Tips to Succeed at Dickinson

Don’t skip classes. Professors usually take attendance on a routine basis.

Participate in class discussion. Class participation is often worth 10 percent of your final grade in any given class.

Study for exams and do your assigned readings. Nobody gets a free ride here and it’s very unusual to find someone who doesn’t have to do anything to succeed.

Socially, just relax and be yourself. Those who can loosen up and enjoy themselves the easiest make the most friends.

Learn how to write. Writing is a big component of academics at Dickinson, and the faster you learn how to give a clear, concise argument in the form of a paper, the better.

Get involved. The people you’ll meet in clubs and organizations are the ones you will see around campus on a daily basis.

Stay at school on the weekends. Getting into the habit of going home at the end of the week will make you miss a lot socially, and you’ll start to feel left out of everything.

Be part of a group for a while. Freshmen often like to go places in big groups, and this is good because it gives you a chance to make friends from all different backgrounds and helps you feel more comfortable.