Dickinson Four: The Path to Your Future
Ask the right questions, shape your future
The Dickinson Four challenges you to make the most of your college experience, connecting with Dickinson, using your resources, digging deep and engaging with opportunities to create your own path to a successful life.
It's about asking the right questions at the right time—"Why?" and "Why not?"—and actively seeking the answers that will shape your future. It’s about identifying and pursuing that sweet spot where your personality, skills, values and priorities intersect and then building towards a life of meaningful purpose.
Your time at Dickinson is a crucial chapter in your life story. It’s about confident decision making that drives you towards maximizing the opportunities that you are given and that you forge into a highly individualized path.
The Dickinson Four is a roadmap to choose your own adventure based on four challenges:
- Make Dickinson Yours
- Discover What Matters
- Deepen Your Focus
- Expand Your Story
These challenges are designed to support you in decoding the college experience while exploring your interests, developing your skills and preparing for life after college—charting your own intentional and integrated plan—and you’ll be supported by a success team from across the college and strategically designed programs to achieve your goals.
Make Dickinson Yours
Make Dickinson Yours challenges you to get involved in the many opportunities available at Dickinson. “This could include engaging with student organizations, attending campus events, and connecting with faculty and staff in formal and informal ways,” says Angie Harris, associate vice president for student life.
Discover What Matters
This challenges you to take advantage of Dickinson's liberal-arts curriculum to explore a variety of subjects, as well as “deeper reflection on what drives you, what motivates you, and what you want to invest your time in. Sometimes this means saying yes, and sometimes it means saying no to something in order to make room for what (and who) matters most. It's about growth and development, and students are encouraged to step outside their comfort zones and try new things,” says Tara Vasold Fischer `02, associate provost for student success & advising.
Deepen Your Focus
Deepen Your Focus challenges you to dive deeper into your interests. “Take advanced courses, conduct research, and pursue internships. You’ll develop your critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills, and gain the experience which will carry you forward,” says Angie Fernandez Barone, executive director for student engagement, retention & persistence.
Expand Your Story
This challenges you to prepare for life after college. This could involve participating in study abroad programs, service-learning opportunities, or other experiential learning activities. “Students are encouraged to develop their professional skills through community engagement and networking with potential employers, all while learning to confidently articulate the value of the Dickinson experience—for themselves and for the wider world,” says Melissa Sturm-Smith, senior associate provost for integrated academic student success.
Every Dickinson student is unique. We want you to discover and pursue your passions, create community and take full advantage of the opportunities available to you. The Dickinson Four will help you to do that, and to confidently take on the challenges ahead of you to create the wonderful life you dream of. Let’s get started!
TAKE THE NEXT STEPS
Published April 14, 2025