I was wondering what the rules were about being an official member of a FRC team.
I’m currently a Senior at my high school and I’m taking a gap year next year so I won’t be heading to college until after that. Am I still eligible to be a student member or would I have to be a mentor? I won’t have started college, but I also will have graduated from my school already.
It seems as if I would be considered a student if I wanted to because I would still be “pre-college”. Would I be able to take a leadership position on the team?
Does anybody know the actual FIRST rules for this?
I need to know quickly. Thanks.
There is nothing to say having a mentor taking a leadership role is a bad thing. Leaders are those whom inspire people, a good mentor inspires students.
I’d say no. A 60 year old man that went to work immediately after high school and never attended college couldn’t be considered a team member, even though he’s still pre-college.
Reductio Ad Absurdum actually works some times…
I don’t think “student” implies “student in school,” but rather “student on team.”
You’re obviously pre-college, but whether or not you’re a student or a mentor is a decision that you and your team are free to make. I don’t see any FIRST-imposed restrictions.
countries besides the USA can have 5 years of high school. Some of my friends had this option in Ontario and took the extra year. Its getting pretty rare now to see that in Ontario. I think some of my cousins in Quebec are doing this but I forget.
I have not lived in Canada for a while, so I don’t know the current systems.
If you graduated high school, you are no longer a student. I expect the “pre college” thing is to cover the odd situation if your high school ends before the FRC season ends. All students have to reregister with First every year. As a side thing because of GA law, you have to be a registered student at Walton to be on our team. Other states may well have different laws. I poked around TIMS & the First web site, but did not see a definitive answer. Anyway in my unofficial judgment, you should register as a mentor since you would no longer be a student.
The First web site does describe FRC as a program for 9-12 grades ages 14-18.
You should contact First directly if you want their answer.
In Ontario, 5 years of high school through grade 13 was standard until some point in the 1980s. Then it was changed to 4 years through grade 12 for everyone + 1 year of OAC (Ontario academic credit) for university-bound students only. In 2003, the grade 12 class (which had been using a different, updated curriculum for the last few years) graduated alongside the last OAC class. At the time, Ontario was the last jurisdiction in the U.S. or Canada to have a 5th year of high school.
Not necessarily. In Ontario students frequently come back for a “victory lap” or as a “super senior” after they have officially graduated and received their diploma. Usually it’s because they want to improve a course mark or pick up some extra credits.
The only positions FIRST mandates go to students are the drive team. So if you do anything other than the drive team, you are automatically fine - it’s up to your team, not FRC.
I believe in your case, you are still a pre-college student and could be the driver, but you’d have to ask FIRST to be sure.
I don’t know that FIRST would consider you a student member, but as far as I’m aware, FIRST doesn’t have any rules about team leadership. If your team is alright with you being in a leadership position, I don’t see why you couldn’t be.
Is the option for the grade 13 still around in Ontario?
I just realized I had quebec’s CEGEP backwards. In Quebec, you graduate in grade 11 and go to through CEGEP before going to university. How does this work for FIRST teams in Quebec?
It’s not called grade 13 anymore; it’s just more grade 12. I’m not sure exactly how that’s treated on the student’s academic record, or when the diploma is issued (for a student who has enough credits, but doesn’t have the right courses or marks for university yet).
Yeah I think my friends said they got their diploma but wanted to improve their marks and take a few other classes. So their transcript was updated. Um I think got their diploma in 2004 cause I graduated in 2005.
I graduated from a California high school. I recall getting a notice that I completed all my credits early, I could have graduated a year early but that is not a boast since practically all university bound students have enough credits to graduate a year early. You only need like 2 years of science, 2 years of math. The only thing that took 4 years was english and social studies. So if you took a English and a history class during the summer you could finish a year early. I had a friend who did graduate a year early so he could go to West Point. i guess he was impatient.
Ontario students require 30 credits to graduate and can take as many more as they wish. As of Sep 2013 and with some exceptions, the 35th and beyond means the board will receive reduced funding from the Ministry of Education. They will be funded at the continuing education rate. Students will not have to pay to take additional courses. http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/students/faqs.html