1) The study investigated students' affective experiences and engagement in higher education using a mystery shopper method where 45 students kept diaries on their experiences with teaching staff, learning culture, student services, and the learning environment. 2) The diaries were analyzed using the PAD framework which measures experiences along the dimensions of pleasure, arousal, and dominance. 3) The results showed that teaching staff have the biggest impact on creating positive or negative affective experiences for students and that positive experiences with staff increase students' intrinsic motivation, engagement, and grades.