So next year I will start Vex VRC instead of Vex IQ. I’ve seen some robots and they look super cool and wayyy too smart for me. I love robotics tho, and I can’t imagine doing anything else. I have no idea what it’ll be like. And there is only one definite spot open for next year and I’m pretty sure someone else will get it (his brothers in robotics and he’s been doing in for like 4-5 years and he’s a genius soo). But I really want to make it and be prepared, so do y’all have any tips/advice? Thx!
I would recommend that you read this topic. It consists of many excellent tips for beginners in VRC!
A few general tips I will highly promote and encourage are to read the game manual and to use your resources to get general starting points (e.g. YouTube).
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Don’t give up without trying. You need to be confident in yourself before anyone else will be confident in you. Is there an application process? What does that look like. What does the team need? What are your strengths? Play up to your strengths and learn the things that interest you. You have a lot of time before next year to learn more about VRC. Even if you don’t have access to build a bot there is a lot you can do online.
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Just remember that VRC systems give much more power than Vex IQ in terms of torque, so a lot more is possible. As for the robots looking so much more complex, the density of how tightly packed the robot has to be plays into its overwhelming nature (for some).
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Since you are in vex iq right now, try your best. Your coach will have to recognize your effort and consistence in robotics if you want to get into VRC next year.
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Here are some of my tips for you:
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Keep an open mind! - No one’s ever achieved something while saying they can’t do it. This is probably the most important thing that you can do to better your chances of getting in. Even if you don’t make it in your first year, don’t give up! As David Goggins said, “Everyone fails sometimes and life isn’t supposed to be fair, much less bend to your every whim.” Keep working and you’ll definitely get it the next year.
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Do what you’re good at - Nobody’s the best at everything. If you can get very good at something, whether it be building, coding, or even notebooking, you’re an extremely valuable asset to a team. If you want to learn more about these, the forum is a great place to look. A team that has a mediocre coder, a good builder, and a good notebooker isn’t going to want a person who is a mediocre coder, a mediocre builder, and a mediocre notebooker. What they are going to want is a good coder. I’ll guarantee that every team probably has a hole like that, so be really good at something and be willing to improve.
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Here are some specific tips to do based on what you would like to be good at
a) Coding - If you’d like to be good at coding, try Virtual Skills to start, and then proceed to learn about more complex things. Use the forums to find out what works and what doesn’t work, and try new things on your current IQ bot.
b) Building - Try learning CAD (I would recommend Onshape; There is a learning curve, but it’s well worth it), try learning building norms and taboos, and I would definitely recommend watching Ryan Liao’s Building Masterclass (at least the first 3 episodes) which you can find on youtube. They’re short videos but include a lot of information that is very helpful about building.
c) Notebooking - I’m assuming you’re doing a notebook in IQ, but if you’re not it’s never too late to start! Try to be concise and learn about how notebooking works using the forums. There are endless ideas to make your notebook stand out to the judges, and this is a key part of a VRC team that is underappreciated. Also, look at the forums for notebooking ideas and help.
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Try observing VRC practices - Go to the coach and ask if you can watch some VRC robot building. I’ll guarantee that even if they say no, this shows initiative which is something that coaches look for.
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Be nice to the coach - I’m sure this goes without saying but try to be nice to the coach. Don’t be overbearing, because that will make you look like a “Pick Me” (for lack of a better term). Just be respectful and they’ll recognize your hard work.
Remember, "Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard” - Tim Notke. You’ve got this!
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Its the same as IQ when it comes to the skills you need except piece recognition in my opinion.
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vrc is actually alot simpler than it looks, and u probably know alot more about robotics than most teams bc alot of vrc teams are new or have only done vrc. cough cough myself having done viqrc gives you an advantage over most of the other teams out there.
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