What’s the Point? A Journey of Existentialism in College

By Point Scholar Joan Mosyjowski

And yet, in the midst of much happiness, there is also uncertainty.

I am constantly in a search for clarity and purpose, but the search for meaning is a Hydra; one question answered leads to many more to contemplate. At the end of the day I am ultimately happy and content, but also amazed and frustrated at how little I know.

In short, college has been one big existential crisis.

This year has been a humbling experience. While the year has given me a few nights of sleeplessness, it has also awakened in me a hunger for knowledge and a commitment to the search for meaning.

I’m not sure there is a better setting to contemplate meaning and existence than college. As a member of the Honors College, I have the opportunity to take a class called Critical Thinking About Great Ideas, in which my peers and I examine the many ways in which people have ascribed purpose to their lives and the universe. My friends and I discuss exchanging where we are on our road to meaning. I am buried in books that show me new ways of seeing the world, and am diving into classes that help me understand it. It is both fun and cathartic to debate the meaning of books and how they represent meaning as a whole with people who are literally on the same page as me.

The Bowling Green State University Honors College: Where Crises Become Learning Experiences

I also live in the Honors Learning Community where we have the chance participate in discussions, attend cultural events, and take trips to expand our worldviews. I love being surrounded by people who are both ready and willing to delve into the complexities of the world and the universe. I cannot imagine a better way to expand and grow than by learning with and from others.

In many ways, Point Foundation sponsored my search for meaning. Point’s financial support helped me live in the Honors Learning Community, pay for my classes, and provide my books; all thing without which my search for meaning would be far more difficult. I am deeply grateful to Point Foundation and its supporters for getting me to a place where I am able to examine my life and direction in an environment that encourages and inspires me to grow.

My journey is by no means over at the end of the school year; I don’t believe I will ever have all the answers to my questions, nor will I ever feel completely certain what my life and life itself means. My search for meaning is a lifelong journey, and college is an important step in my journey. I am unfinished: a work in progress. But I am eager to grow and change as life continues.

This post was written by Point Scholar Joan Mosyjowski

Raised in the small town of Hartville, Ohio, Joan Mosyjowski faced adversity when she came out as gay at age 13. After surviving a suicide attempt, she began to combat homophobia in her school, town, and in the Northeast Ohio region. As a sophomore in high school, Joan rallied local organizations to form the first regional prom for LGBTQ+ high school students. The organizations later joined to form the Teen Pride Network, an organization whose purpose is to connect LGBTQ+ youth in a safe, accepting environment.

Read more about Joan.