year has changed my life profoundly. i gained friends( in total i have never broken double digits before first), i earned trust and began to gain a respect and admiration for other students. to all of the people who on robotics, I thank you for giving me the chance and happiness that i had never had before. robotics has been the happiest thing i have ever done in my life
I had watched and attended FIRST regionals before this year, but this was the first year I was part of a team… I don’t know how I lived without it .
Its nice to be in a place where if you said “i need a socket head cap screw” or “this servo algorithm needs an integrator” or “we need to use 6 gauge wiring on that” everyone knows exactly what you mean. I have never been anywhere (except for at work) where the people have such high levels of knowledge.
ooh i can’t wait till the off season work starts :]
I am now officially no longer a rookie after surviving atlanta!(according to my team mates). I remember FLL being a blast and expecting FIRST to be fun…but it is so much better than I could have ever imagined. Is awesome.
Every year FIRST changes my life, in some way or another.
You think this year has changed you…just wait till next year, and then many more to come! I’m so glad you were given the chance to experience what so few have. (one thing you’ll learn is no non-robotics person will ever understand like you want them to) Good luck next year!!
the most profound thing tht I have noticed about first is that it really never ends. with all the off season events you are busy all year long. this is so cool.
even so the first year of first has changed my lifestyle 100%.
This past year has really changed my way of thinking and philosophy on life. Before FIRST, i never thought i would meet people with similar interests or people i could relate to, but once FIRST started, I learned that there is a whole new, big world out there waiting for me. A world named FIRST.
^^ Exactly what he said, except replace Boston with Hartford and Atlanta.
I seriously have to thank my physics and computer programming teachers for pushing me to get involved with FIRST. I just wish I had joined sooner. Even though I’ll be going to college next year, I’m still going to try my best to stay involved and stick around. Who knows what will happen next…
Being part of my teams has been one of the craziest and hardworking moments of my life. I have become much more involved in FIRST this year than pretty much anything else ever.
Even being at an offseason event as a pre-rookie couldn’t have gotten the full experience of what being at an actual competition. Maybe it was a combination of being able to interact with so many people and having to be in the pits continually to fix our semi-functional robot, but going to comepetition and being around so many people all so ready and happy to work with each other is exciting. It’s like nothing I’ve ever been to before.
FIRST is one of those few things that comes along that is exciting, engaging, and allows you to meet a whole lot of new people. I know that I’m already looking forward to whatever they are going to throw at us next.
Congrats on making it through you rookie year successfully. I was in your shoes 5 years ago and I too was amazed by FIRST and the people I met and it doesn’t stop once you become a mentor. Good luck for the rest of your well spent time in FIRST.
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