Volunteering whilst at University

Last September I started my four year Events Management course at the University of Chester. Before I even started I knew I wanted to continue guiding in some form and so far it is going great and I am loving my new unit! Today I thought I would share with you my guiding whilst at uni story so far and some advice for volunteering whilst studying! 

The best way for finding a new unit to volunteer with in my experience is through the Facebook page called ‘Guiding Movers’ Leaders looking for volunteers post on it as well as people moving to new areas and you post which section and area you would like to volunteer in. Of course not every unit in every area is a part of this page but leaders from university areas usually are! Depending on where you are moving too you may be very in demand! I would definitely recommend to not say yes to the first person, see where and what your options are, which unit is closest to you etc and make sure your timetable allows before you fully commit! You could go through your new county’s website to find a new unit but I did that and had no reply! Sometimes Girlguiding will have a stall at volunteer fairs during freshers week so hopefully you should be able to find a new unit to volunteer with.

A big concern I think people have with continuing Guiding at uni is the commitment and time management. Your studies are 100% the most important thing but if you really love Guiding then you can defiantly make it work! Decide what you want to commit when you join your new unit, you could do every other week or just turn up on the night and help rather than the prep before hand. Or perhaps you don’t feel you can commit to a unit so ask your county if there is any events you could help out or any regional committees you could be apart off which take place less frequently. Start off small and take more on once you have settled in and adjust to your workload. Planning evenings may seem impossible but trust me there will be nights where you’ll be glad to have that cutting out for an activity to do or creating a risk assessment for a visit. 

Another reason I think it is important to keep up your volunteering is the continuity. University brings with it so many changes that can be really unsettling and make you feel quite lonely but despite being in a new area Guiding follows the same programme know matter where you are and everyone involved are quite like minded and the familiarity of putting on your guide top can really help! One evening in freshers week I had a planning meeting with my new unit team and it made me feel a lot more settled because I knew I could be a Rainbow leader and everything else was really unknown and it defiantly helped me to settle in! 

An important thing to consider when deciding to volunteer whilst at university is that you have very long holidays and if you go home during them then remaining a part of your home unit may still be an option! This means during term time you can focus on your studies, get part time work and volunteer in other ways but it does mean you may not feel in the guiding loop when you go home as you won't have gotten to help plan or know the new starters as well etc. However volunteering with a new unit or remaining at your home unit both have positives and negatives and it's all about which one suits you better!

No matter what volunteering you do whilst at university it will really make a difference! Not only do many uni's offer recognition for it, at my university we have the Chester Difference Award, it will help so much after graduation! Volunteering also develops some of your most important skills like communication, public speaking and time management and the people you meet along the way will have a huge impact  on your life and great friendships are made! 

If you have any questions about volunteering whilst at university please do ask and i'll do my best to answer them! Even if its not guiding volunteering related; i volunteer in lots of others ways too! 

M x