What if university helped you grow in more ways than general academics? What if it gave you space to explore who you are, build crucial skills, and connect with the world around you?
When you think about university life, your mind probably wanders off to lectures, group projects, and chasing deadlines. But at Dar Al-Hekma University, there’s another side to campus life that matters just as much as academics. It’s called the 5-D Program, and whether you’ve heard of it or not, it’s something you’ll be a part of during your years here.
What Is the 5-D Program?
The 5-D Program is a system prepared for students to grow and thrive in multiple aspects of their lives. While your courses work on developing your academic knowledge, the 5-D Program takes care of the rest, which includes your mind, your values, your relationships, your health, and your personal skills.
The name comes from the five dimensions it focuses on: Intellectual, Spiritual, Social, Physical, and Self-development. This program pushes you forward to being more involved in your surroundings, contributing to your community, and gaining real-life skills rather than limiting your university experience to textbooks and exams.
Why Does It Matter?
Every undergraduate student is expected to complete 130 hours of extracurricular, uncredited activities before graduating. That might sound like a lot at first, but those hours are spread over your years at university, and you’ll fill them through a variety of activities that interest you.
Along the way, you’ll discover that those experiences become some of the most memorable and meaningful parts of your university life. The program is all about helping you mature into a confident, capable person with the skills to handle the world that awaits after graduation.
What Can You Do?
There’s no single way to complete your 5-D hours. You have the freedom to choose what fits your interests and goals best. Some students take part in the student council, developing leadership and communication skills while representing their peers. Others prefer to volunteer in community projects that manage social issues.
Joining a team is an excellent way to stay active and work on your teamwork if you’re into sports. Clubs on campus offer a space to connect with people who share your hobbies and passions for those who enjoy organized activities.
You can even pick up a part-time job on campus, gaining work experience while balancing your studies. It’s a good way to improve your time management and learn how to handle new responsibilities.
What Do You Get Out of It?
The true value of the 5-D Program lies in the skills and lessons you gain along the way. It’s about developing qualities that aren’t listed on your course syllabi, things like decision-making, public speaking, empathy, teamwork, and resilience.
You start learning more about yourself by joining various activities. You find out how you react to certain challenges, where you thrive, and what areas you can improve. Such experiences shape your personal and professional future in ways a classroom never could.
The skills you build through the 5-D Program will give you a solid foundation to succeed for those considering advanced studies like an LLM in Commercial Law.
Where to Start?
The student development team is here to help you get started. You can contact them anytime by emailing studentdevelopment@dah.edu.sa to book an appointment. They’ll walk you through your options and help you plan out how to complete your hours.
By the time you graduate, those 130 hours will become memories of projects you contributed to, people you met, and skills you gained along the way. The 5-D Program becomes a story of growth, experience, and everything else you carry with you after you leave Dar Al-Hekma.
