5 Reasons Every Student Should Volunteer
05/29/2015
1. Work as a Team
In college, you will inevitably have to work on a group project. If you're lucky, most of the students in your group will care about what they are doing and actually pitch in, but that’s not always the case. This is where volunteer experience can pay off. When you volunteer for an event or at an agency, you don’t always know what you will be doing or who you will be working with, but you know that the job needs to be completed on time. Working with complete strangers will actually teach you how to play to their strengths in order to obtain the best results. Everyone has something to contribute, but you cannot expect it to be an equal amount of time or work every time.
2. Learn to Lead
If you lack confidence in yourself, volunteering will likely change that very quickly. Since many organizations rely on their volunteers to get things done, it’s not uncommon for you to be bumped up to a leadership position when working on a project. You can go from helping at a registration table to managing 500 volunteers in a matter of weeks. It can be frightening to take on that much responsibility, but when you know your actions have a direct impact on others, it is empowering. Your confidence will grow and others will look to you for guidance, which will definitely serve you well in college and your future employment.
3. Embrace the Unfamiliar
In high school, many students tend to gravitate to others of a similar mindset. We surround ourselves with people who share the same beliefs and cultural backgrounds. When you head off to college, you may find yourself rooming with someone from another country or someone who has completely different values. It can be a definite shock to your system. One important thing you can learn from volunteering is never to judge someone by his or her appearance — get to know the person first. You never know what they have experienced or where they are coming from, so it’s important to listen to and learn from each person you encounter.4. Think Outside the Box
Volunteering for a nonprofit organization will increase your ability to think outside the box. You will need to be resourceful and come up with creative solutions for many issues, especially when you are working with a minimal budget to get the job done. Volunteering prior to college can give you the skills not only to help you find alternative ways to pay for college expenses, but also may help you stretch your boundaries within the classroom. Once you learn to look at things from different angles and try something less conventional, it opens your world to a myriad of possibilities. It can effectively erase the word ‘cannot’ from your vocabulary.
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