It’s More About What You Do At School Than Where You Go

http://www.actionforhappiness.org

After reading the article how-to-measure-a-colleges value by New York Times columnist Frank Bruni, I completely agree with the concept that you only get as much as you put into your college experience.  The college you go to for the most part does not matter as much as the types of experiences you have while you are there.  This is true for not only your experience while at school but also the overall satisfaction with life after graduation.   This made me think, what was it that people are looking for from a higher education other than just money?

What matters or doesn’t matter when choosing and utilizing a institution of higher education. “But what do we know, in the end, about the relationship between a student’s college experience and his or her actual satisfaction with it down the road? And what do we know about college as a springboard: fulfillment?” (Bruni).   There is a joint project called the Gallup- Purdue index that has now served up to 60,000 college graduates of all ages. The assessment did not measure success in dollars but instead on well being.  The five areas of, their relationships, their physical health, their community, their economic situation and their sense of purpose define satisfaction. While there were some differences between all graduates, whether top 50 universities or top 50 liberal arts, the most notable results were related to what people did during their college experience.

The study says that these five factors help people succeed in life after they graduate.  If graduates did any of the fallowing during college, developed a relationship with a mentor; engaged in a semester or longer project; participated in a job/ internship that related to the field they were interested in; got very involved with campus organizations, and lastly, sort of “wild card” this is regarding the benefits of being a part of a diverse community, this one seems to be more about the persons perception of the value of the education than rather than overall life satisfaction. It appears that students in any institution, who did at least one of the four things, not only had a better college experience but also were more engaged and satisfied with their jobs.

This makes sense to me because; I would have to say that some of my favorite experiences in high school have been through doing a few of those four things. Whether it is really connecting with a teacher and enjoying a class; or involving myself in a sport, these interactions with people have created the memories that in many ways, in my mind will define Hinsdale Central. This is a good reminder for myself and anyone else who is heading to college in fall.  Make the best of the time you have at the place you are at.