At some point in life, you may come at a crossroads while you decide what path to take moving forward. For many people, that tends to take place when they finish an element of their education. You might be wondering about further education or degrees, or even getting into the workplace. But what people tend to forget is that this decision doesn’t need to be made straight away. Often taking a year out to do something a little different could be the right decision for you.
Traveling or considering something like volunteering abroad is a great thing to consider as it can help add a lot to your future in regards to skills learned and developing personality traits from yourself. There are many campaigns to consider like Volunteering in Costa Rica or heading to places in Africa to teach young children English or foreign languages. I thought it would be great to explore how an experience like volunteering could change you as a person, for the better.
You gain perspective
Perspective is something you tend to gain as time goes on. You experience life and you learn that some things go your way and others don’t. But volunteering abroad enables you to see life in a different way. Perhaps appreciate your lifestyle a little more than you did before.
Your outlook on life changes
Your outlook on life can definitely change for the better. You start to see how things are for you at home, perhaps how lucky you are. You can see that some of the little things that perhaps annoyed you before, may not bother you in the future. It’s very easy to become in your own bubble when at school or in education. But experiencing life and fending for yourself can be a priceless experience that you will treasure for a lifetime.
You may become a more positive person
It’s easy to fall into the habit of negativity. But volunteering abroad could offer you the chance to change your mindset into something more positive. Realizing your achievement and the experience you gain. Negativity is a habit that can be hard to break so this could be the perfect opportunity to change your outlook on life into something more positive
You learn work experience you can't teach in classrooms
What you learn in a classroom is very important. They give you the opportunity to learn skills and knowledge that life can’t present you unless you spend your days reading books and researching online. But volunteering or traveling can enable you to learn a work experience that they just can’t teach. You learn skills about independence and life that you are either are lucky to experience or not.
Value added skills and experience for future employment
Finally, the place where you decide to further your education or begin working will place real value on your experience gained in your year break. This is often a set of skills that someone who hasn’t done what you have done will have.
I hope this has inspired you to consider volunteering in the future.
