<p>In May of my sophomore year, I started thinking about colleges and began frantically looking for some volunteer work for do. I bypassed the hospital because I don't like blood or vomit, and I don't want to be a doctor. The library is boring. I got a volunteer job at Head Start, working with "underprivileged" kids on literacy and language. I thought it was going to be a tedious thing, just get 30 hours and be done.</p>
<p>It wasn't. Now a rising senior, I just got home from an an end-of-the-summer picnic with the same program I worked at last year. I've amassed 350 hours in that summer literacy program alone, and 100 more working in a different Head Start program during the school year. And guess what? I love it. I shed a few tears today saying goodbye (or "adios") to the kids I've spent every day of this summer with. I've learned so much about myself and I cannot <em>wait</em> until the school year starts so I can meet the new batch of pre-kindergarteners. </p>
<p>I guess I just wanted this to be a message of hope. Because...it doesn't always have to be a boring thing you do for college. I found something that looks good on a resume AND that I enjoy immensely. The thread about only doing stuff for the "college game" depressed me.</p>
<p>So, any other stories of volunteering that you all actually enjoy and learn from?</p>
<p>Awww that's touching!!!</p>
<p>I'm a little hesitant about those kind of activities. It's because I know that if I do them it's going to have a really big emotional impact on me (like it did on you) and I guess I don't like to add more things to my emotional life. </p>
<p>I did the Chamber of Commerce!!!</p>
<p>It's awesome. :)</p>
<p>I joined the local fire department/ambulance corps during my junior year, and it's been one of the best decisions of my life. I don't know how many hours I've spent doing it, because I stopped counting a long time ago. I don't do it for the community service requirements, or because it looks good. There is a great sense of community in my department, which makes even those 3 am babysit-burning-wires-til-ConEd-comes calls enjoyable. </p>
<p>As a learning experience, it has been incredible. I'm now a certified EMT, and have recently completed my Firefighter 1/survival training. Where else do you get to run into burning buildings, break open a door with a set of irons, and slide head-first down a ladder? Spraying people with hoses attached to a pump beats those crappy supersoakers any day.</p>
<p>I'm definitely going to continue volunteering next year in college, and will probably try to get a per diem EMT job, too.</p>
<p>ChickenSoup, that is awesome!</p>
<p>For the last two summers I volunteered at a hospital, working in the EMS and the IT (computer) department. It was a great experience.</p>
<p>southeasttitan, that's so great to get the message out. People think that volunteering is all about picking up litter and having no fun. They don't realize the impact it can have on other people's, not to mention your own, lives.</p>
<p>Last week, my camp brought us on a community service trip... which none of us were too excited about. Nevertheless, walking into the nursing home and just spending time with Alzheimer's and dementia patients was so rewarding. Those elderly people live for today, not remembering yesterday. It was amazing. Us 12-15 year olds cried as we left, not wanting to leave them. This past week, we even made an impromptu (sp?) stop there for a couple of hours just to see our new friends. Now, I'm planning on volunteering there regularly throughout the school year.</p>
<p>Its just a great experience that I've been able to enjoy.</p>