Should I Volunteer at University?

​By Eloise

When I started university, there were lots of different clubs and activities advertised to us in those first couple of weeks, and I signed up for a couple of each. 
Originally, I signed up for different sports and eventually for a film society as well. But I also signed up to hear about what volunteering opportunities there would be, and that is what really shaped my experience there.

With volunteering, it’s easy to think: what’s the point? There are so many new things to try, like clubbing, pub trips, socials, free time, classes, clubs… it feels like you’re already splitting yourself between so many things. 

But for me, I found volunteering gave me the purpose I needed. 

Unless you have nine-to-five classes, most students find themselves with a few classes each day and not much structure outside of these. I was one of those students. I had little structure and found the days long and repetitive. So, I decided to give a nursery volunteering session a go. 

There, I found purpose outside of the day-to-day self-focused and motivated goals. I was suddenly surrounded by other people relying on me, and in being useful, I went home at the end of the day feeling like I’d achieved something, which in turn made me more productive in my assignments. 

It began with volunteering at the nursery, but I found so many opportunities presented themselves, and I ended up helping out at a Christmas Fayre, reading in a primary school with young children and volunteering in a church, helping prep food and clean up. 

In all these experiences, I made so many new friends and gained so much confidence in my abilities to help and look after others. And they often needed people at the same time each week, so while I could take a break anytime I needed, I could also rely on a routine.

These are a few of the volunteering experiences I did, but there are so many different types:

• Working with children: volunteering in a nursery, primary or secondary school.
• Volunteering at a local group like Rainbows or Scouts, sports classes, etc…
• Helping at a care home for elderly people.
• Helping with specific projects in the local area, e.g. cleaning, litter picking, gardening.
• Looking after animals, feeding and helping out at local farms, etc…
• Voluntary work in charity shops.

These are just a few different types of voluntary work that you might find at university and/or in your local area, but different places will need volunteers in other fields.

Giving to the community is bound to make you feel more productive and happier all around. And whilst you’re doing it, you get to make somebody else’s day a little bit easier. Plus, it’s a great opportunity to gain experience in a field you know nothing about, or a field you want to go into when you apply for jobs. It also looks good on your CV!

So, when they ask for volunteers for a specific project at university, or you see the voluntary part of the fresher’s fair, give it a look and consider whether it might be a good choice for you as well. ​