Ways To Give Back as a Student
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The average college student doesn't usually have a whole lot of disposable income. One recent report revealed that they only pull in about $195 per week working part-time, and even though they don't have a ton of expenses, that amount of money doesn't get them very far.
Because of this, you might not think that college students can give back to their communities. How are they supposed to help others when they can't always help themselves at least in terms of finances?
There are, however, quite a few ways in which a busy college student can give back to the community without spending a dime. There are college students helping others every single day despite their financial situations.
Do you want to learn about some of the different ways in which you can help your community? Here are some suggestions that should get you off to a great start.
Help Your Fellow College Students With Their Studies
As a college student, you're going to spend your fair share of time studying. College students devote between 10 to 13 hours per week on average to studying outside the classroom.
This might make you not want to spend any more time than you have to hitting the books. But a very easy way to give back as a student is by offering to help some of your fellow college students with their studies.
If you know that some of your fellow students are having a hard time grasping a concept that you've picked up, step in and offer to explain it to them. It'll help you understand it even better, and it'll also bring your fellow students up to speed.
You might want to go as far as to set up virtual study groups with some of the people who are in your classes. It's one of the simplest ways to make a difference, and it'll allow you to show off your leadership skills in the classroom.
Meet With Residents at a Nursing Home
So-called "senior isolation" is a big problem for a lot of people who are over the age of 65. Even when senior citizens are surrounded by other people their age in a nursing home, it can still be a very lonely experience for them in many cases.
With this in mind, you might want to start trying to meet with residents at a nursing home in your area to help them combat the loneliness that they so often feel. You'll be able to provide them with a spark of hope by coming to see them now and then.
You might even want to go as far as to convince a group of college students from your school to all go to a nursing home together once a month or so. It'll help to show those at a nursing home that they aren't alone and that there are people who truly care about them out there in the world.
Volunteer Within Your Community
Every year, more than 800 million people throughout the world go to bed hungry at night. And while many of them live in countries that are way worse off than the U.S., there are still plenty of people right here in America that don't have enough to eat.
You can help some of these people out by volunteering your time at a soup kitchen. It'll change your perspective on world hunger and make you more empathetic when it comes to the problems that many people face as far as food is concerned.
You can also volunteer at any number of other places if you would like and even have fun while you're doing it. If there is a local pumpkin patch or a turkey trot run looking for volunteers, you should look into volunteering at these places this fall.
Give Blood on a Regular Basis
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been lots of blood shortages. The Red Cross even declared its first-ever blood crisis at the beginning of 2022, which indicated just how dire the situation truly was.
If you're able to do it, you might to kick around the idea of giving back by donating blood as often as you can. You should be able to do it about once every two months depending on your own health.
Donating blood is something that will only take you a few minutes at most. But it could work wonders for someone out there who really needs blood for one reason or another.
You and your college friends should look for blood drives in your area and give blood when you can. It's easily one of the simplest ways to give back when you're a college student without spending a cent.
Donate Things to Charitable Causes
Is your study area a complete mess because of all the different things that you have in it? If so, you might want to use this as motivation to make donations to charitable causes within your community.
You can donate everything from clothing and electronics to furniture and household appliances if you would like. By doing it, you'll be providing things to the less fortunate while also giving yourself more space to spread out when you're studying at home.
You might find that you'll begin to do better in your classes simply because you've taken the time to declutter your study area and get rid of things that you don't need anymore. You might also find that your initial donation will inspire you to look for other things around your house that you can give to good causes.
Shop For Things Through Companies That Give Back
As a college student, you're going to want to be diligent about shopping around for the things that you need so that you can save money. You should be able to do this by looking around online whenever you need to buy anything.
While you're at it, you should also make it your mission to shop for the things you need through companies that give back by donating a portion of their sales proceeds. For example, if you're always buying things on Amazon, you should think about participating in the AmazonSmiles Program that'll allow you to donate to your favorite organizations every time you make a purchase.
Go On a Worthwhile Weekend Getaway
Attending college can be very stressful for many students. It's why you might want to think about going on a weekend getaway every now and then to recharge your battery.
You're welcome to go on a trip to someplace warm where you can kick back and relax if you would like. But you might also want to consider making a weekend getaway a little bit more worthwhile than that.
There are tons of great places that you can visit to volunteer your services. You should think about heading to one of these places so that you can do some good while getting away from your college studies for a little while.
You'll be surprised to see how much better you feel when you get back. You'll have more energy, and you'll also have a different perspective on the world. It'll have you looking at your college-related stress in a whole new light.
Send Thank You Cards to the Important People in Your Life
You're in college today in large part because of all the hard work that you've put in while in the classroom over the years. But you didn't make it to college alone.
There are also at least a few people in your life who helped you get to college by inspiring you over time. These people might include:
- Parents
- Teachers
- Employers
- Co-workers
- Friends
You should thank them for providing you with inspiration by sitting down and handwriting thank you cards for them. This is a very simple and cost-effective way to give back when you're a student. It's the least you can do for those who made going to college a possibility for you in the first place.
College Students Can Give Back in So Many Ways
College students are often under the impression that they can't give back to their communities because they don't have a lot of extra spending money. But in reality, there are so many options for college students who would like to give back.
Giving back is important because it'll have a positive effect on the way you see the world. It'll also help you to grow as a person as you make your way through your college years.
We would love to assist you as you set out to become a better person in college. Contact us to find out how we can do it.
