To know do Colleges look at Community service….Read on this article….!
Community service is an extracurricular activity. It creates an avenue for people to engage in and get acquainted with new skills which are necessary during an individual’s lifetime. For students and teens, community service exposes them to stewardship and service, thereby preparing them ahead of challenges which they might encounter during the different phases of their growth.
Most colleges/ institutions look at an applicant’s experience in community service, as it helps to ascertain how consistent and or dedicated one would be in his/her field of interest. It will also show an individual’s personality in one way or another and how flexible one can be.
Do Colleges Look At Community Service?
Community service isn’t one thing students ought to do to appear fit once applying to varsity rather it is an engagement often extraordinarily rewardable and might go a long way in helping students not only create the best impression in their college of interest, but conjointly learn a lot of whatever they are keen about.
In most eventualities, wherever heaps of individuals may well be applying for a restricted slot in a particular field of study, community service engagements may help admission officers verify the right candidate for the slot. While evaluating admission applications, high grades don’t seem to be enough to ascertain the best fit for the vacancy. The admission officers envision students partaking in activities outside the classroom and creating the right impression in the outside environment.
Describing Community Service
Community service could be an unselfish, freelance or cooperative effort, that is aimed toward providing services for others. It ought to be a deliberate effort as one must prepare the mind that it might involve very little or no financial compensation for the values given.
Community service is distinct from volunteering, because it includes a group of volunteers, who devote their time to the art.
Considering that this can be an art of service, engaging in community service programs might create a positive impact and determine the chances of one been accepted within the faculty of their interest. It is a metric that ascertains how a candidate performs, outside the shores of the academic or educational setting.
Why Engage In Community Service?
Getting involved in the art of community service is most times rewarding, especially when the right choice is made:
• It not only gives value to one but also enables one to lose value. It requires passion and dedication and helps one develop it as well.
• In an aspect, it enables individuals, especially students, to acquire leadership skills. It also promotes creativity and dedication. Furthermore, it is not enough to be exceptional in the academic environment; rather the cake has been exceptional in the academic environment and has been able to influence the other environment.
• Community service does not only make one give value, it is also an avenue for growth as it helps in establishing a network of opportunities. It guides one to choose a path for career and help in developing it. It is just like a give and take opportunity.
• Another reason why one ought to get involved in community service is the ability to work and get along with a variety of people. Most community service art involves teamwork. This prepares the applicant ahead of time, and creates a more comfortable work zone with individuals other than friends. It gives one the ability to work freely with people whose mindset and level of understanding is quite different from theirs.
• Engagement in community service improves public relations. Think of when you were still naïve and not yet open to the work system. This might be the mentality of one before being involved in community service. Before one gets to college, it is necessary that he/she adjusts, and communicates better with people of different caliber. This is part of what community service does.
• People who get involved in community service are more likely to develop the zeal to learn. This is in another way seen as being teachable. It gives one the opportunity to learn, unlearn and relearn. The attribute to hold unto knowledge is important in all dealings as life itself. Teachability helps one to follow instructions and take responsibility for actions. It makes an individual stay on track and follow guidelines, which is an essential aspect in the learning process.
Choosing A Community Service Program To Get Involved In (Tips)
As a student or an individual who is aspiring to be one, it is necessary to pick a community service program related to one’s field of interest. There are quite a number of community service opportunities ranging from tutoring/mentoring, community outreach, crowdfunding/fundraising and even teaching.
A student who is applying for a health related program, can partake in one if not all of these programs, depending on which he/she is passionate about. In a general sense it is advisable for a health science aspirant, to engage in a community health outreach or something similar, so as to get more value.
There might be varieties of reasons as to why individuals select a particular community service program, but there are major reasons to put into consideration:
- Accessing oneself and evaluating one’s skills: In as much as one is passionate about joining a singular community service program, it is always worthwhile to cross-examine oneself and find out what and how much one is willing to offer/sacrifice for the benefit of others.
- Understanding the communities intent/mission: Checking if he/she will be able to give value through the kind of organization and finding out if the organization meets up to his/her expectations, to avoid losing interest in the long run.
- How are their volunteers/members treated? One thing is being part of a community, another is feeling like one.ie, sense of belonging. It is advisable that before joining any type of program, take time to research and receive recommendations from people who worked, presently work or aspired to work. Online surveys too are necessary.
It is good to put others’ interest in mind as you work and also necessary to make sure it’s not all to your detriment.
Conclusion
As much as it is very necessary for one to actively recruit in community service, it is also necessary to be convinced and intentional about it. It should be clear that one might be a recruit in a very notable community service but still get his college application turned down.
One must always avail oneself the opportunity to enroll in any opportunity which aims at growth.
As much as community service involvement is one of the criteria to impress an admission officer in college, it is also worthy to note that there are other factors which must be set in place, so one doesn’t lose out entirely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question 1. Do colleges really look at community service?
Yes, most if not all colleges care about the community service program one has actively participated in. However, it is not always about quantity but quality. How relevant is it to one’a field of interest?.
Question 2. Are there disadvantages to being part of a community service program?
Of course there are, but they are not as much as the pros. The cons include;
Interference with school and nap time, and very busy schedules. This might result in ineffectiveness in school or work.
