Most students are required to have a certain amount of service hours at some point during their time at Millikin. Many students see this service requirement as a burden or annoyance. However, volunteering or different service opportunities can have many beneficial factors to students.

One beneficial factor of volunteering is that it actually reduces stress. Crazy right? You’d think that by adding one more thing to your plate that you would become more stressed, but by taking time out of your schedule to help someone else gives you a chance to take a step back and do something fun. When there are exams to study for, papers to write and books to read it’s very easy to feel like the world is closing in on you. The time spent away from schoolwork can actually make it easier to come back to.

Volunteering also gives people the opportunity to explore what they want to do with their lives. Many students come into college without knowing where they want their career paths to take them. By volunteering, students can try a wide variety of professions to see what they like best. From animal shelters to nursing homes, there is a volunteer opportunity for every kind of profession under the sun.

Volunteering is also a great way to get connected in the community and get to know new people. At Millikin, it is easy to become absorbed in our own little Milli-bubble. We sometimes forget that we live in Decatur, Ill and not Millikin, Ill. By volunteering at local businesses, you are able to connect with people who live and work in Decatur. It can open doors for amazing opportunities that you wouldn’t have been able to dream of without volunteering.

So I encourage you students taking time out of your busy schedule to read my article to cheer instead of groan when told to go out and volunteer some of your time. Take a minute to see what kind of doors it can open and how many people you can help. Take the advantage of being told to go out and have some fun, all the while providing help for the people who really need it.