It might be a little late for this year’s seniors to be making the
choice, but for everyone else…
A recent Gallup-Purdue Index Report surveyed almost 30,000 college
graduates and found some surprising results. Rather than measuring job placements, this
poll attempted to measure the relationship between college experiences and
overall life satisfaction after graduation. Overall satisfaction and well-being
was measured in a number of ways including
·
Purpose: liking what you do each day and being motivated
to achieve your goals
·
Social: having strong and supportive
relationships in your life
·
Financial: effectively managing your economic
life to reduce stress and increase security
·
Community: the sense of engagement you have with
the areas where you live, liking where you live, feeling safe, and having pride
in your community
·
Physical: having good health and enough energy
to get things done on a daily basis
These aspects were all given a “thriving,” “struggling,” or “suffering”
rating by each participant in the survey.
The results of the survey found that the cost and prestige of the
university really didn’t matter when it came to overall life satisfaction. The
key to satisfaction was engagement and support during college. Those who were
involved and received the attention they needed during college were
significantly more well-off afterwards. “When it comes to finding the secret to
success, it’s not ‘where you go,’ it’s ‘how you do it’ that makes all the
difference.”
I love this survey. Can I say that again? I LOVE this survey. In
America we put so much pressure on having the right name. What we wear, what we
eat, where we live, where we work, and where we go to school. Everyone may have
heard of PennState, UGA, or Duke, but if the community college down the street
is the right decision for you, go for it. In the fall, I told one of my
teachers that I was thinking about going to Appalachian State. She told me to
forget it because she thought I belong
in the research triangle. I resented that. It was probably the only time I didn’t
listen to what she told me, and in the end I decided to go to App. When I get
into the workforce, will everyone have heard of (or know how to correctly
pronounce) Appalachian State? Probably not, and that’s okay. I’m sure by the
end of my four years I’ll have plenty of stories to tell about how wonderful it
was. (By the way, it’s App-uh-LATCH-un, not App-a-LAY-shun. I will correct you.)
This relates to government in a number of ways. Everyone is entitled a “sound,
basic education” from public school, but this only gets a person so far. It’s
nearly impossible to find a solid, well-paying job without a college degree in
today’s world. Many of our government officials went to ivy league schools, and
they’re successful, but going to a big-name school doesn’t guarantee success.
In our country you have to be willing and able to work for what you want. We have also learned about the work that goes into Gallup Polls to make sure they truly reflect the thoughts and opinions of the population. For example, having a large, unbiased (diverse) sample size is key.
“Life in college matters for life after college.”
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