[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Volunteering to aid a certain group of people or part of society is obviously beneficial to one’s community as a whole, but it’s good for the volunteer as well. Studies have shown there is a positive correlation between volunteering time, energy and lower levels of depression. In addition, stepping forward to provide service gives people of all ages a greater sense of purpose, an increase in social integration and longer life expectancy.
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A certain number of hours of volunteer work should be set each semester and made mandatory for students to complete. Making any sort of volunteering or goodwill a part of each students’ education can enrich their university experience and increase the likelihood of them volunteering by themselves. With all the stresses of university life, it can be hard to find time to do anything communally positive outside of daily studying. However, implementing compulsory volunteering at an agency of each student’s choice will make it possible for individuals to explore pathways of general aid and find out what issues matter to them most.
As of 2013, 44.6 percent of Utah residents volunteer, but most are older adults. Because I attended a high school where volunteering was mandatory, I know the benefits and release it gives young adults to make positive impacts on the lives of others. Volunteering provides structure and discipline to students and gives them the power and confidence to experience new environments without fear or hesitation. It is very easy to ignore the problems around us if we aren’t forced to encounter them head on. Volunteering makes it the citizens’ duty to see the problems that are affecting subsets of society clearly and address them in the most efficient way possible.
And if the health benefits aren’t enough to inspire students to volunteer, research from the Corporation for National and Community Service found that volunteers are 27 percent more likely to find employment after being out of work than those who do not actively volunteer. Potential employers like to see people who are able to balance life’s many responsibilities and make time for activities that are not required. I am sure that making volunteering mandatory, even if it is just a few hours per semester, will ensure students seek opportunities to volunteer post-grad, a win-win situation for themselves and the community they live in.
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