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In some ways, higher education is a self-serving experience. 在某些方面而言，高等教育是一种自我服务的体验。
People often seek a college education because they want to improve their lives. 人们经常因为想要改善自己的生活而去寻求大学教育，
Or, they want to increase their chances at gaining well-paying, interesting and meaningful employment. 或者是想增加获得高薪、有趣和有意义工作的机会。
Even if a person wants to find cures for major diseases or solve homelessness, they must spend years gaining knowledge and training for themselves before they can help others. 即使一个人想找到治疗重大疾病或解决无家可归者问题的方法，他们也必须花费数年时间去获取知识，并接受培训，然后才能帮助他人。
A person's college years are usually very busy. It may not seem like they have the time or the freedom to serve anyone but themselves. 一个人的大学生活通常很忙碌，他们似乎除了帮助自己之外，没有时间或自由为别人服务。
But Connie Snyder Mick says they actually do. 但康妮·斯奈德·米克说，他们真的这么去做了。
Mick is the academic director of the Center for Social Concerns at the University of Notre Dame in the state of Indiana. 米克是印第安纳州圣母大学社会关注中心的学术主任。
Centers like hers exist at many colleges and universities in the United States. 美国许多学院都有像她这样的中心。
Mick says the centers help students seeking an experience that may not be directly related to a student's academic progress, but that is still important: volunteering. 米克说，这些中心帮助学生寻找一种可能与学生学业进步没有直接关系的经历，但这种经历仍然很重要：就是做志愿服务。
Volunteering is not uncommon in higher education. Many campus groups organize volunteer events or fundraising efforts for different causes. 志愿服务在高等教育中并不少见，许多校园团体为不同的事业组织志愿活动或筹款活动。
Officials in charge of student housing often organize such events to help build a sense of community. 负责学生住房事宜的官员经常组织这样的活动，帮助学生们建立社区意识。
Involvement in these kinds of activities is good for students, Mick told VOA. For example, the busy nature of college life can create a lot of stress for students. 米克告诉美国之音，参与这些活动对学生是有益的。例如，繁忙的大学生活会给学生造成很大的压力。
Doing something completely unrelated to a student's studies or other work can help calm them by putting their mind on other things. 做一些与学习或其他工作完全无关的事，有助于他们转移注意力，从而平静下来。
For a deeper more meaningful addition to their college experience, Mick urges students to visit centers like the one she heads. 为了更深入地体验大学经历中更多有意思的事情，米克敦促学生参观像她负责的这种中心。
She says these centers exist to create volunteer opportunities that are more complex and meaningful than just a day spent cleaning a local park, for example. 她表示，这些中心是为了给学生创造参与志愿活动的机会，这些机会比花一天时间清洁当地公园更复杂，也更富有意义。
College students often spend little time getting to know the local community just outside of their campus, Mick notes. 米克指出，大学生通常很少花时间去了解校外的当地社区。
Higher education is all about introducing students to new ideas, she says. 高等教育就是要向学生介绍新思想，
And these communities may be full of cultures and people that are very different from what the students already know. 这些社区里可能都是些不同于学生们了解和认识的文化和人群。
Campus volunteering offices often partner with local organizers that serve the people of the nearby community. 校园志愿者办公室经常与当地的组织者合作，为附近社区里的人们提供服务。
These partnerships help make sure the volunteer efforts are meeting the real needs of that community. 这些伙伴关系有助于确保志愿者努力满足社区的真正需要。
Even for students with little interest in finding a connection with the local community, there is still value in what volunteer centers have to offer, Mick says. 米克说，即使对那些不太想与当地社区建立联系的学生来说，志愿者中心提供的服务仍然很有价值。
She notes some opportunities can push students to use what they are learning in the classroom out in the real world. 她指出，有些机会可以促使学生把课堂上学过的知识应用到现实世界中。
And having that kind of experience can make a student appealing to employers in the years to come. 拥有这样的经验可以使学生在未来找工作时对雇主具有吸引力。
"Imagine teaching computer science at a center for … people with disabilities," Mick said. 米克说：“想象一下，在残疾人中心教授计算机科学。
"To think about how to apply, more directly, what you're studying in the classroom in ways that sort of push you to think about it differently can really be a creative … space." 想想如何更直接地应用你在课堂上所学的知识，促使你以不同的方式思考，这真的是一个富有创意的空间。”
Volunteering does not necessarily mean finding extra time in the evenings or weekends, she says. More and more schools are asking professors to design courses that include volunteer work. 她说，志愿服务并不一定意味着在晚上或周末找到额外的时间。越来越多的学校要求教授设计包括志愿服务在内的课程。
"The research shows that when a student goes and has an experience, the learning happens in the reflection, and reflection happens in coursework," Mick said. 米克说：“研究表明，当一个学生去体验时，会在反思中学习，而在做作业时学生会进行反思。
"So …you're getting that academic credit, but you're also having an … experience that's thoughtful, that gives you times to ... do research and to think deeply about that … in a way that's connected to your academic interests." 所以，你获得了学分，也获得了沉思的经验，让你用一种与学业兴趣相关的方式，去做研究并深入思考。”
Campus volunteer centers can help students identify classes that offer these kinds of experiences. 校园志愿者中心可以帮助学生确定提供这些体验的课程，
The centers also can let students know if their school offers any volunteering-based trips during breaks between study terms. 米克说，这样的旅行可以是利用课余时间探索其他地方的有意义的方式。
Mick says such trips can be a meaningful way to spend free time and explore other places. 这些中心还可以让学生了解到，他们的学校是否在学期间提供进行志愿服务的旅行。
I'm -Pete Musto. 我是皮特·穆斯托。
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