Oh boy, this summer will be fun...

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Oh boy, this summer will be fun...; Compulsory volunteering.
Tweet Topic Started: May 15 2012, 03:42 PM (263 Views)
Wallace	May 15 2012, 03:42 PM Post #1
Break out the L-word. The other L-word. Posts: 1,889 Group: S Rank Hero Member #11,873 Joined: February 24, 2011	Okay, so my parents recently told me that I'm going to have to do volunteer work two days a week, every week this summer. But isn't volunteering, by definition, supposed to be voluntary? The moral implications of "volunteering" are lost when you're not doing to voluntarily. Well, I tried to tell them that, and that they shouldn't call it "volunteering", more like "enslavement," but yeah, that didn't work. So, I asked them why they wanted me to do it, and they said "It'll look nice on a college application." Sounds reasonable, but then I said, "What if I wrote a book over the course of the summer? I'd actually enjoy that, and I think it would look even BETTER on a college application." And they replied with, "Well, but you'd enjoy that too much"--so the reason isn't really for college applications, rather just to get me to do something I don't want to do--"and they'll be impressed that someone stood out as a leader in the community." But isn't volunteering something that EVERYONE does, that volunteering doesn't exactly make me a leader in the community (especially in the case of my stepmom wanting me to volunteer with the hospice she's a manager of; it's just me being told what to do, not leading)? Wouldn't "Wrote a novel at year 15 over the course of a summer" look better than "talked to some elderly people at a nursing home" or "filed papers" or "ran the front desk"? I thought that college was an academic thing anyways, not a "let's be a leader" thing. I mean, it's not like I'll be able to be the leader at college, or probably throughout most of my life. So... I'm at a loss here. I've only got about two weeks until school is out for summer. I refuse to do volunteer work I didn't voluntarily do, and I swear to god, I will make a note on my college applications that says "I was forced to do this volunteer work, do not take it into consideration." I've tried to argue against it but it just isn't working.
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Lord Master of Darkness�	May 15 2012, 04:02 PM Post #2
Posts: 6,570 Group: Former Monarchs Member #6,063 Joined: February 19, 2008 Xbox Live Gamertag: The Stig Pwnz Steam ID: mod1982	Oh my god. A whole two days out of the seven you could be sat on your arse doing nothing. In this economic climate you really should consider volunteer work; it WILL look good on your resume. But hey, if you wanna shoot yourself in the foot by declaring "I was forced to do this volunteer work, do not take it into consideration." on your application form, well... I could say more but I fear it could well become a little bit of a rant. I also suspect this topic will boil down into two halfs: the older crew like me who are now old enough to see where their parents were coming from all those years ago; and the kids who are suffering at the hands of their evil parents.
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Lady BlizShadow	May 15 2012, 04:12 PM Post #3
I still can't use this. Posts: 6,546 Group: Former Monarchs Member #6,722 Joined: March 16, 2008	You're revealing just how much you really don't know about the world, as well as how selfish you're being. College and universities, as well as actual employers, give more of a shit about marketable skills, both hard (educational/technical) and soft (social/ethical), that you have been able to demonstrate beforehand. Writing a book demonstrates none of this, unless you are specifically applying for an authoral job. But I guarantee you you would look much better in the eyes of the world- and would be a better person for it- if you simply manned up and did the volunteer work versus writing some mediocre book I'm 99.9% confident would not even get through the merciless publishing system in time, if at all, to be even remotely relevant to your educational and career interests in the first place.
	Because staff made me do it. =P Art Topic ~ Drawing Tutorial ~ The Seven Chaos Forum


Lady Miracle	May 15 2012, 04:17 PM Post #4
[insert something cheerful here] Posts: 8,037 Group: Former Monarchs Member #9,289 Joined: August 20, 2008	I'll be honest- I don't see the problem here. I mean, yeah, it's a little annoying that they're making you go through it, but this stuff is beneficial. It would be for a good cause, it would look good on your college application, and if you TRY to get your head into it rather than complain about how your parents forced you into it, you might end up genuinely enjoying the work. Unless you can come up with a better reason why you shouldn't at least give this a fair shot. Another thing is, even if you were to write a novel over Summer (which no offense, seems unlikely; not because of you, but because the general effort that goes into writing a novel for just about any writer), unless you get it published, I don't see it doing you any favors in a college application. And getting a book published is NOT easy. FAR from it. If the only conflict is that you're being forced, don't be forced. Try and convince yourself to see this in the same light as your parents. It's not like they're telling you to throw away your free will; they're just insisting that you try doing something fruitful. And you'll still have 5 days a week to work on your novel, anyway.
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KogaHarine	May 15 2012, 04:27 PM Post #5
The Black Swordsman Posts: 3,253 Group: E Rank Legend Member #7,594 Joined: April 19, 2008 Gender: Male Playstation Network ID: Goldth 3DS Friend Code: 047386746636 Nintendo ID: KogaHarine Game Currently Playing: Fantasy Life	Yeah Volunteer work isn't "fun" but it's worth it and it looks good on you as a person. And a little work never killed anyone. Basically just do it and get it over with. It can't be nearly as bad as you think.



Lord Spin	May 15 2012, 04:27 PM Post #6
They got Freddy. Poor Freddy. Posts: 5,845 Group: Former Monarchs Member #1,038 Joined: May 13, 2007	As someone who volunteered 3 days a week for the previous 3 months - it's really not bad. For instance - I volunteered at a nonprofit thrift shop once a week, and they freaking loved me since I was one of the few younger people who did some work there. I wanted to go back every week, despite not getting paid. I'll even be going back once a week after I'm done with my summer classes since they wanted me to come back. So depending on where you go, it can actually be kinda fun. Plus as some people have said - it looks good on a resume, and frankly, it beats doing nothing.
	NEVAR FORGET


HollyYoshi	May 15 2012, 05:44 PM Post #7
I object to your claims Posts: 15,025 Group: =SB= Queens Member #9,640 Joined: January 9, 2009 Gender: Female Country: United States of America 3DS Friend Code: 1891-1489-0768 Nintendo ID: Agent_Blaire Game Currently Playing: Yoshi's Island	With an attitude like that, you will pretty much never get a real job. Allow me to tell you a little story. Do you want to know how long I've been trying to find a job? Since November. Do the math, that's SIX months. Half a year. And in that half a year, I've filled out dozens of applications. Guess how many interviews I've gotten. Two. That's right. Two measly little interviews, plus somewhere I had to show off my computer skills but ultimately couldn't get because I lack a driver's license. HOWEVER, I also volunteer at a gym here in San Antonio, where I work the front desk as a greeter and I also do filing. And just a few weeks ago, I asked if they would hire me - I mean, I enjoy what I'm doing, especially the filing/office aspect. Why not ask to be a true employee? Guess what? There's a VERY strong possibility that, by the end of the month, I'll have an actual income. And just today I went to a church to discuss volunteering a few days a week there. Hey, if it gives me job experience, I'm taking it. Unless you get that thing published, writing a novel at age 15 is not going to impress employers. And even then they'd rather see something like 'volunteered at a nursing home'. Edited by HollyYoshi, May 15 2012, 05:49 PM.



Lord Tora Unlimited Crusader	May 15 2012, 07:53 PM Post #8
【The Knight of Tigers 】 Posts: 5,462 Group: Former Monarchs Member #6,733 Joined: March 17, 2008 Gender: Male Country: Australia 3DS Friend Code: 0404-6433-6113 Steam ID: crusaderandtimothy	You should do some volunteer work if you have the time. Yeah, it's irritating, but as has been said before, you get work experience out of it, and that's something that employers want too much of and are 99% of the time not interested in giving to those without it (illogical buncha wankers...). Still, I can't shake the feeling that 'volunteer work' is just an excuse for employers to squeeze free labour out of the unfortunate souls who have nowhere else to turn. It's a corporate conspiracy, I just know it.
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Fwiss	May 17 2012, 01:35 PM Post #9
Sandopolis Act 1 Posts: 1,567 Group: S Rank Hero Member #9,080 Joined: June 18, 2008 Gender: Male Steam ID: fwiss1174	Blaire, you are helpful. It's a good story. You should write a book on it. But I'm mixed on this. Volunteer work is extremely useful. Now, I'ma tell my story. I am the epitome of lazy. Lax chores, little exercise, no job, just school. No extracurricular activities. Two summers ago, my mother had me volunteering at my library. I didn't really have a problem with it, but it was about twice a week, too. Not only that, I also had 3 hours of lessons each day that summer. I also had various... social responsibilities, along with teaching little kids for a week. It taught me a lot of things, though 'character' was not one of them. I learned how to smile. Now, what I recommend you do, son, is research around. I'm looking into the crowded market of computer jobs. So, this summer I plan on volunteering/interning at a local computer business. If you want to volunteer, in even the smaller, more dead towns, you will find some businesses to intern at. There's more than just the hospital and the trash, ya know. So volunteer based on your interests. P.S, if you play your cards right and research around, you may get a chance to 'score.' Hehe.
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