1. “I Don’t Have the Time”
This is one of the most common reasons that people choose not to volunteer, and for good reason. A typical student in university may spend the bulk of their time studying, going to school, working, or socializing – with seemingly no space left for other things such as volunteering. However, the level of time commitment quite often varies depending on the kind of volunteer work you do. Just a few hours each week shouldn’t take too much out of your schedule, especially to do something meaningful for your community. As well, consider the fact that by adding more activities to your life, you are learning how to allocate time in your life to do other things besides just school and work.
2. “I Don’t Know Where to Look for Opportunities”
While you may be confused as to where to start looking, know that it is easier than you think to get involved - whether it is on or off campus. The matter is whether or not you have taken the time to look and sift through opportunities of interest to you. With websites such as govolunteer.ca, you can use their advanced search function to filter the type of volunteer work you may want to do or the kinds of skills you have or wish to obtain. Also, don’t forget to check back to our blog as we will be posting a variety of volunteer organizations that you may be interested in getting involved with.
3. “I Don’t Have a Reason to Volunteer”
Perhaps you think there isn’t a strong enough incentive for you to give your time and energy to volunteering. Time is money, after all; and the lack of monetary reward for your work may be off-putting. For whatever reason, a quick change of perspective in how you view volunteering will make all the difference.
Why It’s Important That You Volunteer!
Think about your university experience; do you want it to just be defined by your degree alone? Remember, university should be a place to meet other people too, and volunteering is one of the best ways to do expand your network. Just as your personal network starts to expand, so does your perspective.
Volunteering will also give you the opportunity to strengthen skills or gain new ones that you otherwise thought you didn’t have. Finally, think about the benefits of knowing that what you do means something invaluable to someone. While the benefits to volunteering are endless, it is never too late to get involved, no matter how big or small the commitment may be. What’s important is that you realize now how essential it is that you become positively engaged with those around you and that you take action as soon as you can.
