Top Questions from Enrolled Students

When do I arrive on campus?

You will be permitted to check in to you residence hall from 8 to 11 a.m. on Wednesday, August 22, 2012. International students will be contacted by the Center for Global Study and Engagement concerning alternate arrival dates, times and transportation.

How are roommates selected?

Roommates are randomly assigned using matching criteria listed in a housing survey that you will be asked to complete in the summer. We make every effort to match roommates with similar responses to the housing survey. It’s critical that you (and not your parents) answer the questions on the housing survey truthfully.

Where do first-year students live and when will I know where I will be living?

When you arrive on August 22, you'll join one of three campus neighborhoods: Drayer, Adams or the Quads. Each of these neighborhoods brings together 200 people who will live together, learn together and have fun.

At Dickinson, your neighborhood will be more than a place to live—it will become a place where you make friends, build communities, solve complex problems, plan events, manage budgets, resolve conflicts and get involved in the life of the college. The skills you will build in this laboratory of leadership and citizenship will set you apart in the wider world from those who have not experienced a residential undergraduate life with intent, focus and the challenge and learning that comes with building, managing and regulating a community.

Your neighborhood will also give you opportunities for intellectual engagement beyond the classroom. In your neighborhood, you will encounter students from your own First-Year Seminar, as well as other seminars that link to broader themes, such as health and illness, sustainability, literature and the arts, science and society, and democracy and challenges of the modern world.

Students will find out their neighborhood and roommate(s) in early August. 

Where do I sign up for a First-Year Seminar and other courses?

You will have a chance to select six First-Year Seminar course choices. One of your choices will be assigned to you. After speaking with one of the summer academic advisors, you will have the opportunity to request additional courses July 16-23. Course requests take place within the Dickinson Gateway. Additional information about First-Year Seminars and course request will be made available to you in May.

What kind of transportation is available to and from campus during school breaks?

The Department of Public Safety arranges shuttle service for students for college breaks. They provide transportation to the Harrisburg airport, bus and train stations and the Baltimore/Washington (BWI) airport. There is a cost associated with this service which varies based on the destination selected. Complete information can be found on the Department of Public Safety Web site.

Are first-years able to have cars? How can I get around if I don't have a car on campus?

First-year students are not permitted to possess motor vehicles on the Dickinson campus or in the Carlisle area. After your first year you can consider the campus parking policies to determine if you may bring a vehicle to campus.

The Office of Campus Life offers a shuttle to the Harrisburg train/bus station and other destinations such as a local mall and a Barnes & Noble store. The shuttle runs every Friday and Sunday afternoon except for college break periods. For a complete schedule of times, destinations and cost, please stop by the Student Life Office located on the lower level of the HUB. There is local cab and bus service available in the Carlisle area also.

What kinds of community service do students do and how can I get involved?

To get involved with volunteering in the local community, the Office of Religious Life & Community Service is the place to go. Weekly, more than 300 students volunteer in the Carlisle community. Another 100+ get involved in a service trip each year. An additional 100+ participate in a Day of Service throughout the year. In 2010-11, students contributed more than 25,000+ hours of volunteer community service.

What do students do on weekends?

Dickinson has a plethora of school-sponsored weekend activities. Mainly provided by student organizations, these functions include dance parties, trivia nights, movie showings, magicians, comedians, concerts and more. Activities such as these provide students a vibrant social experience and a positive atmosphere for building community on this campus. During the last three years notable music performances have made been by Regina Spektor, Kid Cudi, Girl Talk and Janelle Monae, to name a few.

In addition to this, the nature of our liberal-arts institution allows for students to be involved in so much. Many students fill portions of their weekends with sports practices, rehearsals for various events or club meetings. If you happen to be free of commitments on a given weekend, it is more than likely that there will be athletic events, plays, music performances, charity events and more for you to attend.

Where are campus hang out and/or study spots?

Some of the most recently renovated and state-of-the-art facilities on campus are used by students on a regular basis to study. Rector Science Complex and the Waidner-Spahr Library are both beautiful and spacious buildings, with many fantastic study spots. Multiple mid-sized study rooms and carrels line their halls, and there is always a computer lab accessible. Rector includes larger frequently used interior spaces as well, and many walls are made of glass panes allowing for rays of sunlight to shine down, warming students on their quest for greater personal learning.

When it is nice out, and even at times when it is not, students on this campus seem to love being around one another on Morgan Field, KW lawn and Britton Plaza, playing outdoor volleyball, talking to friends on spacious grassy quads, or simply enjoying life while sitting in one of Dickinson’s 125 red Adirondack chairs spread throughout campus.

Dickinsonians also frequent the main student center on campus, the Holland Union Building, better known as the HUB. With multiple places to eat, couches and tables spread throughout, a coffee shop, book store, convenience store, and computer lab, this location truly is the hub of student activity.

What do students do in the Carlisle and the surrounding areas?

Carlisle is in fact very much alive, with a multitude of fun and exciting activities. All that you have to do is look for them. There are chain stores, malls, multiple movie theatres, restaurants of all kinds, as well as unique shops that cannot be found anywhere else. There are also very accessible hiking trails and other venues for those who love nature. These are a few of the reasons why Forbes named our region one of the best places to live.