What bands do you want to meet

IELTS Speaking Part 1 Band 9 Model Answers – Topic: Friends

Band 9 Sample Answers for IELTS Speaking Part 1 – Topic: Friends

How often do you go out with your friends?

Well, I’d say that I hang out with my friends on a weekly basis. We often gather at a coffee shop or movie theater to share moments together. To tell the truth, I can’t live without my friends.

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When was the last time you went out with your friends? & What did you talk about?

Well, it was last week when we threw a party at my close friend’s house to celebrate her birthday. We had a whale of time at the party and didn’t want to go home at all. So, we decided to stay and had a chit-chat all night about our favorite topics like shopping, travelling, etc.

What is fashion among teenagers?

Probably, many teenagers now are slaves to fashion and never stop keep up with the latest trends in fashion. Most teenage boys and girls show a big preference for clothing styles just like those from their idols, especially world-class singers and actors.

Do you think friends are important in your life?

Sure, they play an important role in my life. I agree that friends are your relatives chosen by yourself. My friends accompany me when I am going through ups and downs. I think your happiness will be doubled and sadness will be halved if they are shared by your friends. In addition to that, good friends offer me valuable suggestions when I feel lost.

Well, honestly, besides my family, my friends play an important role in my life. With them, I am able to share all the problems that I find difficult to talk to my parents. They’re also the ones who I can trust and enjoy the most beautiful moments of my youth.

Go through (phrasal verb) experience something bad

Ups and downs (idiom) a variety of situations and experiences that are sometimes good and sometimes bad

What does friendship mean to you?

I think friendship is a necessary part of life. Friendship, in my opinion, means you have somebody who can share your happiness and pain. Friends are those whom you feel easy with. They are always your good listeners. And they are the people you can discuss the interesting issues with.

What is the best part of being a teenager?

The teenage years are the most dynamic stage of life since teenagers really hang out a lot with their friends. You can also date with your beloved friends, and enjoy the freedom you have. There’s no need to worry about your job, money and teenagers simply enjoy their life to the fullest.

What qualities do you value in your best friend?

Well, it’s hard to say anything. Though making friends is easy, maintaining that relationship is much harder. Therefore, I think my best friends are those who should be honest and sympathetic because I am a kind of person that prefers the truth and easily get affected my emotions.

Go astray (phrase) do something wrong

Flatter (v) to praise someone in order to get something that you want, especially in a way that is not sincere

How do people make friends with others? How do you make new friends?

Besides being classmates and colleagues, I think the most common way to make friends is through other friends. It is especially true for people like me, because I am introverted and not used to introducing myself to strangers. In addition, with the development of the Internet more and more young people enjoy making friends online.

Or:

Let me see, I come from a country which is agricultural, so it means that the people are very friendly and warm-hearted. In my country, it is very easy to make friends just by saying hello to someone, then asking about other’s health. Sometimes, just a smile can bring people close to each other.

What are the differences between adults and children in making friends?

I think children make friends just for playing together. If they can play with each other, they will become good friends. A toy or a candy can make them become friends. Their friendship is rather pure. But of course they are likely to break up easily and make up again. When they grow up, they will not make friends very readily. Adults choose friends more cautiously. And they may have many kinds of friends, such as business partners, colleagues. The friendship has some profits or advantages for them.

Well, this question is such an interesting one. In fact, adults and children do have a difference in making friends owing to their age and their interests. While adults prefer friends who have the same jobs and goals in life, children make friends as they simply want to find someone who can play and have fun with them.

Where do young people usually meet in your city?

Well, it’s difficult to say because there are many good meeting places in my city, like cafes, cinemas or parks. As far as I am concerned, I usually meet my friends in the cafes. They have comfortable seats and pleasant background music. We can chat without being disturbed while enjoying a cup of coffee or juice. If the weather is fine we will go to the parks. It is agreeable to sit on the bench near the lake, enjoying the pleasant scenery far away.

Have you made any friends on the Internet?

Yes, I’m keen on surfing the Internet, especially chatting with others on Facebook. I have made many friends via the Internet. In my opinion, they are not different from other friends of mine. We know each other’s personal information and trust each other. We often discuss something we are both interested in. The only difference is that we meet online but not in real places

How can you keep in touch with your friends if you two are not seeing each other frequently?

Everything becomes easy with modern technology. We call each other or send messages. Sometimes we chat online and even see each other on the screen with the help of a small camera. We often send pictures and letters by Internet as well.

Do you prefer to spend time with friends or alone?

To me, friends are the best thing that I’ve ever had, so whenever I am free, I usually would like to spend time with my beloved friends. We often hang out at the coffee shop in the weekends, gossiping about our daily issues.

Do you have many friends?

Oh, many friends? I am a kind of person who is fun-loving and outgoing. Therefore, that I have many friends is just a matter of time. I have my friends, most of whom are my classmates from my high school and my university. We find it very exciting to be friends for such a long time.

Do you like meeting new people?

Honestly, I am a kind of person who is very reserved and quite, so I prefer meeting my acquaintances rather than try to make new friends. I don’t like meeting new people since I have to start all the things to get to know those and balance the new relationship, which takes a lot time and efforts.

What kind of friend do you want to meet in the future?

In the future? Oh well, I prefer making friends who are better than me both in general knowledge and soft skills. Therefore, in the future, I would like to meet friends that may set the same goals as mine in their careers and in their lives. Besides, those who master in English do catch my attention a lot since English is my favorite language.

What Do Bands Do Before A Show?

As a non-musician, you might be wondering what bands do before a show. Whilst you might not know it, there are actually a range of different activities that band members participate in prior to a performance.

So, what do bands do before playing a show?

Before a show, bands will load their gear into the venue and perform a soundcheck. They will then participate in a meet & greet session (if required) before having a few hours of downtime. Following their downtime, they’ll eat a light meal and run through a series of warm-ups prior to taking the stage.

Keep reading for an in-depth account of an average day in the life of a touring band.

Table of Contents

Load In/Set Up

This is the first thing that will happen upon arriving at the venue. If a band can’t afford a touring crew, they’ll load the gear into the venue and set it up themselves. If the band can afford a touring crew, they’ll usually check out the venue or hang out on the tour bus whilst the roadies set the gear up for them. This generally takes between 1-2 hours and will be done 8-10 hours before showtime

Soundcheck

Soundcheck is where the band runs through a small portion of the show to check how everything sounds. The sound engineer will adjust the volume of each instrument and tweak various frequencies to ensure the sound is clear, well-balanced and set at a suitable volume.

Once the FOH (front of house) sound has been adjusted, the sound engineer will have to set up individual mixes for each band member, which are delivered via in-ear monitors.

This is because different band members will want to hear a different version of the mix (for example; having their own instrument turned up loud so they can hear what they’re doing). For a full overview of why band members use in-ear monitors, check out our dedicated article.

In today’s industry, it’s common for bands to invite fans into the soundcheck as a ticket add-on. This is usually followed by some form of Q&A session or meet & greet with the band.

This is a fantastic way for bands to generate additional revenue as it requires little effort from the band members themselves and no additional overhead costs. This usually takes around 1-2 hours, and will be done around 8 hours before showtime

Meet & Greet

In addition to soundcheck access, many bands will hold a meet & greet session as a ticket add-on. This is where fans can briefly chat to the band and have a professional photo taken with them. Meet & greet usually takes place immediately after soundcheck and lasts around 1 hour.

Downtime

Once soundcheck is complete, the band members will almost-always have an extended period of downtime before they need to be back at the venue.

Downtime usually lasts around 4 hours and will be taken 6 hours before showtime. Here are a few common ways band members will pass their downtime before a show:

Occasionally, the band may have to participate in press before the show (usually in the form of an interview). The band is much-more-likely to have press commitments at festivals rather than their own shows.

Eat A Light Meal

Around 2 hours before showtime, the band will head to their dressing room and start preparing for the show. Whilst the band members will certainly need to eat before the show, they’ll want to avoid anything too heavy. As a result, most bands will have an array of snacks in their dressing room (this is known as a rider). A standard rider will usually consist of:

Most riders will also include drinks (often water, juice and some form of alcoholic beverage).

Warm-Up

Around 1 hour before showtime, the musicians will start warming up for the show. Warm-up is usually divided into two sections:

Execute Their Pre-Show Ritual

Many bands will have some sort of ‘ritual’ they execute in the moments leading up to a performance. These usually consist of some form of group activity that are intended to instil motivation and confidence in the band members. Here are a few popular pre-show rituals:

Some band members have slightly stranger pre-show rituals than others. Here are a few examples:

Additional Posts

I’m George; the founder of Indie Panda. I’m passionate about helping independent musicians realize the full potential of their talents and abilities through a strong work ethic, coherent project identity and a strong logistical foundation.

Everyday english

Match the expressions and responses. When do we use these expressions?

Listen and check. Practise saying them.

2 Test a partner. Say an expression. Can your partner give the correct response?

I We use certain expressions in different social situations.

Don’t e and sit down.

Sleep well! Yes. Can I help you? Good morning! Fine, thanks.

Pleased to meet you, Ela. Not at all. Don’t mention it. Thanks. Same to you!

That’s very kind. Thank e!

How do you do? Hi, Peter! Cheers!

How are you? Hello, Jane! How do you do? See you tomorrow! Good night! Good morning! Hello, I’m Ela Paul. Cheers! Excuse me! Bless you!

Have a good weekend! Thank you very much indeed. Make yourself at home.

3 With your partner, write two short conversations that include some of the social expressions. Read your conversations to the class.

Social expressions 1

The way we live

The United States Canada Australia New Zealand South Africa Scotland

These flags all belong to English-speaking countries. Write the name of the country.

PEOPLE AND PLACES

Present tenses and have/have got

1 Read the texts. Match a country from the Starter with a text and a plete the texts with the words from the boxes.

exports enjoy immigrants huge

This country has quite a small population, just 16 million, but the

mainly of European descent, but there are also aborigines and a lot of

in towns on the coast, not so much inland, because it is so hot. They live a lot of their lives outdoors,

and ___ sports, swimming, and

having barbecues. This country

than 60 million sheep!

favourite variety has only

This is the second biggest country in the world, but it has a population of

___ 30 million. It is so big that there is

a___ of climates. Most people live in

the south because the north is too cold. It is famous for its beautiful

lakes than any other country. Their sports are baseball and ice hockey.

elephants grows black climate

This country has a population of about 45 million. Of these, 76 per cent are

___ and 12 per cent white. It has a

rains a lot! It is the world’s biggest producer of gold, and it exports

diamonds, too. It___ a lot of fruit,

including oranges, pears, and grapes, and it makes wine. In the game reserves you can see a lot of wildlife,

READING AND SPEAKING

Living in the USA

1 Close your eyes and think of the United States. Write down the first five things you think of.

The Empire State Building Cheeseburger and fries

Compare your list with other students.

2 Read the introduction to the magazine article. Then work in three groups. Group A Read about Roberto. Group B Read about Endre. Group C Read about Yuet Tung.

3 Answer the questions.

1 Why and when did he/she come to the US?

2 What does he/she do?

3 What does he/she like about living in the US?

4 What was difficult at the beginning?

4 Find a partner from each of the other two pare the three people.

5 Answer the questions with your group.

1 What do the people have in common?

2 Are they all happy living in the US?

3 Who has other members of their family living there?

4 Do they all have children?

5 Who married someone from their own country?

6 What do Roberto and Endre like about the US?

7 What do they say about their own country?

8 Do they like the people?

9 What do they say about Americans and their cars?

What do you think?

• What do you like best about living in your country? What would you miss if you lived abroad?

• Do you know any foreigners living in your country? What do they like about it? What do they find different?

The people of the United States are nearly all immigrants, or descendants of immigrants. It is a young country, and much of the population has relatives who live in other parts of the world.

But how do they find the US when they first arrive? What do they think of the people, the culture, the way of life?

Jamie Peterson spoke to three of them.

aged 24, from Mexico

aged 45, from Hungary

aged 31, from Hong Kong

When asked why he came to the US, Roberto says without hesitation, ‘Because I want to work hard and be successful.’ He certainly works hard. He’s at the store all day, then works as a driver in the evening. ‘That’s why I like America,’ he says. ‘You can be what you want.’

‘When l first came here, I didn’t speak the language, and it was winter. It was so cold! There was snow! Now nearly all my family are here, not only in New York, but also in California, and in Texas. We meet about once a month and have a huge Mexican meal that takes about five hours! We’re all happy here.’

Endre is a mathematician at Rutgers University, New Jersey. He came from Budapest thirteen years ago. ‘I had an opportunity to come here for two years.’ After a year, his wife came to join him, and since then they’ve had a daughter, so they decided to stay.

‘At first it was very strange. Everything is so big here,’ he says. ‘I started to feel happy when I bought a car. Now I go everywhere by car. In Hungary, we only use the car at weekends, but here your car is part of your life. Nobody walks anywhere.’

How does he find the people? ‘Very friendly. The first question everybody asks you is «Where are you from?» People talk to you here, they start conversations. I like the fact that there are people from all over the world.’

What about the way of life? ‘The thing l like best is the independence. Nobody tells me what to do. Here you can do what you want, so you learn to make decisions for yourself. I feel in control.’

Yuet Tung is her Chinese name, but in English she’s known as Clara. She came to the US eight years ago and studied fine art. Now she works on Madison Avenue for a publisher. She married a Vietnamese American three years ago, and they live in Long Island. They don’t have any children yet.

What does she think of living in New York? ‘It’s very similar to Hong Kong. It’s a busy city, very exciting, and people walk very fast! I like the stores here. They’re huge, and it’s cheaper than Hong Kong. But you need a car here, in Hong Kong everyone uses public transportation, because it’s good and it’s cheap. At first l hated driving here, but it’s OK now.’

What does she like best? ‘The space. Here I live in a house with a yard. In Hong Kong it is so crowded. And the people are friendly. When I go jogging, everyone says «Hi!» And the food is from every country in the world.’

Well, my country’s got a population of. er. about three and a half million, so it’s not a big place. Most of the people are from Europe, but about twelve per cent are Maori. they were the original inhabitants. A lot of people live in bungalows, which are small

A Do you have a car?

A Have you got a car?

D I don’t have a computer.

E I haven’t got a computer.

Where does he come from? Is she married?

Does she have any brothers and sisters?

Has he got any children?

How many brothers and sisters has she got?

What does he do?

What does she do in her free time?

Where do they go on holiday?

What’s she doing at the moment?

watch a film on TV

talk to my friends

make a cup of tea

listen to music

relax on the sofa

clear up the mess

do the washing-up

have or put posters on the wall

go to the toilet

Home Truths P = Presenter C = Carol M = Mike D = Dave A = Alison

P Hello and welcome to the programme. Today we’re going to hear just what couples really

think of each other. What drives you mad about your partner? Here’s Carol, talking about her husband, Mike.

C Well, there are a lot of arguments about

P So there we have Carol’s opinion. What does Mike say about her?

M When we’re out in the car and she’s driving, she doesn’t change gears. She’s talking about somebody or other, and not thinking about driving at all. I want to shout at her ‘Change gear now!’ but I don’t. When I want to watch something on television, like. the news, she always wants to watch a soap or a film. And another thing. She’s always on the phone. She spends hours talking to our daughter, and do you know where she lives? Just round the corner.

P But what do they think of their marriage? Here’s Carol.

C Well, 1 can’t change him now, so I’ll just have to put up with him.

M We’ve been married for twenty-five years, and she’s the only one for me!

P And now we have another couple, Dave and Alison. Oh, and by the way, Dave’s an electrician.

A What drives me absolutely mad is that he starts a job and never finishes it. At work he’s so professional, but at home, if I want a light in the bedroom changed, it takes him months. And he’s so untidy. He just drops things on the floor. I keep saying that I don’t want to be his mother as well as his wife. When we go out, he looks so scruffy, even, when I’m all dressed up. His clothes are so old-fashioned. He never throws anything away.

P Oh, dear. Now what does Dave have to say about Alison?

D Well, she’s never ready on time. She always finds something to do that means we’re always late, wherever we go. She’s usually doing her hair or her make-up while I’m saying ‘Come on love, it’s time to go.’ And she loses things. She forgets where she parked the car, she leaves the car keys in the most stupid places. But what is most annoying about Alison is that she’s always right!

P And their final opinions about each other?

A He’s great. He’s good fun, and he’s one in a million.

D See? As I said, she’s always right!

P So, there we are. My thanks to Carol and Mike, and Dave and Alison.

J = James M = Maria

1 J Hello. What’s your name? M Maria.

J I’m. James. I’m a teacher. And. where are you from?

J Mm. And. how long have you been

here in London, Maria? M Two months. J Are you having a good time? M Mm. Yes. J Can I get you a coffee? M No.

J Are you missing your family at all? M No.

J Have you got any brothers or sisters? M Yes.

J Er. Oh! Er. what do they do? M They are students too. J Oh well, I’ve got a class now. Goodbye,

Maria. M Ciao. S = Sylvia J-P = Jean-Paul 2 S Hello. What’s your name?

J-P Jean-Paul. And what’s your name? S Sylvia. Where are you from, Jean-Paul? J-P I come from Paris, the most romantic city in the whole world. And you, Sylvia, where do you come from? S I come from Scotland. What do you do

in Paris? J-P I’m an architect. S Oh, really?

J-P Yeah. I design beautiful buildings for people with lots of money. I’m very expensive. S How interesting.

J-P And how long have you been a teacher, Sylvie?

S Actually, my name’s Sylvia.

J-P I am so sorry. Sylvie is the French name.

Sylvia, sorry. S Don’t worry. I like it. I’ve been working

here for five years. J-P And do you enjoy it? S Yes, very much. You meet a lot of people from all sorts of different countries. I like that very much. Are you enjoying it here?

J-P Very, very much. I’m learning a lot of English, I’m making a lot of friends, and even the food’s not bad! Well, I’m not dead yet, and I’ve been here for five weeks. Sylvia, can I get you a coffee? S I’ve got a few minutes before my next class, so that would be lovely. Thank you very much. J-P Why don’t we.

1 What a lovely day it is today! Yes. Beautiful, isn’t it?

2 It’s very wet today.

Mm. Horrible. Makes you feel miserable, doesn’t it?

3 How are you today?

I’m very well, thanks. How about you?

4 Did you have a nice weekend?

Yes, it was lovely. We had a pub lunch and went for a walk.

5 How are you finding living in London? I’m enjoying it. It was a bit strange at first, but I’m getting used to it.

6 Did you have a good journey?

Yes, no problems. The plane was a bit late, but it didn’t matter.

7 Did you watch the football yesterday? No, I missed it. Was it a good game?

8 What a lovely coat you’re wearing! Thank you. I got it in Paris last year.

9 If you have any problems, just ask me for help.

Thank you very much. That’s very kind of you.

1 Russell woke up at two o’clock.

2 He woke up because he was thirsty.

3 He heard a noise in the kitchen.

4 He found three men.

5 Russell’s mother kept her purse in her handbag.

6 They left at five o’clock.

7 When they left, Russell watched TV.

8 The police caught the burglars the next day.

Контрольная работа по английскому языку Spotlight 10, module 1

Match the speakers 1-6 with statements A-G. Use the statements only once; there is one you do not need to use. (12 points)

A. The speaker can’t wait to take up a new extreme sport.

B. The speaker isn’t sure about extreme sports.

C. The speaker wouldn’t dream of trying extreme sports.

D. The speaker finds extreme sports too dangerous.

E. The speaker is crazy about winter sports.

F. The speaker would consider trying an extreme sport.

G. The speaker recommends a new sport.

Vocabulary and grammar.

A. Match the words and phrases in Column A to the words and phrases in Column b. ( 5 points)

Column A Column B

1. listen …. A. with friends

3. hang out …. C. voluntary work

4. send … D. the Net

5. surf… E. online

B. Fill in the correct word. (10points)

1. Every teenager knows how to send text …..on a mobile phone.

2. Bill doesn’t spend a lot of …. with his family. It’s a pity.

3. I often go window … when I want to relax.

4. Do you want to do extreme ….. this weekend?

5. They play computer …. all the time.

C. Choose the correct answer, A, B or C. (15 points)

1. I love this artist’s paintings; he’s very ….

2. I think Paul is … of me because I have a new bike.

3. Ian is quite …; one minute he’s all happy, the next he’s upset.

4. Marta is … but sometimes she makes things more difficult instead of easier.

5. Kate is a very kind and …. Girl; she believes whatever people tell her.

D. Underline the correct word. (6 points)

1. Get off my back/shoulder and stop teasing me! I’m really not in the mood!

2. No one likes our new classmate and everybody gives him the cold eye/shoulder when he comes in.

3. James and I get along very well although we don’t always see eye to eye/ear.

4. I’ve never seen Luke in such a bad mood; he’s like a bear with a sore back/head.

5. She’s annoying! She always gets on my neck/nerves!

6. I can’t stand Michael. He’s a pain in the back/neck.

1. My family is always very …. of my decisions. SUPPORT

2. This actor is very … in England. FAME

3. He’s a well-… man in the community. RESPECT

5. She’s a very … person; no wonder she’s a babysitter. CARE

1. A: I …. (go) to the gym every day for two months and I … (not/lose) any weight yet.

B: I … (exercise) every day too but I …. (also/be) on a diet.

B: Not yet. I … (work) in the garden for the past five hours.

3. A: What … (you/do) this weekend?

B: Nothing special. I … (usually/visit) my grandparents at the weekends but they … (leave) for London on Friday.

4. A: How long …(Jane and Kate/be) friends?

B: They … (know) each other for ten years and they … (share) a flat for the last four years.

5. A: … (you/like) bungee jumping?

B: You know, I … (never/try) it but I … (think) of trying it this weekend.

6. A: Where are the Smith?

B: They …(go) to Paris for the weekend.

G. Choose the correct answer A, B or C. (5 points)

1. I am not very good … Maths. A. to B. for C. at

2. Everybody looks … him because he didn’t help clean up after the party.

A. up B. down on C. out for

3. Jane is looking … to the trip at the weekend. A. forward B. down C. after

4. Look … the unknown words in the dictionary. A. after B. up C. out

5. My father is keen … fishing. A. about B. with C. on

Match texts 1-7 with their headings A-H. Use the headings only once. There is one you do not need to use. ( 14 points)

A. An unusual hobby

D. Technology Freak

E. Bargain hunter

H. A passion for designer labels

2. I’m crazy about all the new gadgets that come out. I spend most of my free time shopping or surfing the Internet to check out the prices. The trouble is, nothing stays new for very long and you have to upgrade all the time. My mum says I spend too much on things I don’t reed. I can’t help it—it’s my passion. It’s so exciting to keep up with the latest trends!

3. I have always been a very active person, always trying new sports and spending my time keeping fit. I enjoy sport not only because it is healthy but also because it is a good way to meet people. I’m really into mountain biking at the moment and so I spend most weekends on trips. We sleep out in tents — it’s cool!

4. I spend a lot of my time shopping. I like to shop on my own or with my friends and most of my money is spent on clothes. But I am very careful with what! buy. I always spend time window shopping first and make sure I am getting a good price. It’s brilliant when you find a really nice top, and everyone thinks you paid a fortune for it, when in fact it cost you next to nothing!

5. You might think it strange that I spend so much time at the dog training centre. Most people my age are more interested in clubbing or hanging out at the mall. But it’s great to work with animals. My dog, Roy, has become so obedient now and I have helped my neighbour’s dog as well. It started out as a hobby, but who knows? I might decide to do it as a career.

7. Seeing bands on TV or listening to recordings just isn’t the same. You really need to hear it live. I love to go and listen to my favourite bands and often travel long distances to see them. Sometimes I drive down to London with some friends or I go for a weekend break and fly down. My favourite has got to be the Glastonbury Festival. There you can hear the best music around.

Read the extract from your English pen friend’s email. (11points)

What’s your family like? What do you do together? I can’t wait the summer holidays! I’ve got lots of things planned.

Write an email to your pen-friend. In your email:

· tell him/her about your family,

· ask three questions about his/her plans for the holidays (100-140 words).

Why Volunteer? 7 Benefits of Volunteering that Will Inspire You to Take Action

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Why volunteer? The benefits of volunteering can last a lifetime—not only for those who you are helping, but for you as well.

If you are on the fence about diving into a new volunteer experience or have doubts about whether or not volunteering is right for you, you might find yourself surprised at just how much you can gain from taking the plunge.

Let’s learn more about the many benefits of volunteering and how to start getting involved!

Why Volunteer?

What is Volunteering?

Volunteering means giving your time and abilities to aid others (usually a nonprofit organization) without the want of financial compensation. Put simply, volunteering is a service to your community.

Many nonprofit organizations rely on volunteers to accomplish day-to-day objectives and to reach long-term goals. Miles4Migrants, for instance, relied solely on volunteer hours for their first few years of operation. Most nonprofits would not be able to do the important work they do without the power of volunteer work.

Nothing gets done by one person alone, which means we have to band together to make the changes we want to see in the world. Volunteerism has indeed been the fuel to the fires of change both on international and local fronts. Volunteering your time, skills, and resources is one of the most powerful ways to make a difference, to help others, and as it turns out, to enhance your wellbeing.

15 things you can do (big and small) to start making a difference today.

7 Benefits of Volunteering

While you won’t get paid for your community service, volunteering comes with a lot of other benefits to boot. Donating your time, energy, and possibly resources can be just as rewarding for you as for those you are helping. Here are some ways volunteering can affect you positively:

1. Meet New People and Build Community

Everyone loves new friends!

Being a part of a team with a common goal will help you form bonds with strangers that can be life-changing. Volunteering inherently means helping people, and that means you’ll be creating meaningful relationships with others and increasing your social interactions.

Volunteering provides a unique opportunity: it connects people with very specific shared values. And the values may not be what you think. In addition to likely having shared concerns for children, sustainable living, healthy eating, or whatever project you’re working on, volunteers are also people who also share things like a willingness to step outside their comfort zone, an openness to spending time on a community effort, a proclivity for engaging in team-oriented activities, and a desire to contribute to the well-being of others.

You’re sure to meet people and make new friends that share common interests, values, and outlooks. Building a community in which you are all working together towards common future goals will nurture your sense of belonging and purpose and expand your support system. This social benefit of volunteering grows into a bunch of other benefits that we’ll continue to explore in this list!

2. Gain Knowledge and Understanding of Other Ways of Life

Volunteering might take you to a new part of your community you have never been to before. Volunteer programs can give you the opportunity to bring people into your social network you otherwise wouldn’t get to meet and learn from those who come from different walks of life. This experience can expand your understanding of others who are different from you.

Learning about cultures and ways of life that are different from one of your upbringing will increase your social flexibility and expand your world-view. It will also raise awareness of the issues that other people deal with and will increase important social skills like empathy and teamwork.

3. Gain a Sense of Purpose and Become Happier

What an amazing reason to do something! Who doesn’t want to become happier?! Volunteering has been shown to give you a sense of accomplishment and to increase feelings of happiness.

How you may ask?

Throughout your life you’ve developed social and professional skills that promote your personal achievement. Using those skills for a wider, communal impact can be even more fulfilling. Volunteering will enrich your life and give you a broader purpose and can give you a boost of motivation.

Researchers also posit that it’s the social connections you make while volunteering (as we’ve mentioned) that help increase your feelings of happiness.

Feeling like you are a purposeful role of your community will make you feel…da da dum…HAPPY! Volunteering is indeed a known mechanism to help fight all sorts of mental issues like depression, anxiety, stress, and anger.

Where do we sign up?!

4. Boost Your Self-Esteem

That’s right! Spending time as a volunteer has been shown to improve your self-esteem!

The more opportunities you take to learn new skills and gain knowledge, the more fully you will develop as a person. And what safer space to develop those skills than in a context of service?

Stepping out of your comfort zone and building new skills is the best way to develop your self-esteem. Volunteering will increase your sense of pride and thus, your self-confidence! When you challenge yourself through volunteering and receive appreciation from others, it can make you feel better emotionally and mentally.

Plus, who has time to think negative thoughts about yourself when you’re out saving the world?!

5. Advance Your Career by Improving Job Prospects

Gear up! This one’s a big one!

Volunteering will offer you skills that can be used throughout your career development. If you are wanting to change to a new career, especially a new environmental or social impact job, volunteering in that new field can help you develop the skills and knowledge you will need.

When you have a volunteering experience to add to your resume, you stand out over job candidates who don’t take the time to give back to society. Volunteering highlights your character, passion, and determination!

Through your volunteer experiences, you have a chance to show that you’re interested in things bigger than yourself, and you are willing to take action to make the changes you want in the world—and that will always help you shine through the competition.

Plus, volunteering can also give you a better understanding of the issues you are working with and discover where there are gaps in the field. This knowledge can prepare you to enter a new field of work or, for those with an entrepreneurial spirit, volunteering may lead to developing your next business idea or inspire you to start a nonprofit yourself!

6. Accrue the Health Benefits of Volunteering

It’s true! There are many physical benefits that come from volunteering, and most important is that it can help reduce stress!

Spending meaningful time with others can reduce stress and the health effects it has on our bodies. Reduced stress translates into several physical health benefits. You’ll sleep better, get sick less often, and even prevent heart disease! In fact, some studies have even found lower mortality rates in volunteers vs non-volunteers in older adults.

This makes sense because as we give our attention to others, we take our attention off of our own problems and concerns. It can also put our stresses into perspective and feel more gratitude in our day-to-day lives.

Volunteer work can also be an outlet for the frustrations you feel about certain issues and will leave you with a sense of agency and empowerment. Worried about climate change? Do something about it!

7. Increase Your Brain Functioning

Every volunteer opportunity has its own set of tasks, and some of those might require you to learn new skill sets and challenge yourself. This means you’ll be keeping your brain busy and limber!

Volunteering has been shown to increase your ability for problem solving, increase your long-term and short-term memory, and reduce your risk of developing age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s. So time to get started!

The Good & Bad of Volunteering

Getting Started on Your Volunteer Journey

So you have made up your mind to volunteer—what now?

One of the many beauties of volunteering is that there are endless ways that you can get involved and make a difference. The thing is, you won’t know which is right for you until you get out into the community and start!

The key to accruing all the benefits of volunteering is to find something you really like in a community that you love. It is time to consider your options carefully so you can find an opportunity that will be realistic for you as well as fulfilling.

How to Start Your Research

There are tens of thousands of nonprofit organizations in the United States with volunteering opportunities ranging from health care and mental health, to sports, to politics, to childhood development. Here are some tips to start finding the right volunteer opportunity for you:

15 things you can do (big and small) to start making a difference today.

What to Consider: Finding the Opportunity That is Right for You

It’s important to make sure you only volunteer in a capacity that you are comfortable with and that brings you joy. Here are some things to consider as you search for your next volunteer opportunity.

Time

First and foremost, consider how much time you can give. There is no competition in volunteering (or at least, there shouldn’t be!). If you can only give an hour a month—great. That is an additional hour a month your community will benefit from that it otherwise wouldn’t!

When volunteering as a part of a team, you should make sure you can commit the time you are promising. If you are volunteering to do things like the online marketing for the nonprofit, that don’t require working directly with others, make sure you are upfront about your skill levels, abilities, and availability. This will ensure you don’t feel stretched too thin, which often results in burnout.

Making reasonable timeframes will help you settle in for the long-term. And being upfront about your time constraints will help you avoid disappointing anyone counting on you and your volunteer efforts.

Physical Limitations

Also, consider your physical capabilities. Do you have constraints that will make certain tasks difficult? Be honest with yourself about what you are comfortable with accomplishing. I have found that most nonprofit organizations are very happy to accommodate volunteers who have special requests and needs if you are upfront with them about your limitations.

Your Skillset

Another thing to mull over is what kind of skills you already possess. What skills or experience could be helpful to the nonprofit you are working with? If you’re in marketing, consider helping an organization develop their nonprofit marketing plan. If you know accounting, help them get their books in order. Organizations will LOVE getting this kind of expertise (that they would usually have to pay top dollar for).

Your Interests

Next, think about where your interests lie and what kind of field would you want to explore. Do you like working with animals? Want to learn more about farming and agriculture? Interested in learning to compost? Do you enjoy playing with children? Spending time with the elderly? Would you want to learn how to help refugees?

Deciding what kind of organization you would like to work with first will help you bring enthusiasm and excitement to your volunteer experience. It is no good for anyone if you volunteer to do something you flat out don’t like doing.

Volunteer Abroad or in Your Own Community

Are you interested in working outside of your home country? Do you have the time and finances to travel? Would you rather stay close to home where you might not have to spend money to volunteer?

Consider again what might work best for you. Volunteering abroad tends to be expensive and time-consuming, which may or may not be something you are prepared to do. Plus there are many opportunities right in our own communities!

But if you want to do work to save the oceans for instance, and you live in the mountains of Colorado, your local community may not have the right opportunity for you. In that case, you will want to search outside of your hometown.

Make sure that if you are considering volunteering abroad, that you work only with a reputable organization that you can verify necessary information about what to expect before you leave home.

There are some amazing opportunities to combine your travel with volunteering. Companies like Have Fun Do Good provide the opportunity to do purposeful travel, arranging for your trip to be structured around a service project.

Learn more about how these travel experiences incorporate volunteer projects in our interview with the Founder of Have Fun Do Good, Adam Kunes!

Kind Traveler and Discover Corps also allow you to take your impact beyond your hometown. Or join the “give-back-packers” at Bamboo and take your impact across the world. Or, maybe you prefer saving sea turtles on a visit to Costa Rica? The possibilities are endless!

The Power of Giving Back

The reasons people volunteer are many and will vary person to person. What we do know is that when you find the right fit, you’ll enrich the lives of others and your life will be made better by the experience!

We all contribute to the construction of the world we live in—don’t you want your contribution to be one that makes that world better? Working towards equality for everyone will make a better world for all of us!

Whether you are a high school student volunteering at a football game, a girl scout selling cookies, or a senior volunteering at an animal shelter, when your efforts go towards making society better for all of us, we all feel better. It’s a win-win situation.

Good luck on your search for the right volunteer experience for you and let us know how your experience goes! Happy volunteering!

Alma Rominger

Grow Ensemble Contributor

Alma Rominger is an educator and farmer passionate about regenerative agriculture, composting, gardening for mental health, and outdoor education.

Alma believes that the health of the earth and the health of its people are intrinsically connected and has spent her entire career advocating for both. She currently specializes in Bokashi composting systems and soil ecology through her work with Compost Queens, a women-owned community composting company based in the San Antonio area.