“Volunteering” is a bit of a nebulous term, and is used by a lot of people in many different places. You’ve almost certainly heard it when someone’s talking about college applications, saying that volunteering is very valuable on resumes and applications. Same goes for scholarship applications. Many colleges require some time spent volunteering to graduate. Some employers strongly recommend that you serve others in some capacity. Great, right? You want to get out and help somebody (whether it’s for altruistic motives, or to make it more likely to get accepted to the school you want). How do you get started?

Fortunately, finding volunteer opportunities is pretty easy. You usually don’t have to look very far to find quite a few ways that you can get involved right away. Local community groups (clubs, and such) are good places to start, especially if you’re already involved in one. Faith communities are also known for taking part in a lot of volunteering. Talk to someone at a local church and ask how you can help. Schools, from elementary schools to colleges, also usually have many volunteering opportunities, both inside their walls and without. Call any one of these places and ask about volunteering, and you’ll be sure to get a quick answer.

If you have to look a little farther away, using a website like 1800Volunteer.org can be very helpful. You can look for opportunities both by location and by keyword, so if you’re interested in a particular cause, you can find groups that you’re interested in helping out.

Finding a cause that you believe in is a great way to make sure that you’re interested in your volunteer opportunity. If you don’t really care about what you’re doing, you won’t be very engaged, and your volunteering will drag on, and you won’t feel very accomplished when you get done. If you find an issue that you feel strongly about, however—something like the environment, a particular political party, kids, or a marginalized social group—you’ll be much more inclined to work hard, come back in the future, and feel good about what you’ve done. So think about what you feel strongly about, and find a group whose interests are aligned with yours.

After you find an opportunity, it’s time to get out and do it! It can be a lot easier if you have a group of friends or family that are willing to volunteer with you, so ask around and get a crew together. Even if it’s just one or two other people, it will make it a lot easier. You’re bound to meet at least a few other cool people while you’re serving, but having someone else along can ease the process. Be open to talking to others and meeting new friends! You can learn a lot from the people that you’re working with, and you may even forge some new friendships that will last a very long time.

As always, if you have any questions, comments or funny stories you'd like me to share about college or the blog, email me at stu@stuvu.com