Many exams and competitions from different categories have existed throughout history and continue to exist today. These competitive exams are filled with students willing to join for various experiences and diverse lessons. Most of the competitions provide students valuable learning points on how they can improve. However, some competitions go above and beyond simply improving students’ knowledge.
Specifically, they help to shape and support the future career paths of students. One of these excellent competitions is the VEX Robotics Competition. This competition is helpful for the participants in many ways. This is because it helps students to learn basic robotics skills, assists students in forming strong friendships, and facilitates students to develop their problem solving skills.
The VEX Robotics Competition is a game based robot challenge where alliances of two teams fight the opponents by completing the tasks. The VEX Robotics Competition was founded in 2007 by Innovation First International and is currently run by the REC(Robot Education and Competition) Foundation.
The main purpose of this game is to defeat the opponent by scoring points in different ways. Every year, the mission of the team changes. In addition, there are two parts of the VEX robotics competition. The VEX IQ competition is mainly for the younger students who are learning robotics for the first time.
On the other hand, the VEX V5 competition is for more talented and experienced students who already have a profound knowledge involving robotics. Both of these competitions provide great experience and knowledge about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and help one’s future.
To start with, VEX robotics competition helps students learn the basic robotics skills that are needed for their future. In the preparation stage of the competition, students’ ability to make the robots and move evolves tremendously. This is great for students to get ready for the next generation of robots. For example, to compete in VEX robotics, students must have basic knowledge involving gears, motors, and many other robotic parts. While preparing for the competition, the students will gain knowledge on different criterias.
With the technology relating to robots keep on improving as we go to the future, these skills are essential to learn. Also, while preparing, VEX robotics can implant the basics of coding for the students that can be used in many situations. Nowadays, coding is used in almost every job available to humans. This is because most of the work done now is on computers. Thus, having a base idea of what coding is and being able to do the basics is crucial to a student’s future.
Thankfully, VEX robotics competition can provide this skill for any young adult who decides to join this competition. In order to properly make the robot remotely controllable, students need to code to input information to the robot on what they need to do when certain buttons are pressed. During this stage, students can develop their coding skills and later carry on coding the auto skills section which is more harder than the previous. These skills of engineering with robots are crucial for the future of the students.
Secondly, this competition can help students develop a strong bond between teammates. This happens because they go through a lot of hardships and suffering together. During the preparation stage of the VEX robotics competition, competitors usually face a lot of problems and get frustrated easily. This can lead to small arguments or fights occurring between teammates. However, once they work together and overcome the obstacle, the bonds between teammates will be stronger as ever.
As a result of this, their relationship can develop into a life-lasting friendship which is very important for young students who are still growing. In addition, winning and having success together can also bring their friendship very close. There is no better feeling than winning a competition together with a friend after constant hardships. If students are successful in this competition, students share great memories with their teammates due to the frustration and anger they might have felt preparing for VEX. This helps friendships to be strengthened and increase the possibility that it will last longer for the student’s future.
Finally, students can strengthen their problem solving skills thanks to this competition. This is due to the obstacles that are faced when preparing for the competition. To explain further, many problems happen when teams are getting ready for the competition. Sometimes robots break or malfunction and sometimes the code doesn’t work. In this case it is up to the students to figure out the solutions to each of the problems.
Thanks to these kinds of situations, students can power up their problem solving skills and creativity. Later in life, students can use this problem solving skills and creativity to find a solution to a problem in their job or work. To add, during the competition, students need to make decisions fast to overcome any obstacles they might be in. To illustrate, since the games are very quick, students need to make quick decisions everytime there is a shift in the game.
Thus, every decision plays a huge part in the game and can determine who wins the match. When students keep practicing, these skills will keep on improving and can be used in later life. Everyday students in the future will face small problems or decisions that have to be made fast. If this skill is trained students can make more reasonable decisions that can lead to better situations.
In conclusion, VEX robotics competition is a great chance to improve the students who are looking for a brighter future. It helps students to gain knowledge about the things that are necessary to learn for the future. Also, it helps students to create friendships that will eventually last a lifetime. Finally, it helps students to reinforce their problem solving skills that can be used in any situation in their life. Overall, VEX robotics competition is a valuable experience for all students. This experience will help the students become a better and successful person in the future.
By: Dongchan Kim
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