FAQ

We have put together a FAQ that should answer some of your questions if you want to join the team.

Q: What kind of skills do I need?
A: We are open to any students, whether experienced or not. We will provide you with training during build season and before competition. Students need to be willing and able to work beyond the school day and during weekends. You will learn the skills you need to build the robot and function on the team.

Q: What to my teammates expect of me? What should I expect of them?
A: You must be dedicated to the team goals and have a positive attitude because we cannot afford to have any negativity. Negative attitudes are counter productive and affect the people you are working with.

Q: How much time am I expected to commit?
A: You are expected to commit as much time as you possibly can. A typical build requires between 60 and 90 hours per team member-we only have a limited amount of time to build the robot. When you are on the robotics team, we expect you to work your hardest.

Q: What if I have other commitments like  after school sports,studying for classes or activities?
A: You are expected to commit to the team. Its hard to manage everything you do, but people do this all the time. If anything, it's a skill set to be able to multitask. Again, you have to want it bad enough.

Q: Do I have to be a student in Monterey High to join?
A: There is no need to be in the same school as the team, we had a couple of team members come from other schools to join our team. You just need to be committed and manage to come to the meetings after school when prompted to.

Q: What will I get out of joining the robotics team?
A: It's probably some of the hardest work you will ever do, but you get a lot out of it. For example, the ability to work together as a unit for common goals while meeting impossible deadlines, then meeting more deadlines. That's a high level skill set in demand with industry today. You can include it on your resume-Tesla has  hired several team managers from FIRST teams because of their ability to lead effectively
What else do you get? It's so much fun and possibly a life-changing experience. The friendships you make extend through your high school years and beyond. You learn who you can count on in a stressful environment, and who's got your back. Team members are extremely loyal and supportive of one another.
Finally, FIRST has many wonderful scholarship opportunities available to team participants.