Community Service

            Community service is an activity that every student is required to complete. In Friedland’s point-of-view, he “calls into question some of the vibrancy apparent in the high rate of youth volunteerism” (Friedland). Students that wish to attend a prestige university after graduating high school believe they need to complete many hours of community service at unique places in order to capture the attention of the university. Few students will engage in community service because they feel it is their responsibility as an individual to help the community. Students want to “perform enough of the “right” activities outside of the classroom” to be able to attend a university (Source 4). However, students do tend to volunteer in places that will give them experience on a future career or they find the specific task intriguing. In the views of most students, volunteering is a way to leave a mark on college admission by gaining an edge over the competition. It is a way “to make a stronger case to please college admissions officers” before graduating high school (Source 4).

            Growing up, people have been taught that they will succeed if they work hard, attend an esteem university, and make money. As a student, there is constant pressure to be the smartest one in the grade. Most people believe “a college education is a means to a decent life in the middle class (Source 4). They think that only the smartest students will be able to attend a well-known university and become successful in the future. In scientific terms, this condition is known as resume padding. According to Friedland, students are completing community service hours because of the motivation to attend a university, not because they truly want to help the community (Source 4). Most students today do not feel a connection with their community. They only care about future success.