Student life can be hectic, so why should you consider volunteering? Well, as well as offering various personal and career benefits, IT’S GOOD TO HELP PEOPLE, YOU TERRIBLE CYNIC!
What? You weren’t questioning the value of volunteering, you were just curious about the options available to aspiring student volunteers? Sorry. We overreact sometimes.
Hopefully, we can make it up to you via these three top tips for aspiring student volunteers.
1. Explore Your Options
With the wide range of voluntary roles and programs available, your first step should be exploring your options. If you want to volunteer within Australia, try looking online or visiting your local volunteer resource centre to talk to someone about your possibilities.
Alternatively, you can look for programs that organise overseas volunteering. These are great if you want an adventure, but many are quite expensive, so make sure to do your research!
(Photo: Tamara Baillie/AusAID)
You might find that your university offers opportunities via the career centre or dedicated volunteering organisations (like the University of Sydney’s V-Team). Check your university’s website for more information.
2. Make Volunteering Work for You
Since there are many routes into volunteering, you should be able to find something that works for your lifestyle. Most voluntary positions are part-time and some allow you to volunteer on a casual basis, so time constraints shouldn’t be an issue.
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You should also consider what you want to get out of volunteering. For instance, you could look for something in a sector that complements your studies or career plans, since volunteering lets you make contacts, gain experience and learn new skills.
On the other hand, you might be looking for a new challenge, in which case you could do something entirely unrelated to your work or studies!
(Photo: Becket Chimney Corners YMCA)
It’s worth keeping in mind that volunteering is good for your physical and mental health, too, so you stand to benefit in many ways even while you help others.
3. National Student Volunteer Week
Finally, if you think you’d like to learn more about voluntary work, keep an eye out for National Student Volunteer Week. This annual event is specifically designed to encourage engagement with voluntary activities among students in Australia.
National Volunteer Week 2017 will take place from 8-14 May, so make sure to check whether any events, activities or campaigns are taking place at your university.