A lot of students volunteer to boost their application or résumé but if you think about it, volunteering can be a fun activity to do by itself. You get to meet new people, give back to the community and develop valuable skills along the way. These are some reasons as to why I believe every college student should volunteer:
- Meet New People
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As I mentioned above, volunteering introduces you to different people growing your circle of friends. In college, everyone has their own schedule and you might not be able to see your friends as often as you’d like. Volunteering can force you to branch out and talk to people that may just have the same interests as you. That way you’ll meet new people and won’t be bored without your friends at school.
- Develop Life Skills
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Volunteering at different organizations can help you be more approachable and understanding as you strive to help underserved communities. Not only that, depending on your role as a volunteer, you can learn skills such as organization, problem-solving or critical thinking. Sometimes experience in the real world is more valuable than in a classroom setting, and can expose you to different skills.
- Combat Depression
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College is difficult because courses get harder every semester and it’s easy to forget to take care of yourself during the process. Volunteering is actually proven to make you feel happier because you get out of your room and meet new people, and have a feeling of self-satisfaction knowing you spent your time helping the community.
- Career Growth
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Volunteering at any organization whether or not if it’s related to your academic goals can be a learning experience. For instance, I have always dreamed of becoming a doctor, and last semester I volunteered at a senior center near campus and I absolutely loved it! I wanted to get more involved with the Richmond community and I also learned valuable skills such as communication and empathy which are important characteristics for a physician as well.
- Helping People
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This is the most important part of volunteering! With as little as half an hour to one hour of your commitment every week, you can make a difference in someone else’s life. Not everyone is as fortunate or privileged as us so it’s nice to use our time to help those in need. I always believe that everyone in this world serves a purpose and using your knowledge and skills to help out an underserved community is the most noble gesture of all.
Volunteering has so many benefits and is definitely something I recommend college students to do for fun! It can be a very rewarding experience that may just introduce you to your lifelong friends as well as valuable skills to help you in your professional life as well. I understand that as a college student, everyone’s schedule is incredibly packed with extracurricular activities and classes but even half an hour to an hour every week is enough to make an impact on your community.