Can I join even though I am not an engineering or computer science student?
Absolutely! Space is a multidisciplinary
field. For our society to work, we need people with artistic minds, number crunching brains, communication skills
and much more! We need people working on media, outreach, finance, documentation, sponsorship, artwork, merchandise,
purchases, management… The list goes on! We also work on internal research and development with our new Special
Projects Division. All divisions also need mission ideas to compliment their project (ex. a satellite needs to
have a function). These missions’ backgrounds could range from astronomy to chemistry to biology to much more!
The sky is not the limit.
I am a first year student with no technical space background. Can I still join?
Many of our members start off as first year students eager to learn. We are not all born with the ability to design satellites,
rockets and robots - we have to all start somewhere. If you are eager to learn, we have plenty of members ready
to help you out. While there are many advanced technical tasks, there are still a surprising amount of small
tasks. There are numerous other tasks which do not need a technical mind to complete. There is always something
you can work on. However, there is a certain amount of work ethic and discipline expected from each member. Projects
such as ours demand a lot of commitment, and new students need to be prepared to show dedication, and sometimes
make the necessary sacrifices.
How much is expected of me if I join?
It is important to understand that the learning curve for this is very high and we as a team expect you to go above and beyond
that. You will have specific deadlines to meet. When you are assigned to produce a deliverable, it is your responsibility
to get that action done for a specific deadline. Even if you do not know how to get it done, it is up to you
to learn it and finish it. There are many resources online (Google everything you don't understand!) and also
within the team. Feel free to ask the older members for help, but please keep in mind that every deliverable
assigned to you is your responsibility to have completed, and no one else's. If you do not feel capable, there
is nothing wrong with that, but it is best if you let us know as early as you can so that we can have someone
else work on it. This goes with ALL tasks, even tasks that perhaps are not directly connected to the current
project. It is the principle of having a deadline and respecting that deadline that is most important for any
society to work.
I joined the society, but I feel left out of the group. What can I do to be more involved?
People sometimes join and leave shortly after because no one is telling them what to do. Please follow up with either of
us on this matter. It is a very hectic environment and we are all struggling together. There is ALWAYS something
to do. If no one gets back to you, it's because we might be a bit too busy (it can be very difficult to keep
track of every one of our members individually). Please follow up because we can forget. You also need to understand
that when people give you tasks, you should ask for a specific deadline and have your stuff done for that date.
If anyone gives you vague tasks, ask for specifics and only leave the conversation once you fully understand
what needs to get done. You need to understand the whole problem before it can be solved.