Active engagement with professors key to job satisfaction later on

Students who are able to build strong relationships with professors are far more likely to find engaging work after graduation, according to a new Gallup-Purdue poll.

Those who believe a professor cared about them as a person, made them excited about learning, and encouraged them to pursue their dreams had more than double the odds of being engaged at work and experiencing a higher degree of well being overall, the study found.

Writes New York Times columnist Charles Blow:

The report has a strong message for students who are asking about which school to attend, for employers who are deciding which people to hire and for colleges that are negotiating their curriculums.

... and Daniel Porterfield, president of Franklin & Marshall College:

There's a message for everyone in the Gallup/Purdue research:

To faculty, it's to believe in and advocate for the value of our role. In each moment with our students we have the chance to shape positively what those young people go on to know and strive for and become.

As it stands, only 3 percent of graduates report having the kind of positive experiences in school that the Gallup-Purdue study found to be valuable.

The Daily Circuit talks about how students can best go about seeking out a meaningful relationship with a professor and how to better engage low-income and minority students in the college experience.

Did you have a bond with at least one of your college professors? Leave your stories in the comments below.