Projects
|
FAQ
|
Announcements
Focus only on your own growth.
GapYear is a time for growth and happiness.
Back to ListBack to List
Not to brag (the moment I say this it unintentionally smells like bragging. Sorry.), half of my college life wasvolunteeringit wouldn't be an exaggeration to say. Starting with rural volunteer work, three short-term overseas volunteer trips, about two years of long-term overseas volunteering, on-campus volunteering, and domestic educational volunteering, I did over 400 hours of volunteer work in total. (Still, writing that makes me proud haha) The important thing is... I even met my boyfriend through volunteering, so isn't this volunteering record enough for me!!
If you ask me why I volunteer,First of all, it was fun.I admit that the word 'volunteering' somehow sounds purely virtuous and gives rise to the prejudice that it would be boring, but for me volunteering was, rather than a 'good deed',a place to really learn about society, so for me it was an extremely exciting activityIt was. In fact, while helping others I met a variety of people, created proposals to carry out projects and formed teams, and creatively used scarce time, money, and manpower... It was an arena where I could learn everything from practical work skills to how to get along with people and even life philosophies about how to live. Moreover, doing overseas volunteering allowed me to learn a country's culture and interact directly with its people, which made it even more enjoyable. So when juniors ask mehow I found what I wanted to do, I answer that various volunteer activities helped.I reply.
The surprising thing is that I met several friends who changed their lives through volunteering. The most memorable (amazing) friend completely changed her career from English literature to becoming a doctor. Dental and medical students had joined that volunteer activity too, because in that village hospitals were too far away (an hour by car), many people were not registered residents, and it was expensive, so for various reasons many couldn't go to the hospital. That English literature friend thought medical skills could help people who needed immediate assistance and would become a lifelong skill to help others, so she began preparing for medical school. She was so determined that she passed medical school entrance (even schools that are hard for science students to get into) on her first try, and now she is a resident at a university hospital. For someone like that, volunteering can be a gap year to find the direction of one's life, i.e.a turning point in lifeIt can be said to be.
A love-hate relationship with volunteering
These days volunteering seems to be perceived as something like 'I don't want to do it but others (or society) force me to, a form of voluntary labor exploitation,' which is really unfortunate. From elementary through high school it's motivated by getting into a good university, in college it's for employment, and once you're a worker it's for promotion — because of these incentives, volunteering feels more like exchanging my labor for resume credentials. Moreover, since most people do it because others make them rather than being moved to start themselves, the urge to finish quickly rather than focus on my own feelings inevitably grows while volunteering. In fact, when the Ministry of the Interior asked people who had volunteered what their biggest complaint was, 40% answered 'because it wasn't an activity I started myself.'
Perhaps because of this, there is an active debate among adolescents — who are the most forced to volunteer — about whether 'mandatory volunteering' is effective. (A frequent topic in school newspapers.) Interestingly, when people in their 20s and 30s are asked if they would participate in volunteering, more than 50% say they would, but when asked why they don't volunteer, over 60% respond that they don't have time, lack information, or aren't interested. In other words, they know it's a good thing, but they don't have the time, money, or emotional bandwidth to start. Therefore...Activities you shouldn't do unless you enjoy them yourself or they are meaningful to you.That's the case.
Still, the reason we should forgive volunteering!
Despite these criticisms, no one argues that we should stop volunteering. Why? Because the benefits that anyone who has tried volunteering knows so well are things we truly, truly need. Therefore there is much discussion about how to promote volunteering and how to maximize its effects, but hardly anyone says volunteering is unnecessary.
According to research, whether people start volunteering voluntarily or not, many say volunteering is enjoyable, it helps them gain confidence, increases their understanding of society, and lets them feel their own value within social relationships. Also, people who volunteer regularly have 10% higher trust in society than those who do not. In this way, volunteering encourages more active social interaction and leads people to address interpersonal and social problems proactively.
So, can I also experience these invisible benefits?
Personally, I found the responses to the question "Should volunteering be made mandatory in elementary/middle/high schools, universities, and companies?" in the very interesting. People who volunteer regularly were more likely, and more strongly, to approve of methods to encourage volunteering than those who do not. In other words, people who have volunteered already feel the effects of volunteering sufficiently and believe that the value volunteering provides is needed by all of us.
So if you simply dislike volunteering, it's not because volunteering is bad, but because there's an issue with the social system that pushes it on people. Put down the emotional burden of getting started. Just,
1) First, an activity that's much more fun than you think
2) An opportunity to grow by helping others
3) An opportunity to find yourself within society
I hope you start with that light mindset.
Editor's tips for choosing your own 'volunteer activity'!!
1. Choose activities that match your needs, expectations, and goals for volunteering.
Like I did, you can use volunteering as an end in itself, but if you set goals or think about what you want to gain from it, you'll be more motivated on site and it will be easier to achieve your objectives. For example, if you want to meet a variety of friends through volunteering, group activities or collaborative projects (construction volunteering, village building, environmental volunteering, etc.) are good; if you want to spend a gap year focusing more on yourself, individual activities (education volunteering, NGO internships, etc.) are better. Consider what you currently need and what activities you want to do, and choose accordingly—you’ll feel the effects of volunteering more than twice as much.
2. Be careful when choosing a volunteer organization!
Sometimes NGOs are involved in corruption, moral issues, or crimes. You should of course avoid such places. Also, some organizations may not align politically or personally with your values, so when choosing an organization to volunteer with, carefully look up articles and information about them. Finding an organization directly is cheaper, but with limited local information it can take a long time to find a reliable organization, and their credibility may be in doubt.
3. Pay attention to safety from the preparation stage.
Volunteering often takes place in unfamiliar locations, so you may be exposed to safety issues. Especially when carried out overseas, law and security can be weak and you might suffer from severe natural disasters. Therefore, be sure to check whether the area or organization is safe and whether you can contact a person in charge in case of emergency.
4. (Overseas volunteer activities)Combine with travel
If your schedule isn't fixed, it's a good idea to use volunteer work to learn the local culture or as a gateway for traveling abroad. You can also go on trips or attend festivals with friends you make during volunteering or with locals, so I recommend planning your schedule with some flexibility. If you really don't have free time, ask local friends to recommend the best restaurants, cafes, or pubs in the area and visit together after your day's activities.
5. (Overseas volunteering) Learning basic English conversation (or the local language) makes the experience richer.
Even if the volunteer work doesn't strictly require English (such as construction or environmental volunteering), being able to speak English is a big help. Instructions and training are often conducted in English, and when living with foreign friends the common language is often English. Some people assume they'll learn English just by interacting with foreign friends, but going with the mindset of "I'll actually use the English I've learned" is more effective for learning.
(▲ Greece: Rescue operation for an injured turtle in the Mediterranean!Participant activity photo)
6. (Overseas volunteering)Use an organization that connects you to volunteer activities
When preparing for overseas volunteering on your own, you will spend a lot of time checking the reliability of organizations, choosing a country, and selecting activities. Doing it alone may be cheaper, but you have to give up guarantees related to time, safety, and reliability. (I also went through a lot of hardships because of this.) These days there are reputable organizations that specialize in overseas volunteering for gap years, so it's a good idea to ask an organization what volunteer activities suit you.
One-line summary!!
- Volunteering is more fun than you think.
- Strongly recommend volunteering as a gap year when you don't know what to do with your life, feel like you're wandering alone, or don't know why you're struggling!!
- It can even help with longevity.
- Finally, if you're going on an overseas volunteer trip, prepare well in advance!!
By Editor Orangju
|
