There is nothing wrong with a purpose of finishing a course, "so I get the Degree."
If that is your motivator then the question is what do I need to know to succeed at that?
Answer that, then you know what you need to learn from the book/s and you'll know when you've got it.
Purpose can change with each activation., each book can be unique and yet still have an ultimate goal you are working toward. It usually starts global. I want to do this in my life so does this book help toward that goal. How, why and when?
More detailed becomes
I am reading this book to learn about X so that I can pass the exam (which is a required if I am to reach my ultimate goal of finishing this course and getting that degree ).
Don't try to get hooked up on one perfect purpose. You have many throughout the day. Moment to moment Like a journey there is the ultimate goal or destination and there are sub goals or destinations along the way.
E.g. Ultimate destination. Swimming at the creek with the tree next to it that has that rope swing about 2 miles away. You're planning to go for a swim with the game. In this case this is the ultimate goal. Your starting point is you home because that is where you are right now. Purpose to get out of the house so that I can meet the gang at the swimming hole.
Getting there will require a plan of action. Need mum permission to leave chores will require a means of getting there. The logical choice in this case is your bike which you happened to have loaned to your best friend.
Remembering that a purpose explains why you are doing something.
So why do you "Need?" to ask mum ... to save my behind later. (notice the purpose is focused on something even longer term than the ultimate goal?) It just happens to be the most immediate consideration toward your ultimate goal.
In case you need the see it with the formula
I need to grovel, whine and bug mum into letting me go so that I save my behind and stay out of trouble later.
It's two miles and you wanted to ride your bike to the water hole. Action you can take is varied. 1. Tell your friend to bring it over, 2. walk over there and pick it up, 3. beg mum for a lift to pick it up.
You choose 2. Your friend is planning to come to the creek. Looking closely your reasoning for taking that choice gives you a selection of purposes.
It takes 15 minutes to walk to your friends place and it will take your friend 8 minutes to ride the bike to your place and then you'll both need to walk back to his place to collect his bike and that will take the better part of 25 minutes (your friend walks slow.
So you could say I'm walking to my friends place to get my bike so that I can save 18 minutes and get to the creek 18 minutes sooner.
Asking mum to drive you means more groveling and there is the risk she will withdraw her permission if you push your luck
So you could say I'm walking to my friends place to get my bike so that I can make sure I'm gone before mum can change her mind.
Another purpose statement that explains the actions.
I am walking to my friends place to collect my bike so we can ride 2 miles to the creek so I can meet the gang for an afternoon of fun.
Reading studying, learning, doing something always has a purpose behind it. The idea of making a purpose for reading is so you can motivate yourself, know where you intend to go and know when you've reached the destination.
If you are confused or unmotivated about what you are reading yet for some reason know you need to read it. It just means you need to clarify your purpose for yourself. The purpose was there otherwise you wouldn't have started and wouldn't be contemplating it. Sometimes you need to give yourself the reminder by looking at the big picture because sometimes the original goal lost a bit of it's shine and you've forgotten why you are doing this. Other times you need to focus on something small because the big picture is overwhelming.
Sometimes like in hypertext's case the goal changed Hypertext no longer has the goal as a career. Hypertext has the goal to finish it (perhaps because successful people finish what they start, especially this close to the finish line. A purpose is there Hypertext just hasn't elaborated on it)
Ideally recognise there is a new purpose to be established because doing what was required for the original goal may not meet the needs of the new goal. Intuitively the old purpose might be too much work and more than necessary for the new goal. So you withdraw motivation.
When you know where you are going you have a way of measuring whether what you are doing is going to get you there. Your purpose or purposes add to that measure. You can have one overreaching big picture goal that can be explained with one purpose. And unless you reach that goal today, there will always be sub goals and a plans of action that have purposes behind them along the way.
The question is what motivates you best toward this goal. The big picture or knowing what you need to do right now?
Sometimes it's one sometimes it's the other. The more you look at why you are doing something the easier it becomes to see what is motivating you and helping you to move toward your goals. The easier it becomes to explain your purpose the greater your success.
Alex