With all the ongoing talk about whether or not a college degree is worth the expense, it seems like good sense to ask college graduates how they are doing. Gallup has done that and more. Gallup now has collected loads of data on what healthy thriving people look like. And then, in a project called the Gallop-Purdue Index, Gallop asked 30,000 graduates how they were doing, what they did during college, and then referenced their answers to a health or well-being index.
It turns out, that what you do in the extra-curricular realm during college, is what may make the difference once you are graduated and living real life. The thriving graduates had six confessions in common. The more of these confessions in their assessment, the better they were likely doing in their career, finances, physical health, community engagement, and friendships. So what were these thriving graduates up to during college or university?
Here are the six confessions of graduates thriving after graduation:
- I had a professor who made me excited about learning.
- I had professors who cared about me as a person.
- I had a mentor who encouraged me to pursue my goals and dreams.
- I worked on a long-term project.
- I had a job or internship where I learned to apply what I was learning at school.
- I was extremely involved in extra-curricular activities.
Are you enrolled as a college student or hoping to be one? Going to college is expensive. Not making the most of the time may be more costly in the long-run. The issue here goes way beyond your grades. So what’s in your control as a student? You can research your professors and choose accordingly. You can look for mentors. You can volunteer for long-term projects in clubs and community organizations. You can participate in paid internships and co-ops. You can get involved in organizations where you have interests in order to grow and develop relationships.
Want to learn more about the study?
Follow these two links for articles on the Gallop-Purdue index:
http://qz.com/384713/college-is-worth-it-if-you-have-these-six-experiences/
http://www.gallup.com/opinion/gallup/182312/college-worth-depends.aspx
Are you a college graduate? How did you do more than follow the “academic” path laid out for you? Do any of these six confessions apply to you?