20 Random Acts of Kindness: College Campus Edition

Posted by Jil Wright on Wed, Nov, 28, 2012 @ 12:11:00 PM

In Fun, college, classroom behavior, dorm, faculty, Random Acts of Kindness

If you were waiting on a sign this is itMany of us are guilty of spending far too much time in front of a computer screen or staring at our phones and not connecting with what’s going on in the real world right this very moment. I know I am! Take some time this holiday season (and afterward) to do a few random acts of kindness. It may make someone’s day, and you’ll be surprised how many times that person is you!

Here are a few ideas for Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) that can be done on a college campus or in the local community.

 

  1. Write a letter to someone who made a difference in your life that you haven’t see in a while. Yes, on real paper. No, not an e-mail. Compose a real life piece of snail mail and send it to someone.
  2. Create and print some inspirational flyers to hang in your dorm or on campus. You could use quotes on kindness or motivational reminders, google for ideas.
  3. If you see a member of our military on campus, stop and thank them for their service. I saw a young man carrying a military dress uniform across campus this morning. Hinds Community College is a military-friendly campus and we have many students who have (or are currently) risking their lives for our country. A smile and a thanks are just small things we can do to show our appreciation.
  4. Bake cookies for your neighbors or your floor in your residence hall.
  5. If you’ve got the cash to spare, order pizza for a night class (just not on a test night).
  6. Standing in line? Let someone go ahead of you.
  7. Leave quarters on laundry machines or taped to vending machines for the next person who comes along.
  8. If you have a car, help out someone in your dorm who doesn’t.
  9. Visit a local nursing home and take some friends with you.  Ask an elderly person about their memories of the community, read to them, play some music.
  10. Give directions to someone who looks lost on campus. You were in their shoes once.sevenly steve jobs quote
  11. It’s cold, give up your parking spot to someone else. Walking a bit farther won’t hurt you.
  12. Call the animal shelter and ask if there’s anything you can do to help. You can make home made treats for animals, or go help out.
  13. Study with someone after class. There’s always someone who needs a little extra help, it may be you. Offer to tutor in the subjects you do best in.
  14. If you’re buying Christmas gifts, support businesses in your local community. If you do buy online, check out stores like Sevenly that donate part of their proceeds to charity.
  15. Have some nice clothes that don’t quite fit anymore? Donate them to organizations that help the homeless get back in the workforce.
  16. Give gift cards to strangers. There are tons of people in the community and on campus who’d appreciate a gift card for a meal.
  17. Ask a good question every day in one of your courses. It will help you understand the content better and help someone who may be too shy to ask themselves.
  18. We have some great student bloggers here at Hinds CC! Take a moment to leave a positive comment on one of their posts. Apply to share your student experiences with new students. You may want to blog about all the Random Acts of Kindness you’re doing.
  19. Leave a thank you card for someone who works on campus. It may be a janitor, a faculty member, someone who helped you with financial aid, anyone who has helped make your life better.
  20. Check out kindness apps like We&Co or sites like beremedy.org and share ideas you like in the comments.

I hope this season is wonderful for everyone. Spread some cheer today and every day. As Plato famously said, "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."