Opportunities to volunteer are all around you. As you cross campus and run errands down town, you probably see all kinds of posters and sign up booths inviting you to help a good cause. Have you ever thought about the benefits volunteering could offer you?
Join a Group or Organization
As a student, it's relatively easy to find ways to volunteer. There are so many clubs and associations on campus that are either dedicated to volunteer work or who offer volunteer opportunities as one of their benefits.
Campus groups are created with students in mind. This means that the volunteer opportunities they offer are sensitive to your time constraints, budget and transportation issues. Many times, the opportunities found here are for projects right on campus. When you volunteer on your own campus, it's convenient for you and you get to see the results first hand as you work to make your school a better place.
When you volunteer with an organization, you are helping to make big differences in your city or even the world. Large, well-known organizations are famous for bringing large groups of volunteers together to focus on one cause, making big changes. If you join an organization, you'll have the benefit of working with entire teams of people, which can be rewarding.
You'll Feel Better About Yourself and Life in General
It's been shown that when we focus less on ourselves and more on others, we are more carefree. We are less stressed and more content with our own lives. When you volunteer to help others, you are setting your worries aside, and getting busy with something else.
It sounds cliche, but volunteering really does make you feel warm and fuzzy. When you make a difference in your community, you feel good about yourself. You feel like your hard work and efforts are all worth it.
Volunteering is also a great way to meet new people. Some of the strongest friendships are formed when two people share interests. When you volunteer for a certain cause, you will brush shoulders with others who are also passionate about the cause, and you will be able to start friendships with these people.
Volunteering on campus is relatively easy. Yes, it will take time and effort, but opportunities to help others are all around you. When you reach out and join a campus group or large organization, you'll reap the benefits that only volunteering can bring.
About The Author
Jill Hardy writes for UniversitiesOnline.net, a resource that can help students get their start in a wide variety of careers, including medical, business, education and even careers in criminal justice.
