A higher goal during higher education: The power of purpose in life during university.

Abstract

The transition into college involves several trials and tribulations, and students' ability to deal with this process may be facilitated by finding a sense of purpose. Having a purpose has been shown to have a variety of benefits for college students, whether it is garnering the perseverance to help withstand the various stressors college students must endure or the potential it has for promoting well-being. This review describes why purpose is an important consideration for higher education researchers by noting its relevance to the college experience and its ability to predict desirable outcomes. This review also addresses the potential for individuals to change their purpose and life goals, and 3 potential pathways (proactive, reactive, and social learning) to pursue a purpose. Finally, this review ends by discussing applications for higher education institutes, including how to help students combat potential mental health issues and increase their likelihood of being a successful student. With college student well-being as a prominent concern, there is a clear need for different facets of the education system at large to better address these issues. An effort to integrate purpose throughout the college experience may provide an effective route for professors and administrators to combat this mental health crisis. What is the significance of this article for the general public?With college students often struggling with anxiety and depression, it is important for university officials and education systems at large to support and enhance student wellbeing. Integrating practices that shape and bolster purposefulness throughout the college experience could aid in bettering student mental health, as well as more effectively prepare individuals for meaningful and thoughtful futures following graduation.

Purpose as a predictor of satisfaction across relationship domains during the first semester of university

“…While purpose has previously been associated with higher relationship satisfaction (Pfund, Bono et al, 2020a), another question is whether purpose is also associated with greater stability in relationships. Past work found that purposeful people maintain greater affective stability in the midst of stressors (Hill et al, 2018), so purpose may promote this stability across a variety of relationship domains in the midst of challenges that come alongside the college transition.…”

Great, purposeful expectations: predicting daily purposefulness during the COVID-19 response

“…Regarding the nature of purposefulness, though, it may depend less on age and more on developmental context. For instance, the university years present a particularly important period for purpose formation (Pfund, Bono et al, 2020), given that students are finding what gives them a sense of purpose. Being able to predict how purposeful one will be in a given day may be more difficult during developmental periods when one is still searching for a purpose.…”

A Study of Meaning and Purpose as a Citizen among Public University Students in Malaysia

“…Secondly, university is the place where students are taught and trained to be ready for the next phase of life and their future. Pfund et al (2020) highlight that university life provides a unique opportunity for students to experience the "purpose development process" which consists of the process of purpose exploration and purpose commitment. In other words, the process refers to how the individual learn and explore the aspects that suitable to them and later embrace a particular way for them to shape their life goals.…”

“…The data suggest that the majority of the students have a high level of meaning and purpose in life. Past studies show that youth with meaning and purpose in life have higher self-esteem and moral commitment (Bronk 2005;Pfund et al, 2020).…”