<p>I'll just be honest; I hate it when I have to volunteer. That last sentence is an oxymoron in so many ways, but it's true. It's not that I don't think volunteering is good, because it is. But -I- don't like volunteering. It usually involves serving food or helping kids, and I'm horrible at both. When I think of self-fulfillment, volunteering is one of the last things that comes to my mind. I'll most likely be in NHS because it's really good at my school, and I can volunteer when I have to, and someone else picks the activity for me.</p>
<p>This is obviously a problem, but does anyone else feel the same way?</p>
<p>Just choose something you like. I'm doing the hours at the local Chamber of Commerce because I like to work in a business environment with local businesses and politicians. I could not by any means do really heart-touching stuff that safe the wildlife, help tigers give birth, take care of foster kids and all. I'm not saying they are bad, but simply not me.</p>
<p>9 out of 10 people volunteer only because "the colleges" like it. Sad but true. Although, the good news is that volunteers are lifesavers in many situations.</p>
<p>If you'd rather work (which is very understandable) try to find one in an area you like. For example, maybe you could get a paid internship at your City Hall or such.</p>
<p>^If there was a city hall, I'd do that. But I can drive, so maybe I'll go swipe an internship in someone else's city hall. I like bid'ness too so the Chamber of Commerce is a good idea.</p>
<p>Anyway, back to the topic, is there anyone else that hates volunteering?</p>
<p>In high school, I had to volunteer (250 hour requirement) in order to graduate because it's an IB school.</p>
<p>I like volunteering, and I did a lot of it with my Interact club, NHS, etc. when I was in high school, but now that I've graduated, I've found it's hard to find a place to volunteer because I'm not 18 yet. I'm curious, has anyone else encountered the same problem?</p>
<p>Volunteering is fun, but thats because most volunteer activities are pretty pointless such as helping out at a fair or handing out drinks at a research funding walk/ run. The only volunteer activity that I feel I have really made a difference with was a trip to a Tijuana orphanage. And that was in 7th grade. :(</p>
<p>People on here say things like "800 hours community service". How are they counting this? That most certainly doesn't mean they spent 800 hours at the homeless shelter or teaching a Sunday school class. And 800 hours at a hospital would be enough to make you a permanent resident in the mental ward. So where do these numbers come from?</p>
<p>I just don't like volunteering because a) I can't stand kids, so that pretty much does away with worthwhile volunteering and b) I don't get satisfaction from helping people. I can't relate to everyone's feel-good attitudes about volunteering. Again, not that that's bad, but I don't see it.</p>
<p>im volunteering at a hospital starting the 24th. im not sure if i'll like it yet. i hope so, because i want to be a doctor. </p>
<p>but i totally understand where you're coming from. i've done those "feed the hungry" things on weekends and i hated it. at first i made balloon animals for kids but they were brats, and then i was helping wherever i could but it felt more like a chore than anything. im hoping i'll get something out of the hospital. im only partly doing it because it looks good on a college app, mostly because of my interest in medicine.</p>
<p>I don't buy 800 hours of volunteer work. Maybe there's some fuzzy accounting there. That would really be atypical. The totals at my high school maxed at about 250 at the last award ceremony. Some awardees had as little as 30. </p>
<p>My goal is 400 hours for 4 years. I am probably at about 75 so far, but I am doing activities that I <em>really</em> enjoy and the opportunities are those that I created for myself. </p>
<p>If you don't want to do service and you don't have to do service to graduate HS, skip it and get a job. No biggie.</p>