Why you should Engage in Volunteering Opportunities as a University Student

What is the first thing that pops into your mind when you hear the word volunteering?

I bet it’s free work, right?

And who wants to do free unpaid labour? I mean, we are all humans, and when we do something, we want benefits in return unless you are Mother Theresa.

However, while volunteering seems like free work, you do and get no financial benefits in return, and there are many hidden benefits you won’t find at first thought. In this article, we will explore the benefits of volunteering as a university student. In my next post, we will explore where you can find volunteering opportunities, so watch out for that.

Before I get into any of these, we need to know what volunteering is.

Volunteering is when you willingly offer your time to do something that benefits others without financial benefit. Some volunteers receive some form of compensation for volunteering, known as paid volunteers. But for the sake of this article, I will be focusing on unpaid volunteer work.

What are some benefits to why you should volunteer as a university student?

· Enrich your College Experience

Spending 4 -6 years on campus getting a degree is no joke, and it’s essential that you get the most out of that experience. We have all heard something like the college/ university experience. Well, volunteering is one way to create and enrich that college experience. Through volunteer work, you can learn new stuff and meet new people and have fun and find fulfillment; you might never know, find “the one.”

All these will certainly enhance the quality of your university experience. You would have juicy stories to tell about your university days in the future and fond memories to look back on.

· Gain Relevant Work Experience

In today’s world, your work experience, technical and soft skills are just as important, if not more important, than your degree. Volunteering in a career-related industry can contribute to your work experience. Volunteer work can also help boost your resume and CV. An exceptional CV and resume can help you stand out when applying to graduate school, seeking national and international scholarship opportunities, and applying for jobs.

· Build Rich Relationships and Network

One way to build sustainable networks and relationships is through volunteering. Meeting and connecting with people while working together on a common goal and shared interest is a way to develop deep relationships with them. You can find friendships that will last a lifetime and develop your social skills.

Being in a community that cares about you and working with people on a shared goal is an amazing experience that you should experience at least once in your life. And volunteering is one way to achieve that.

· Increase Confidence and Self-esteem

A study from The International Journal of Sciences: Basic and Applied Research found that people who volunteer have higher self-esteem than those who do not.

Even without this study, let’s imagine a scenario. Imagine volunteering with an organization to teach disadvantaged children that don’t have access to school. In this volunteer job, you get to share your talent and skills, help these beautiful children and positively impact their lives.

With this experience, you would be further confident in your skills as a teacher/ educator, and the sense of accomplishment would boost your self-confidence and self-esteem. Volunteering helps boost self-confidence and increase self-esteem.

· Helps Improve your Mental Health

Volunteering helps improve your mental health. As a university student, the stress of school can affect your mental health, but volunteering can help you destress from all the academic activities and keep your mental health in tip-top shape.

According to BMC public health, volunteering leads to an 8.54% increase in mental well-being.

· Develop Soft Skills that will be useful for your Career

Soft skills are important interpersonal skills necessary for success in any career path. Skills like effective communication, emotional intelligence, critical thinking, teamwork, work ethic, and so on can be developed while volunteering.

People with soft skills are more likely to get hired than those without soft skills, and company leaders are more effective when they have soft skills. This shows that developing soft skills will be instrumental to your success regardless of your career path. And volunteering can help you do that.

Volunteering as a student is a great way to build your resume and CV, gain essential skills and memorable experiences, and meet people who will help you during and after your undergraduate years.