This study examined the relationship between purpose and first-year college students' participation in on-campus extracurricular activities. Specifically, the study focused on how purpose influences students' choice of activities and how students' participation in different types of activities develops their sense of purpose and identity.Additionally, this project explored whether and how purpose and correlates such as identity development predict how students choose between activities with a civic engagement component and those that are individually or socially focused. Changes in purpose, identity exploration, and identity commitment as a result of participation in different activities were also assessed.Data consisted of surveys and interviews. The surveys assessed purpose, hope, identity, positive relationships, initiative, and teamwork and social skills; the interviews focused on participants' experiences, and reasons for participating in their chosen activities. The results raise additional questions about the role of purpose and show some unanticipated differences between students who participate in different types of activities.
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