Persuasive Essay On Volunteering In College

Volunteering in College
President John Adams once said, "There are two kinds of education. One teaches you how to earn a living. The other teaches you how to live” (Adams). I agree with Mr. Adams and I think colleges should provide both types of education. Calling for students to complete community service hours will build the grounds on which they build the rest of their lives. However, many people don’t even give community service a chance. They say they’re too busy, it’s not for them, or simply choose not to do it. At my high school, we were required to complete thirty two hours of community service for graduation; many students came to love it.
Unless we educate students in community service, as well, we will only handicap future generations. In terms of importance, math and volunteering are no different. Believe it or not, the value of volunteering can even outplay geometry or calculus. Community service teaches students the importance of giving back, more than any classroom experience could ever give. Community service builds character and it shapes the kind of students that schools and

communities both are proud of. It is up to schools to provide students who might not otherwise volunteer the means and the motivation to improve themselves and their communities. This is why I think colleges should require students to do community service because it helps improve social skills and health, it is a positive influence on the student and community, and it helps when applying for a job.
Some might argue that students are busy enough with working many hours a week, taking many credit hours for school, studying, and still trying to have a social life. However, I think that students should never be so totally involved with their own selves and activities that they neglect their communities. Even the President of the United States isn't too busy to volunteer.
Students get many weeks off during a year of school, including Thanksgiving, spring, and semester break.

I understand no one wants to work on their days off, but taking a few hours every now and again will quickly add up to the hours needed. Also, if a student is involved with a club or group on campus, many of them do community service anyways. Hidden Promise students, Greek Life students, and other clubs and organizations are all examples of groups that already provide community service. A student would be able to complete two requirements by doing community service hours. Stated online at Student Finance Domain “Community service helps college students strengthen their social and academic skills and gives kids a positive influence in their lives. For most fraternities and sororities, community service is required to maintain your active membership”

(studentfinance).
Community service is life preparation. It stays with students forever and is a stronger mark of character than grade point average could ever be. Students who do community service learn that they can actually make a difference with what they do. This helps students better understand their own competence, leading to more self-confidence and a can-do attitude that can spread to their work and academic pursuits. Adding to the benefits, if a student is shy and not outgoing community service is a great way to learn how to communicate with people and the public. I think students who take part in volunteering activities become more involved in their communities, and as a result, tend to care more about what happens in those communities. Maybe, if students participate in community service they will grow up to become voters and remain involved in their communities throughout their lives. From personal experience, I know what it feels like to be involved because my family has always helped and volunteered with our town. After being able to see the difference my grandparents gave made on our community, it inspires me to work and be involved as they are.
There are some people who might argue that college students have many things on their minds about what they have to do and what they have to finish, so why add to that? Does anyone want to add more stress to their already hectic schedule? I agree that college students can be stressed, but who isn’t stressed in their own way? Being involved in any community will help a student stay alert and well known. Whether it’s a somewhat selfish reason to volunteer or not, volunteerism makes a person feel good. The work they do will be rewarding and beneficial to segments of the population and areas of the community that need volunteers to thrive. In a volunteer situation, one person can make a real difference, and they’ll get that feeling once they start. Stated on Online College’s website, the staff writers said, “Creating a lifelong habit of community service can help students become healthier over the course of a lifetime. Research has shown that individuals who participate in volunteering have better physical and mental health than those who do not” (Staff).
Next, taking part in community service teaches students skills that are valuable to employers, like problem solving, teamwork, and the ability to follow instructions. Volunteering is especially valuable when it is related to a student's future career. Community service opens students up to a wealth of networking opportunities, allowing them to build new relationships within their community as they contribute. Students can meet new people, work with new organizations, and strengthen their ties to the community. If a student is not sure about a particular field of study or have interests in several potential majors, trying different volunteer positions related to those areas can help. Even if they do something completely different with their life, they’ll be able to boast experience in a variety of different fields. If student’s want a more impressive resume, it will be worth the extra time to volunteer. Volunteer experience may also boost their financial aid. There are many scholarships or grants that list community service as a prerequisite, so if someone is willing to dedicate some time each week to volunteer work, it could be giving your financial aid profile a boost as well. On Scholarships.com they gave a great example on how community service is beneficial to a student’s career by stating, “Employers like seeing that students volunteer their time, and are able to manage time well enough to take on an unpaid position. Volunteerism also suggests that you’re a team player, a quality many employers will look for in potential hires” (scholarships).
Another point that some students will bring to attention is the fact that many students transfer from college to college. The good thing about community service is that if all colleges require it, then it can be transferable. Just like college credits, if a student would complete ten hours of community service then it can easily be moved to another college. Community service is the same no matter where one might go, therefore it would be nice and no problem to simply take the hours along.
It is easy to see how many students will disagree with being required to do community service in college. Being busy, not having time, and they don’t want more added on to their plate. Also, some employers might even say, they don’t want lazy college kids that are forced to be there. Elena Thompson a student and a writer for the Daily American Newspaper stated, “I am involved in various sports, clubs, and activities, as well as being employed part time, and I just do not have the time to fit in community service. The school encourages its students to become involved and to throw another thing to be mandatory to graduate is just too much (Thompson).
Many people would probably agree that being forced to do volunteer work isn’t really volunteering. This isn’t true at all, because even if the student isn’t enthusiastic about volunteering or happy to do it, it is still volunteer work. Many colleges will also claim that they don’t care about the extra community service hours that a student has. Ian Fisher, a college admission officer at Reed College stated “I had no preference for one student over any of the others based on community service. Instead, I was interested in learning about the depth and reach of their impact and to what degree did they interact with and lead a group of their peers” (Fisher).
Being able to contribute to the local community and volunteer time has many awarding outcomes for students, like becoming outgoing, friendly, and kind. If colleges made it a requirement for students to do community service, it can help shape and produce smart and responsible student graduates. Giving up just a few hours a week can quickly add up to the hours needed in order for students to easily meet the requirements. Once students are able to see what kind of positive influence they can have on their community can help them become concerned citizen. Community service should be required for college students because it not only provides for the community, it provides for the student.

Works Cited
Adams, John. “John Adams Quotes on Education.” John Adams Historical Society. Web. 3 December 2015.
Fisher, Ian. “The Insider: College Admissions Advice from the Experts.” March 2015. College Coach. Web. 1 December 2015
Scholarships. “Benefits of Volunteerism in College.” scholarships.com. Web. 1 December 2015.
Staff Writers. “12 Reasons Community Service Should Be Required in Schools.” June 2012. OnlineCollege.org. Web. 1 December 2015
Student Finance Domain. “Get Involved and Gain Experience with Student Community Service.” 2012. studentfinancedomain.com. Web. 2 December 2015.
Thompson, Elena. “Should it be mandatory for students to perform community service to graduate?” November 2011. Daily American Newspaper. Web. 1 December 2015.