College Admissions Essay: The First Engineering Competition

648 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The history of robots

The FIRST Engineering Competition



It was just the second week of school, and I had mustered up all my courage to venture to the nether regions of our school known as the basement to attend the first meeting of the newly forming FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) robotics team. When I walked into room one, the newly proclaimed FIRST headquarters, I looked around with apprehension, and I noticed that I did not recognize a single face in the room. Nervously, I took a seat, and Mr. Mothersele, the advisor for the program began describing the program. FIRST is a national engineering competition in which partnerships are formed between local businesses and high schools to design and build a robot-like machine from identical kits of parts supplied by FIRST. The team has about six weeks to build the machine which must be able to compete in a timed sporting event. As soon as I saw the video of the students working and competing with the robots, I was hooked. The program seemed tailored to my interest in math in science and to my competitive spirit. I couldn't resist the opportunity. …show more content…

I bumbled along, learning about design and how to use the machines. I made my full share of mistakes and then some, but by the end of the program, I was gaining some real experience. Although our robot did not fare very well in the competition our first year, my learning process was underway, and I knew that I had found my place.

Show More
Related

  • Free College Admissions Essays: Marching On

    673 Words  | 2 Pages

    Sweat dripping down my face and butterflies fluttering around my stomach as if it was the Garden of Eden, I took in a deep breathe and asked myself: "Why am I so nervous? After all, it is just the most exciting day of my life." When the judges announced for the Parsippany Hills High School Marching Band to commence its show, my mind blanked out and I was on the verge of losing sanity. Giant's Stadium engulfed me, and as I pointed my instrument up to the judges' stand, I gathered my thoughts and placed my mouth into the ice-cold mouthpiece of the contrabass. "Ready or not," I beamed, "here comes the best show you will ever behold." There is no word to describe the feeling I obtain through music. However, there is no word to describe the pain I suffer through in order to be the best in the band either. When I switched my instrument to tuba from flute in seventh grade, little did I know the difference it would make in the four years of high school I was soon to experience. I joined marching band in ninth grade as my ongoing love for music waxed. When my instructor placed the 30 lb. sousaphone on my shoulder on the first day, I lost my balance and would have fallen had my friends not made the effort to catch me. During practices, I always attempted to ease the discomfort as the sousaphone cut through my collar bone, but eventually my shoulder started to agonize and bleed under the pressure. My endurance and my effort to play the best show without complaining about the weight paid off when I received the award for "Rookie of the Year." For the next three seasons of band practice, the ache and toil continued. Whenever the band had practice, followed by a football game and then a competition, my brain would blur from fatigue and my body would scream in agony. Nevertheless, I pointed my toes high in the air as I marched on, passionate about the activity. As a result, my band instructor saw my drive toward music and I was named Quartermaster for my junior year, being trusted with organizing, distributing, and collecting uniforms for all seventy-five members of the band. The responsibility was tremendous. It took a bulk of my time, but the sentiment of knowing that I was an important part of band made it all worthwhile.

    Read More

  • High School Team Mission Statement

    1623 Words  | 4 Pages

    Nicolet FEAR, Team 4786, is a FIRST Robotics Team in Glendale, Wisconsin. Our mission statement says, “We are determined to create a path to success by polishing our strengths and overcoming our weaknesses in order to integrate ourselves, schools, communities, and families in all aspects of our work.” Nicolet FEAR strives for efficiency, innovation and excellence, and our passion for science, technology, engineering and mathematics attracts numerous students every year who desire to learn more about STEM, improve their leadership skills and work together as a team. Through our business plan we hope to become a top-20 team at competition and create dependable alliances by reaching out to other FIRST teams, therefore maintaining a

    Read More

  • History of Cherokee Culture and Food

    2157 Words  | 5 Pages

    Before there was a United States of America, there were tribes of Native Americans living off the land. In the southeastern part of the country, the largest group of Native Americans were the Cherokee people (Boulware, 2009). Cherokees are networked through vast kinship lines that separates them from other tribes in the region (Boulware, 2009). They once occupied a territory that ran throughout the Appalachian Mountains (Boulware, 2009). Cherokees spoke a common language known as Iroquoian, different from the surrounding tribes (Boulware, 2009).

    Read More

  • Great Depression Dbq

    287 Words  | 1 Pages

    n the history of the United States The Great Depression was the most detrimental economic depression to ever happen. It lasted from 1929 to 1939. There were many things that caused the Great Depression. Historians and Economist believe the stock market crash was one of the first causes that lead to the Great Depression. The stock market had just reached record highs the summer of 1929, but had started to decline in September. On October 24th, the stock market plunged and five days later it crashed. Many people were in a panic. The value was lost by 12 percent and wiping out $14 billion of investments. With in only 2 more months, more than $40 billion dollars were lost by stockholders. The economy was destroyed and America entered into the

    Read More

  • Free College Admissions Essays: Multifaceted Background

    465 Words  | 1 Pages

    Writing a self-reflective tirade is perhaps one of the most difficult tasks to perform. I have found myself pondering this topic for an unusually long time; no one has ever asked me to write about my culture-- the one thing about myself which I understand the least. This question which is so easy for others to answer often leads me into a series of convoluted explanations, "I was born in the U.S., but lived in Pakistan since I was six. My brothers moved to the US when I was thirteen" I am now nearly twenty, which means I have spent half my life being Pakistani, the other half trying to be American, or is the other way around?

    Read More

  • Great Depression Dbq

    1236 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Great Depression was caused by the stock market crash. The stock market crash was an event that happened on October 29, 1929. The crash was caused by overproduction in the United States and high import tariffs in Europe.

    Read More

  • What Is The Appropriate Response To American Revolution

    539 Words  | 2 Pages

    The American Revolution did not cause the effects of the events that took place or any single legislation. The British government was the result of some factors playing against the wellbeing of the colonists. Between 1763 and 1775 a series of laws related to taxation could possibly be an important factor that instigated the American Revolution. The legislations most likely began the debate starting on what the nature of the responses should be and how it should be. The responses should've been civil, but there were others that preferred other means to get their point across. The British had no choice but to repealed the stamp act.

    Read More

  • My First Robotics

    1184 Words  | 3 Pages

    When people hear the term “FIRST Robotics” or hear anything related to robotics, they automatically assume that it has something to do with robots destroying each other or nerds sitting in the corner eating pizza and building small robots; I used to be one of those people who thought that before joining FIRST Robotics. In all honesty, I was very reluctant on becoming a part of FIRST Robotics in the first place because I did not know if I would fit in or even enjoy it for that matter. However, thanks to two special people I gave FIRST Robotics a shot, and I’m thankful that I did because I wouldn’t be the person that I am today. FIRST Robotics has greatly impacted my high school experience by teaching me life skills that I can’t learn in the classroom, forming new bonds and

    Read More

  • Soccer Scholarship Essay 1

    546 Words  | 2 Pages

    This experience has taught me many valuable lessons. I learned that it is important to fight and work for what you believe in. I have learned more skills than soccer, such as teamwork and communication skills. I have learned that it's good to broaden one's horizon by meeting and becoming friends with people from other schools and communities. I'm looking forward to the soccer district and regional, and we hope we qualify for the state championship.

    Read More

  • Cherokee Tribe: An Unusual Alliance in American History

    1600 Words  | 4 Pages

    Imagine this: you’re living in the United States, and the country goes to war with an enemy, but instead of fighting with your home country you decide to fight with the enemy. The Cherokee tribe was important in American history for this because they had a great alliance with Britain against the United States during wars. Initially they were a part of the Iroquois tribe, and lived in the Northeast near the Great Lakes. When they broke away and became their own individual tribe, they moved to the south toward the east coast (“Cherokee Indians”). They were then located in the Southeastern US. Some of these states included North and South Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Georgia and Alabama (Chenocetah). After the Trail

    Read More

  • Cherokee Culture

    944 Words  | 2 Pages

    When European explorers first contacted the Cherokees in the 16th century, they have been consistently identified as one of the most socially and culturally advanced of the Native American tribes. Having thrived for hundreds of years before first European contact in the southeastern area of what is now the United States. Cherokee culture and society continued to develop, progressing and embracing cultural elements from European settlers. The Cherokee shaped a government and a society matching the most civilized cultures of the day.(1) In 1829, things changed when President Andrew Jackson ordered the round up and removal of the tribes for their land that held gold so coveted by the European

    Read More

  • Sports Narrative - Track Competition

    1604 Words  | 4 Pages

    As the Tiger rolled around, there arose a question of whether or not to keep the team together or break it up and give the two seniors a chance to compete in other individual events at regionals. I actually didn't know about this possibility until about five minutes before the race began on Saturday. We were all huddled together preparing for the start. Jeremy came up to Rodney and me and told us that if we didn't do well the team might be dropped. Kicking our motivational drive into high, the four of us focused on only one thing: running the time we all knew we could. Getting into the blocks I felt more ready than ever. At the sound of the gun, I shot out of the blocks. I sprinted around the track, concentrating on making a great hand-off.

    Read More

  • I Robot

    1677 Words  | 4 Pages

    But once accomplished, the abilities of robots skills and techniques are endless and ever-progressing. Robotics and are already infiltrating a slew of professions a...

    Read More

  • Personal Narrative - Race

    1229 Words  | 3 Pages

    I had never really been a part of a team that had a chance to win something, but the potential was always there. I finally got my chance to be a part of such a team my sophomore year of track. Mr. Jones, the head track coach, had decided to experiment with some different races to gain more team points. Since the girls' team lacked a medley relay, he placed Cindy, Kim, Susan and I in those spots. Cindy would run the 400, Kim would run the 200, and Susan and I would start the race off by each running the 100. We all had worked viciously to earn those spots by running off against our teammates.

    Read More

  • Personal Narrative: My First Robotics

    688 Words  | 2 Pages

    My heart was pounding and my hands were sweaty. I couldn’t tell if I was nervous or excited. I watched breathlessly as my team-mates were in the field setting up the robot. Switching it on, precisely positioning it, and checking all the motor-controlling wires. Everything had to be done perfectly and properly otherwise the robot would be completely incapable when the match started. Finally, they fled the field and the buzzer rang indicating the start of the first practice match. The robot took off flawlessly, driving itself through the fifteen second autonomous This was only a practice match at UC Davis’s Sacramento Regional in the FIRST Robotics program, but that moment marked the culmination of six weeks of hard work. About a little over

    Read More

More about College Admissions Essay: The First Engineering Competition

Open Document