At college it’s easy to get caught up in the stress of school, homework, hanging out with friends and maybe even trying to squeeze in the occasional nap. For many people, embarking on a week-long (or more) service trip isn’t at the forefront of their mind.
Before college, volunteering for a few hours here and there may have seemed like one of those things that you felt like you had to do to have something to put on your resume. There’s a chance that you never really put your heart into it. If this is true for you, you might wonder why college would be a better time to spend a week helping others. Especially when your breaks from school and studying are more precious than ever.
Why would you choose to go to an impoverished city for spring break to work when you could spoil yourself in Miami Beach?
There are actually a number of really good reasons…
First of all, you have the rest of your life to go on leisurely vacations with your friends and family. In fact, you’ve probably been doing that for years so you really need to switch it up anyway. College is a time for exploring new interests and broadening your horizons to the world around you. It’s not only about seeing all of the picture-perfect locations, but the under-appreciated ones as well.
Chances are that if you do decide to volunteer you will meet people who share a lot of similar values to you. These will come to be some of the most special people in your life. There are so many different organizations out there that need volunteers. Finding one that you care about also helps you to meet like-minded people. This is important because they will have a similar passion for that particular cause. Even though the work will get hard, and sometimes emotional, you will have found people who understand your experiences and can reminisce with you for years to come.
There is nothing more exciting to the facilitators of an organization than a group of enthusiastic young people who care about making an impact. Being with a group of like-minded people who are able to laugh and work at the same time is a refreshing change of environment that you will not regret being a part of. It may seem crazy to spend the breaks that you do get from school doing a different type of work. But the beauty of it is that if you are around positive people who care about the help that they are providing, and you have fun while you’re there, you won’t have worked for a minute. The occurrence of work and happiness going hand in hand act as a reminder to keep you from settling in the future when you’re searching for a career.
I’ll let you in on a secret those who love community service trips already know: volunteering can be very selfish!
(And that’s totally OK!)
“Voluntourism” is all about getting to travel to new places while at the same time doing something that positively touches lives other than your own. If the only reason that you get involved is because it makes you feel good to help others, that is completely normal and you are not alone. It feels really good to help people and to be around others who want to make a difference.
Service is not one-sided and we don’t have to pretend that it is. When you first sign up you may think that you are the “helper” but it would be foolish to think that you aren’t getting something out of it yourself. It may begin as only another bullet point on your resume, but by the time you leave it turns into new friends, memories, places and understandings. These are treasures that you will always have with you.
College is a time of self-discovery. Going on service trips helps in reflecting on how you fit into the world on a grander scale, as well as understanding what morals are important deep within yourself. These are experiences that I encourage every type of college student to take advantage of.
