frequently asked questions
We get a lot of questions, and will try to collect some common questions below:
Getting started
What is first?
For Inspiration and Recognition of Science in technology is an organization founded in 1989 (With its first competition in 1992). The mission of FIRST® is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders and innovators, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering, and technology skills, that inspire innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership.
We compete in FIRST Robotics Competition, or FRC. Within FIRST there are different programs, such as FTC and FLL. There are many other robotics competitions as well, such as Vex, Seaperch, and TCEA. A key difference between FRC and other programs is the idea that mentors and students should work together (ie - it's not just designed/built by students or mentors, but rather as a collaboration). Another key difference is the size and power of the robots. Robots in FRC are much larger and have more energy than other robotics programs and play on a much larger field.
Two terms you'll hear frequently in FRC are Gracious Professionalism and Coopertition:
Gracious Professionalism is part of the ethos of FIRST. It's a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respect for individuals and the community.
Coopertition is founded on the concept and a philosophy that teams can and should help and cooperate with each other even as they compete.
We compete in FIRST Robotics Competition, or FRC. Within FIRST there are different programs, such as FTC and FLL. There are many other robotics competitions as well, such as Vex, Seaperch, and TCEA. A key difference between FRC and other programs is the idea that mentors and students should work together (ie - it's not just designed/built by students or mentors, but rather as a collaboration). Another key difference is the size and power of the robots. Robots in FRC are much larger and have more energy than other robotics programs and play on a much larger field.
Two terms you'll hear frequently in FRC are Gracious Professionalism and Coopertition:
Gracious Professionalism is part of the ethos of FIRST. It's a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respect for individuals and the community.
Coopertition is founded on the concept and a philosophy that teams can and should help and cooperate with each other even as they compete.
What is Pearadox?
Pearadox is an FRC team that was founded in the summer of 2014 with 3 industry mentors and about 7 students meeting out of a garage. In the fall of 2014, we got approval to become a team within Pearland ISD and began working out of Turner High School and recruited to a size of about 25 students: primarily freshman. Since that time, we have grown to more than 10 mentors, more than 40 students, a renovated facility with the machinery that enables us to compete at a high level with the dedication from our team members.
Pearadox functions as a de facto business, more than just a robotics team. We value team members that help with our branding, imagery, photography/videography, fundraising, budgeting, organizing our outreach and planning how we promote ourselves to possible sponsors, VIPs, and judges as much as students that join to build robots. We expect all team members to help with demonstrations, outreach, and mentoring the younger robotics programs in the district.
We meet year-round, primarily out of Turner, but are open to any Pearland ISD high school student. Team members not only acquire the technical skills for building a robot, many have learned skills in time management, project planning, public speaking, team building, leadership, and interviewing skills. They are able to grow from the interactions with their peers who perform a wide variety of roles, and from interactions with members of other teams who have a wide background from all over the world.
Pearadox functions as a de facto business, more than just a robotics team. We value team members that help with our branding, imagery, photography/videography, fundraising, budgeting, organizing our outreach and planning how we promote ourselves to possible sponsors, VIPs, and judges as much as students that join to build robots. We expect all team members to help with demonstrations, outreach, and mentoring the younger robotics programs in the district.
We meet year-round, primarily out of Turner, but are open to any Pearland ISD high school student. Team members not only acquire the technical skills for building a robot, many have learned skills in time management, project planning, public speaking, team building, leadership, and interviewing skills. They are able to grow from the interactions with their peers who perform a wide variety of roles, and from interactions with members of other teams who have a wide background from all over the world.
Do I need to be a Turner student to join?
No! The team is comprised of students from all 3 Pearland High School. However, to attend you MUST be in or incoming to high school.
Do I need to be a Pearland isd student to join?
Unfortunately, registration is only open to Pearland ISD students that are rising freshman through their senior year.
When can I join pearadox
We host a new member informational meeting in the final school days of May. We encourage anyone who wants to participate on the team the following year to come to that meeting. Typically, new members can start attending mid-June in between their 8th grade and freshman year. The current application process will be covered in the informational meeting, and those slides are usually shared here
what technical skills would help me contribute the most right away?
You do not need to already know how to build a robot to be useful on the team. That said, there are some skills that can help you contribute faster.
Some good places to start are:
Some good places to start are:
- Design
- Creating an onshape account
- Go through the training outline here - find the entry spot appropriate for you
- Creating an onshape account
- Programming
- Get familiar with Java. Code Academy is one of many possible ways: https://www.codecademy.com/learn/learn-java
- Get familiar with git. Code Academy is one of many possible ways: https://www.codecademy.com/learn/learn-git
- Get familiar with Java. Code Academy is one of many possible ways: https://www.codecademy.com/learn/learn-java
- Fabrication:
- We use VCarve and Mach3 to run the CNC router. There are some training resources available, and you can download a free version of VCarve for training and testing.
- We use VCarve and Mach3 to run the CNC router. There are some training resources available, and you can download a free version of VCarve for training and testing.
- General
- There are lots of general training things created by another team, Spectrum. While they don’t all apply to Pearadox, things will be largely similar: http://training.spectrum3847.org/
- There are lots of general training things created by another team, Spectrum. While they don’t all apply to Pearadox, things will be largely similar: http://training.spectrum3847.org/
- Helping with outreach, documentation, scouting, or team projects
What do new members usually start working on?
New members usually start with smaller or more guided tasks while they learn how the team works. These tasks may not always feel exciting at first, but they help students build skills, context, and trust.
Examples of good starter tasks might include:
Examples of good starter tasks might include:
- Learning CAD through practice projects
- Helping assemble or improve team equipment
- Helping organize tools, parts, and work areas
- Working with experienced students on small robot tasks
- Helping prepare for camps, outreach events, or training activities
- Learning basic shop safety and team procedures
- Helping document work so others can understand or continue it later
What qualities, habits, or actions help students succeed on the team?
The students who tend to grow the most on Pearadox usually do a few things consistently:
- They show up ready to work.
- They ask questions when they are stuck.
- They communicate with teammates and mentors.
- They follow through on tasks they agree to do.
- They contribute to both robot and non-robot team needs.
- They use time outside of meetings to learn, practice, or finish work when needed.
- They look for ways to help instead of waiting to be assigned every task.
learning and mentorship
How will I be taught or supported if I am new and do not know what to do yet?
New students will be supported, but robotics is different from a normal class. Mentors and experienced students will help, but students also need to take initiative.
If you do not know what to do, good next steps are:
If you do not know what to do, good next steps are:
- Ask a veteran student what they are working on and if you can help.
- Ask someone to explain what they are doing, then watch and help where you can.
- Sometimes this may mean just watching them and asking them questions about what they are doing and why! This is often called “shadowing”
- Ask someone to explain what they are doing, then watch and help where you can.
- Join a subteam or project group instead of working alone.
- Look for cleanup, organization, documentation, or prep work that needs to be done.
- Avoid all temptation to pull out your phone just because you feel bored
How is pearadox different from a normal class or school assignment?
Pearadox is more like a real project team than a normal class.
That means:
That means:
- Team work is not “homework” in the normal school sense.
- Robot design, business plans, award submissions, outreach, and documentation are real work that affect the team.
- Showing up does not automatically lead to high performance.
- Students who can work independently while also seeking mentorship will usually learn the most.
- There is almost always useful work to do, even if it is not the most exciting task.
- More effort and initiative usually leads to more learning and more responsibility.
How do experienced members help newer members learn and improve?
Experienced students are encouraged to include newer students in the work they are doing. Similarly, new students are encouraged to find a veteran that they can shadow that does work similar to what they are interested in.
That might look like:
That might look like:
- Explaining what a subteam is working on
- Inviting a rookie to help with a task
- Showing a newer student how to use a tool or software
- Reviewing a CAD model, wiring task, document, or project plan
- Helping a newer student understand team expectations
- Encouraging rookies to join a project instead of waiting on the side
what should I do if i am at a meeting and do not know how to help?
Start by asking. Good things to say are:
Asking “what is there for me to do?” during a meeting may sound like a helpful question, but there’s often so much going on that it can be very difficult for a mentor to give you a new task on the spot.
Keep in mind that a group that’s interrupted several times throughout a meeting to ask to be explained what they’re doing will likely become frustrated that they can’t make progress because they are constantly being interrupted to explain the same thing. It is best to do this at the beginning of the meeting and stick with one group until there’s a natural break in work.
- “What are you working on, and can I shadow you or help?”
- “Can I watch what you are doing and ask questions?”
- “Is there something that needs to be organized, cleaned, documented, or prepared?”
- “Who should I talk to if I want to learn more about what you’re working on?”
- Or “is there information about this online/in slack/somewhere that I can learn about this a little on my own?”
- Or “is there information about this online/in slack/somewhere that I can learn about this a little on my own?”
Asking “what is there for me to do?” during a meeting may sound like a helpful question, but there’s often so much going on that it can be very difficult for a mentor to give you a new task on the spot.
Keep in mind that a group that’s interrupted several times throughout a meeting to ask to be explained what they’re doing will likely become frustrated that they can’t make progress because they are constantly being interrupted to explain the same thing. It is best to do this at the beginning of the meeting and stick with one group until there’s a natural break in work.
Subteams and focus areas
Will I get to explore different parts of the team before choosing what to focus on?
Yes. Students will have opportunities to learn about different parts of the team, especially during the summer and fall.
We typically use training, projects, and team activities to help students explore areas such as:
We typically use training, projects, and team activities to help students explore areas such as:
- Mechanical
- CAD/design
- Manufacturing/fabrication
- Electrical
- Programming
- Strategy/scouting
- Outreach
- Awards/documentation
- Business/operations
- Media
How do students join subteams? Are they assigned, do they choose, or does it work another way?
Students are generally not assigned to subteams the way a teacher might assign groups for a class project.
Instead, students are encouraged to:
Instead, students are encouraged to:
- Explore different areas during the summer and fall
- Pay attention to what they enjoy and where they are useful
- Ask veterans and mentors how to get involved
- Pick 1 or 2 areas to focus on more seriously by kickoff in January
When should students start focusing on one or two areas?
Summer and fall are good times to explore. By kickoff in January, students should ideally have a better idea of where they want to focus.
That does not mean students can never help outside their main area. It just means that during build season, the team needs people who can reliably contribute to specific work.
A good goal is:
That does not mean students can never help outside their main area. It just means that during build season, the team needs people who can reliably contribute to specific work.
A good goal is:
- Summer/fall: explore, learn, try things, and ask questions
- By kickoff: choose 1 or 2 areas to focus on
- Build season: contribute consistently in those areas while still helping the whole team when needed
- The following summer/fall: start to grow skills in additional areas you are interested in
How should students document mini-projects or application work?
Mini-project are only required for veterans. Documentation should fit the project. There is not one perfect format for every type of work.
Depending on the project, documentation might be:
Depending on the project, documentation might be:
- A short slideshow
- A written explanation
- CAD screenshots and notes
- Photos and a word document of the process
- A video demonstration
- Code comments or a GitHub README
- A checklist or procedure
- A summary of what was tried, what worked, what failed, and what was learned
Outreach, Documentation, and team contributions
Can I contribute outside of building the robot?
Yes. Pearadox is more than just the robot!
Students can contribute through:
Students can contribute through:
- Outreach events
- Community projects
- Award submissions
- Engineering documentation
- Business and sponsor work
- Media and photography
- Scouting and strategy
- Camps and training events
- Team organization and operations
- Grant writing
- Projects that improve the team
Are students expected to help with outreach or community projects?
Yes. Students are encouraged and expected to contribute to the team beyond only robot work.
Pearadox uses TIGERs (Team Improvement, Growth, and Education Records) as one way to track these contributions. Every student is required to complete a certain number of TIGER that’s covered during the informational meeting every year (slides here)
Examples of things that may count as TIGERs include:
Pearadox uses TIGERs (Team Improvement, Growth, and Education Records) as one way to track these contributions. Every student is required to complete a certain number of TIGER that’s covered during the informational meeting every year (slides here)
Examples of things that may count as TIGERs include:
- Helping with outreach events
- Submitting grants
- Supporting camps or training events
- Creating useful documentation
- Creating training documentation
- Working on a project that improves the team
Why does the team care about non-robot work?
Non-robot work is part of what makes Pearadox sustainable.
Outreach, documentation, training, business work, awards, and operations help the team:
Additionally, FRC is a very resource expensive program; time, money, materials, etc. What makes it worth it is to expand our impact beyond the 50-60 students on the team through our non-robot work
Outreach, documentation, training, business work, awards, and operations help the team:
- Teach more students
- Raise money
- Recruit mentors and sponsors
- Share STEM with the community
- Preserve knowledge from year to year
- Run events and camps
- Compete for awards
- Build a stronger program overall
Additionally, FRC is a very resource expensive program; time, money, materials, etc. What makes it worth it is to expand our impact beyond the 50-60 students on the team through our non-robot work
Schedule and attendance
What is the team schedule like during the fall and build season?
The team schedule changes depending on the time of year.
Summer: Often just one in-person meeting a week
Aug-Dec: Often one or two in-person meetings a week
Jan-May: 20+ hours of scheduled meeting time
The team calendar can be found here:
http://www.pearadox5414.org/calendar.html
General team information and meeting schedule slides can be found here:
http://www.pearadox5414.org/join.html
In general:
Summer: Often just one in-person meeting a week
Aug-Dec: Often one or two in-person meetings a week
Jan-May: 20+ hours of scheduled meeting time
The team calendar can be found here:
http://www.pearadox5414.org/calendar.html
General team information and meeting schedule slides can be found here:
http://www.pearadox5414.org/join.html
In general:
- Summer and fall are used for training, projects, outreach, and onboarding.
- Build season starts after kickoff in January and is usually much more intense.
- Competition season includes events, travel planning, robot work, scouting, and award deadlines.
What are the expectations for meeting attendance?
There is not usually a strict attendance requirement during the summer and fall, but students are still expected to complete requirements and communicate if they are involved in a project. Most importantly, students are expected to participate enough to grow their skills to prepare them for the spring.
During build season, attendance matters more because the work is time-sensitive and connected to other people’s work.
In general, students should:
During build season, attendance matters more because the work is time-sensitive and connected to other people’s work.
In general, students should:
- Attend meetings consistently if they want to be meaningfully involved
- Follow through on tasks they commit to
- When taking on responsibilities, communicate any conflicts that may make it difficult to complete
- Understand that more involvement usually leads to more learning and more responsibility
How do students balance robotics with school, homework, and other activities?
Students balance robotics in different ways. Realistically by the time a student is an upperclassmen, a student may need to determine which extra-curriculars they want to focus on.
Some students:
Some students:
- Finish homework before meetings
- Use time between school and robotics to study
- Choose specific days to attend robotics based on their schedule
- Communicate early when school, family, sports, or other activities conflict
- Limit how many responsibilities they take on at once
Meetings and logistics
What does a typical meeting look like?
A typical meeting often looks something like this:
- Announcements and sometimes training at the beginning
- Students break into subteams, project groups, or task areas
- Most of the meeting is spent working on tasks or projects
- Mentors and experienced students help guide work, answer questions, and review progress
- The end of the meeting is used for cleanup, recaps, and shoutouts
Where do team meetings take place?
Meetings take place at Robert Turner High School. Students and parents should check the team calendar for current meeting dates, times, and locations:
http://www.pearadox5414.org/calendar.html
Some events, competitions, outreach activities, or special meetings may happen at other locations.
What should I bring to meetings?
Students should generally bring:
- A charged laptop if they have one
- Something to take notes with (can be a phone)
- Proper attire:
- Safety glasses
- Pants
- Shorts are sometimes accepted throughout summer months depending on the AC situation
- Closed-toe shoes
- non-baggy clothing
- no dangling jewelry
- A good attitude and willingness to help
What if I miss a meeting?
If you miss a meeting, it is your responsibility to catch up. Unless you had a specific responsibility during that meeting, you do not need to communicate to mentors every meeting you’re going to miss. However, we typically have polls in slack for planned attendance for the following week and it’s helpful to take a best estimate at that so we can identify if there’s a group we’re going to be missing everyone in.
Good next steps are:
Good next steps are:
- Check team communication channels
- Ask your subteam or project group what changed
- Ask other students if there are tasks you need to complete before the next meeting
- Check the calendar for upcoming meetings or deadlines
- Avoid expecting someone else to fully re-teach the meeting individually if you did not communicate
How many hours do I need to commit? Can I still do other clubs or activities?
Short answer:
Yes, students can do other activities. However, students who want to be eligible for competitions should expect to commit about 11+ hours per week during build/competition season from January through April and at least 3+ hrs a week during summer and fall. Students who want to be highly involved or pursue leadership roles should expect closer to 15–20+ hours per week during build season and likely 5-10+ hrs a week during the summer and fall.
Longer answer:
Pearadox is a year-round program, but the time commitment changes a lot depending on the part of the year. During the summer and fall, we typically meet 1–3 times per week for training, outreach, off-season projects, and preparation. In January, the new FRC game is announced, and from January through April the team is designing, building, testing, practicing, improving, and competing with the robot.
During build and competition season, our regular meeting schedule usually includes multiple weekdays and Saturdays. We have ~22 hours of regularly scheduled meetings a week. Our attendance goals are:
Students do not need to make robotics their only activity. We have had students successfully balance Pearadox with band, theater, debate, choir, HOSA, sports, jobs, and other commitments. We encourage students, especially new students, to try robotics before deciding how it fits with everything else they are involved in.
That said, students and families should understand that Pearadox has more interested students than we can reasonably support at the same level. We typically have 100+ students express interest, but we do not have enough space, mentor bandwidth, tools, robot roles, and competition travel spots for everyone to participate casually at the same level. Because of that, we use an application process, and acceptance prioritizes students who show consistent effort, engagement, follow-through, and a willingness to make Pearadox a meaningful priority.
This does not mean students cannot do other activities. It does mean students should be realistic about their goals. A student who is only available occasionally can still learn, contribute, and benefit from the team, but they are less likely to become a major technical lead, student leader, drive team member, or key competition contributor without making Pearadox one of their higher priorities. The same is true in other activities: a student is less likely to become a starter in a sport, section leader in band, or officer in another organization without prioritizing that activity.
After freshman year, some students may need to make choices about how they want to prioritize their extracurriculars. Some students choose to make Pearadox one of their main commitments. Some choose to participate in Pearadox at a more limited level while focusing more heavily on another activity. Both can be reasonable choices, but the expectations and opportunities may be different.
Our main expectation is that students are honest about their availability, communicate when they have conflicts, stay engaged when they are present, and follow through on the responsibilities they accept. Robotics can be a great experience even for students who share time with other activities, but the more effort and initiative students put in, the more they will usually get out of the program.
Yes, students can do other activities. However, students who want to be eligible for competitions should expect to commit about 11+ hours per week during build/competition season from January through April and at least 3+ hrs a week during summer and fall. Students who want to be highly involved or pursue leadership roles should expect closer to 15–20+ hours per week during build season and likely 5-10+ hrs a week during the summer and fall.
Longer answer:
Pearadox is a year-round program, but the time commitment changes a lot depending on the part of the year. During the summer and fall, we typically meet 1–3 times per week for training, outreach, off-season projects, and preparation. In January, the new FRC game is announced, and from January through April the team is designing, building, testing, practicing, improving, and competing with the robot.
During build and competition season, our regular meeting schedule usually includes multiple weekdays and Saturdays. We have ~22 hours of regularly scheduled meetings a week. Our attendance goals are:
- 50%+ attendance at regular build meetings = eligible for competition with a mentor vouching for the student
- 75%+ attendance at regular build meetings = eligible for competition unless a mentor says otherwise
Students do not need to make robotics their only activity. We have had students successfully balance Pearadox with band, theater, debate, choir, HOSA, sports, jobs, and other commitments. We encourage students, especially new students, to try robotics before deciding how it fits with everything else they are involved in.
That said, students and families should understand that Pearadox has more interested students than we can reasonably support at the same level. We typically have 100+ students express interest, but we do not have enough space, mentor bandwidth, tools, robot roles, and competition travel spots for everyone to participate casually at the same level. Because of that, we use an application process, and acceptance prioritizes students who show consistent effort, engagement, follow-through, and a willingness to make Pearadox a meaningful priority.
This does not mean students cannot do other activities. It does mean students should be realistic about their goals. A student who is only available occasionally can still learn, contribute, and benefit from the team, but they are less likely to become a major technical lead, student leader, drive team member, or key competition contributor without making Pearadox one of their higher priorities. The same is true in other activities: a student is less likely to become a starter in a sport, section leader in band, or officer in another organization without prioritizing that activity.
After freshman year, some students may need to make choices about how they want to prioritize their extracurriculars. Some students choose to make Pearadox one of their main commitments. Some choose to participate in Pearadox at a more limited level while focusing more heavily on another activity. Both can be reasonable choices, but the expectations and opportunities may be different.
Our main expectation is that students are honest about their availability, communicate when they have conflicts, stay engaged when they are present, and follow through on the responsibilities they accept. Robotics can be a great experience even for students who share time with other activities, but the more effort and initiative students put in, the more they will usually get out of the program.
