One consistent question from audiences at talks about purpose is simply, how do we develop purpose over time? Lamentably, while we know quite a bit about the value of purpose, the field has been lacking efforts to describe how it develops in the short and long term. The Chapter 1 will explore multiple frameworks for discussing purpose development, borrowing from personality and clinical science. Critically, we highlight the need to consider momentary bursts of purpose as catalysts for broader development, insofar that these moments provide individuals with affective and cognitive feedback regarding whether they are on the right path. Put simply, as people live through different experiences, they learn which activities, roles, and goals are of greatest personal importance.

This chapter explores how undergraduate students’ purpose and motivation for attending postsecondary education contribute to their retention, persistence, and graduation. As a lens for understanding these dynamics, this chapter provides an overview of the Interdisciplinary Theory of College Student Success, which posits that students ask several key questions that determine whether they stay in higher education; one of those questions pertains to their purpose for pursuing a degree and remaining at their current institution. According to this framework, there is not a single “best” type of purpose, since students have different motivations that can drive them to persist in the face of challenges and setbacks. The theory also highlights the role of educational intentions as a key driver of college decision-making. This chapter then discusses research that has directly explored students’ purposes for attending college, which often suggests that the development of purpose and educational intentions are informed by students’ identities and socialization.