Notes to a 21st-century Student

Attempt to meet and speak with the great people of your time—approach them civilly and in an informed manner. Ask them to share their advice about how to live an engaged life professionally and personally. Ask them about their passion and motivation for what they do.

Be out in the world—engage it safely and vigorously, as it is only in this way that things happen.

Live intensely during your first 25 years, since during that period you will essentially establish the patterns of your life.

Never underestimate or belittle any experience you have had in your life. Think about the knowledge and skills you have gained. You never know what might come in handy in another context.

Develop the ability to anticipate events. Visualize the endpoint—various possible endpoints—before they occur, as it is good to have "already been there."

Work hard but mask the effort in the end product, just as a fine literary work looks effortless but stands upon hours of hard work.

Approach a subject or task from many perspectives—connect disparate areas where others just see a blank.

Live on the "diagonal." Look for answers where others have not already tread.

Don't worry about having a life plan—rather be prepared for chance and when it occurs, recognize and engage it.

Seek a tough mentor—not a "yes-person" who artificially builds up your self-esteem. And in general, beware of sycophants offering you unearned praise.

Leadership is often narrative—storytelling—with a protagonist, a plot and a foil.

Boredom and repetition are essential parts of leadership as leadership consists primarily of telling a story again and again and in such a compelling manner that others want to be a part of it. Each repetition must sound as if it is being delivered for the first time with passion and urgency.

Do not underestimate the role of passion in your profession—you must believe strongly in what you pursue and it must be far bigger than yourself.

Look at objects and people straight on and seek to know precisely what defines them singularly and collectively.

Remember that nothing is more mysterious than a fact closely examined.

Just because something is allowed legally does not mean that option should be exercised. Good judgment is the arbiter.

Know that rights are linked to responsibilities. People often unproductively proclaim their rights, but do nothing to either guarantee those rights or assume the personal responsibilities that uphold them.

Question the simplicity of an either/or approach to life. Find meaning in the "grey" area and see it as substantive—an active force.

Live in the connective tissue as well as in the bone—that is, appreciate the qualitative and associative as well as the quantitative and orderly dimensions of life.

Find meaning in contradictory ideas as a step to maturity and pragmatic action

Write and communicate clearly, persuasively and logically in more than one language.

Possess a global sensibility that permits you to be comfortable in the world, and engage it without hesitation or anxiety.

Listen well to others and possess the judgment that not all good ideas issue from you alone or from those who speak only English.

Appreciate the quantitative dimension in human knowledge while simultaneously comprehending that it is highly dangerous to believe that all truth can be incorporated in a single digit.

Appreciate that we live in a world with potentially dwindling natural resources. There is no need to consume more than is necessary.

Value the entrepreneurial capacity of human beings and cultivate it to purposeful and beneficial ends.

Gain a comfort level with uncertainty and ambiguity as these qualities will define much of the professional and personal life you will encounter.

Appreciate that change is inevitable and can be engaged productively. Remember that today's novelty is inevitably tomorrow's tradition.

Recognize that all that is "different" is not necessarily good or virtuous. Some historical differences within cultures conflict with our global society's contemporary understanding of ethics and morals.

Gain the ability to distinguish fact from rumor both in direct human contact and on the Internet.

Internalize a sense of civility and respect for other peoples that considers the interactive protocols of a variety of cultures—in more old-fashioned terms, employ "good manners."

Develop a personal voice and use it to speak out confidently, yet civilly, on issues that matter.

Appreciate the key moments of understanding and misunderstanding that have occurred through the ages in the humanities, the sciences, the arts and the social sciences and apply them to grasp contemporary challenges and opportunities.

Appreciate that the liberal-arts education you gain at Dickinson is ultimately pragmatic and commits you to engage democracy in all its manifestations—from citizenship (both historically informed and entrepreneurial) to employment to public service. This commitment defines a distinctively "useful" American education as intended by the college's founder, Dr. Benjamin Rush, and his friend and fellow revolutionary, Thomas Jefferson.