The IBET robot project has been a classic project for freshmen to lose their heads over for years. How are freshmen reacting to the increase in workload and the stress of a major assignment that could possibly make their grades fall into the abyss and never return? This is my take on the robot project.

Many of my fellow students are nervous about the project, partially because of the difficulty of the work that has to be done, and partially because it is worth a lot of points.

“I’m a little nervous but we still have a decent amount of time to work on it. I’m not sure how many hours I will be spending on the project, it is hard to say now, but there will probably be a lot of refining and going back and fixing stuff,” freshman Tommy Williams said.

My personal experience on it has not been that bad. Currently, we are slightly less than halfway through the project, and I have just laser cut the materials I need for construction. Despite things going well, I still feel as if failure is just around the corner. The IBET robot project is the first complex project I will be doing. It is no longer just manipulating buttons, but a complex situation where one has to use multiple sensory devices to navigate a maze and obtain a ball. We also will be designing the whole thing ourselves, not designing a toy that is a mimic of popular pop culture.

The difficulty of the project is one thing, the workload is another. Many fellow students share the thoughts that the IBET robot project will interfere with our schedules greatly.

“I anticipate spending a good bit of time on the robot, maybe an hour or two a day. I guess it’s fine considering we’re wrapping up our English Take The Floor presentations, but it is an increase in workload from a class that previously did not require much work outside of class,” freshman Neil Mahra said.

Nevertheless, it is a great project to begin the treacherous journey as a Jefferson student. New trials will attempt to shake our resolve and dash our hopes against the jagged rocks of despair, but with this gateway into the realm of more difficult problems, I believe that we students will adjust to the increased workload eventually.

After all, we’re not in middle school anymore.