The Seminarian: How to Make the Most of Seminary
Tips for Doing Distance Seminary Well
On Wednesdays, I will be running a Substack series all about choosing the right seminary for you. More and more interested students are looking for an online/distance opportunity to study, so that will be our focus, but much of the advice that I offer will be relevant for general matters related to choosing a good place to study.
I’ve Chosen a Seminary: How Do I Make the Most of It?
Seminary is a major investment of time and money, so of course you want to make the most of it. A key factor is attitude. Do you want the education or just a degree on your resume? I knew a student once who did his whole Master of Divinity in (2) years. He rushed through, and then bragged that he finished so fast. The problem is: he was a terrible student. He was distracted in class and didn’t invest in the assignments to the degree that he should have. When you rush through seminary, you don’t take the time to let the material really soak in. Here are some of my tips for doing seminary well.
Take it Slow. When I went to seminary (20+ years ago!), most seminary students across the US were full-time and residential. Things are different now. A good number of students are distance, and a pretty high percentage are part-time. So seminaries are adapting to the slow route, and I think that is a good way to do seminary. When you take it slow (like one or two courses a semester), you can really invest in each course and take the time to do the readings and reflect and meditate on the material. Don’t be in a rush unless you have to (e.g., for scholarship reasons).
Create Your Own Goals and Recognize Your Limitations. Not everyone is going to experience seminary in the same way. Some have lots of time and energy to invest in the courses, and others have less. Some students are juggling family, work, and other responsibilities; some are better at academic work than others; there are lots of factors that make each student and their experience unique. All that to say, the goal of a seminary should not be the get an “A” in every course. Every now and again, a student will turn in a paper and send me an email saying they are embarrassed that they did not put their all into the work. Just know: I don’t judge seminary students for not getting an “A” on a paper. Everyone has their limitations of time and energy, and I am just glad that they are doing seminary at all! As hard as it may be, don’t compare yourself to other students: everyone has a unique situation and personal goals. Grades only really matter if you intend to go on for a PhD. Otherwise, focus on the learning and what is manageable with life constraints.
Find Your Microcommunity and Commit to Going Deeper in Relationship. At commencement, I often hear this from graduating students who are reflecting on their seminary experience: “I came to Northern Seminary for the instruction, but I leave with great friends.” A good seminary experience is about more than head-knowledge and even more than ministry equipping. I sometimes tell new students: in your first course or first semester, get a sense for the other students in your cohort or seminary community, and find a few people that you want to journey through seminary with. Form a text group or Marco Polo group, and make a plan to process what you are learning together. Often the transformation takes place in these friendship groups.
If you are interested in seminary, come study with me at Northern Seminary where we have degrees in ministry, Scripture, and theology. www.seminary.edu. We offer excellent distance programs that accommodate students wherever they live and allow you to work and stay in your preferred context while getting your degree. We are blessed with an incredible faculty including Dr. Beth Felker Jones, Dr. David Fitch, Dr. Matthew W. Bates, Dr. Ingrid Faro, Dr. Wayne Gordon, Dr. Marshall Hatch, and more!
I’m going slow and distance . Very slow ….
I just finished my first year of seminary. So this is helpful!