The Benefits of Volunteering in College

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Most students who join college have in one way or the other performed volunteer work. This proves to be an invaluable resource that helps them bolster their efforts in the completion of volunteer hours set out on the academic calendar and are a must for graduation. Another group of students opt to undertake community service in order to increase their chances of having their college applications accepted. Others simply volunteer out of a philanthropic desire; they feel the need to give back to the community. Upon joining colleges, students are carried away by an array of activities around the campus and have little or no time for free community work.

Volunteering can assist students secure a number of benefits that they are always concerned about in many instances, for example, debt-forgiveness and job placements following graduation. The benefits of volunteering in college include the following:

Beefing up the Resume

Many high school students have taken part in volunteer work, and it’s no surprise that you will find such in their resumes. However, a few college students miss this important milestone and, therefore, can’t boast of such in their resumes. Volunteering is always important because the organization that you were affiliated to can work to your advantage and give you due advantage over other applicants who have similar abilities and skills as yourself. Additionally if you were made the head of the volunteer group or even started your initiative, you would be better placed for the job. Volunteer experience also helps you to clarify to the interview panelist how you will handle major challenges or even perform a set of tasks. It’s good to note that the skills acquired will vary from one college to another depending on the types of tasks that you handled.

Many students waste lots of time right after college instead of volunteering and staying active. Most employers like to hire people that are active.

Finally, this is a major selling point for those wishing to join graduate, law and medical school. Admission officers always hunt for students that are all-rounded and inclusive.

Boasting your financial aid package

There are organizations that provide grants and scholarship on the basis of having a community service letter. You must be therefore prepared to undertake some volunteer work on a regular basis to secure such scholarship.

Networking

Volunteering for certain organization will help you interact with lots of people. They have networks among themselves. Some of the people have big jobs or work in companies, and they might help you secure a job or even employ you.

Offering loan forgiveness

When you sign up with a reputable volunteer organization, you can potentially have your loans cleared by the organizations. In most organizations, the prerequisite for loan forgives is signing up a contract with them and perform the set tasks.

The bottom line

Volunteering is a very vital step as a young kid as this will help you get accustomed to volunteer work. Even if it doesn’t pay, you should hit the web and apply for volunteer work.