You may have been required to complete a minimum number of community service hours to receive your high school diploma, as many high schools do. Maybe you helped pack meal kits for kids facing food insecurity or maybe you volunteered at a retirement community.
Regardless of how this requirement is fulfilled, I’m sure everyone who participated gained at least a couple of valuable life lessons from these experiences, such as the importance of selfless service. So why should community service stop after high school graduation?
Requiring community service hours to graduate would behoove NC State students for a multitude of reasons. It’s easy to become hyper-focused on coursework and extracurriculars; volunteering gives people a chance to step away from the seemingly all-consuming role of being a student and into a role centered on helping others.
In academia, we are accustomed to receiving a grade or feedback from a professor for our efforts. Encouraging students to volunteer their time and skills to a project that won’t be reflected on their transcripts will enhance their overall intrinsic motivation.
Developing a strong work ethic is one of the most important parts of being in college. Sure, you become a hard worker by excelling in your classes, working a part-time job or being active in an extracurricular activity. But add the element of giving away your spare time to an important cause, and you will really get a taste of what it means to be diligent.
On a more selfish note, community service can always make you feel better about yourself. If you’re in need of a little ego boost, try lending time and skills to communities in need.
Community service can also make your college or job applications stand out. Employers and admissions officers see value in giving back to the community. Service work related to your career or academic area of interest also shows passion for a field, regardless of financial compensation.
Aside from the personal benefits of volunteering, local organizations and communities need all the support they can get, and there’s no better candidate than an NC State student.
NC State is a respected institution, known for shaping hardworking, driven individuals with broad skill sets. We have a lot to bring to the table in terms of knowledge, work ethic and leadership skills — let’s share that with communities and organizations around us.
There are endless possibilities for ways to serve your community. You could become a dog or cat cuddler for the Wake County Animal Shelter. You could volunteer in the community kitchen at The Salvation Army.
And there is certainly no shortage of community service opportunities that are conveniently held on NC State campus. Feed the Pack Food Pantry takes in volunteers each semester who are dedicated to lowering the number of students facing food insecurity. You can also reach out to Waste Reduction and Recycling if you want to participate in campus clean-up events.
I’m well aware that many students would be far from happy to find out that they have to fulfill an additional amount of community service hours to receive their college degree. If NC State were to put this requirement into effect, they should emphasize the importance of selfless service for personal development and supporting others.
It shouldn’t be one more annoying task to complete before graduation; it should be an opportunity to apply our unique skills and knowledge to legitimate sources of need.
Ask any college student on how they allocate their time during a typical school week, and I can guarantee you that the majority of it goes to extracurriculars, studying, a job and socializing.
There are 168 hours in a week. Would setting aside a couple of those every now and then to volunteer be such an inconvenience?
