IU Volunteers' Week: Emily's story

University of Southampton student
Emily Beven volunteers as a Secondary Academic Support volunteer at our Southampton West centre. She has supported the centre once a week for the past year. We asked Emily what she's gained from volunteering with our young people.

I always had a good time at school and I enjoy learning things, so I wanted to help others enjoy their education and to get something out of their studies. I like that IntoUniversity helps to show students that are perhaps less confident in their abilities that they can go to university or do whatever they want in the future. I think it’s a very encouraging and positive organisation.

As a volunteer I help students with their homework: this sometimes involves encouraging them as they work through it themselves, checking their work, or helping them understand the task and the topic they are studying. Also, as a languages student I can help them learn vocab with games or fun activities.

The best thing about volunteering is when you see a student that was previously struggling really engage with their work, when you’ve explained something to them in a way that suddenly makes it a lot clearer for them and they see that they can actually do the work that seemed impossible before.

Volunteering has made a difference in my life - I look forward to it every week and I think it has made me more patient and understanding but also more confident because I now know what I am capable of. 

I hope I’ve helped students see that learning and studying doesn’t have to be boring and difficult and that there are different ways of learning things. I also hope that I’ve helped build their confidence and shown them that they can improve their work if they work hard. 

I would recommend volunteering at IntoUniversity because it is a fun and rewarding role. I’ve learnt new things through helping the students as well as consolidating my own knowledge.

It's a great opportunity to help others and to make a difference.

By Emily Beven

If you've been inspired by Emily's story, visit our website to find out about our volunteering opportunities.