Tips for Seminary Students

With one year under my belt, there are a few things that I wish I would’ve known before starting my first year in seminary. Although I can’t share ALL of my tips, I have five tips that I think are fruitful and ESSENTIAL for starting seminary off on the right foot.

Attending seminary is more challenging than I could ever have prepared for. Things that I have known and believed my whole life are broken and set on a table for me to rebuild. It is emotionally and physically exhausting but also 100x more rewarding. If you are just starting your seminary experience, buckle up because it will be a wild ride! You may experience a little bit of motion sickness, but just keep your eyes ahead of you, and you will make it!

Tip #1 : Have a separate Bible for classwork and personal time

Reading out of the Bible for a class is an extremely different experience than reading for personal growth. For class, you may be looking for patterns, literary styles, or the use of specific words. It is not the same as reading it relationally. Having two separate Bibles will help prevent confusion when reading interchangeably for class and personal growth. Also, the notes you make in your classes may not be useful for reflection when you are reading for personal enjoyment, and the notes you make for personal reasons won’t reflect well in class!

Tip #2 : Make a MASTER syllabus

I received an Accounting degree for undergrad, so my Seminary experience has been a full 180 from what I am used too! There are more papers and heavy readings at the graduate level, which require significant amount of time and planning. I could no longer look at the homework for the class the next day, but I had to start reading or writing weeks ahead of time. I took all of my syllabi and pretty much mushed them into one giant syllabus with assignments in order by date! That way, when I was looking at a week or a month in advance, I could see everything that was coming up in one place!

THESE GIRLS

Tip #3 : Create RELATIONSHIPS

I was BLESSED with the community and relationships that I formed within my first few months at Truett Seminary. Three of my closest friends (and new roommates) are girls that I met at my first seminary event! Making relationships is hard because your school requires so much focus, but if you commit to putting a little bit of time here and there into building great relationships, they will grow over time!

Not only should you cultivate relationships with your peers, but also, SEEK OUT YOUR PROFESSORS. Your professors are genius’. I mean truly, they are some of the smartest people you will ever meet. I made an effort to meet each of my professors at least once, whether it was in office hours, or for coffee, to build personal relationships with them. Their wisdom and guidance in my life are beyond measurable and I will cherish them forever.

Tip #4 : Find a STUDY SPOT!

Whether it is the library, a coffee shop, or your room, have an area where you can go where you know you will be studying. I personally had a little office corner in my room, and I utilized the library quite often. Some of the work that you will do will be busy work, and not require a ton of concentration… but then other work will require your FULL attention, and having a place where you are comfortable and not easily distracted will be beneficial!

Tip #5 : Write in your books!

YES. Write in your expensive books! Highlight, underline, circle, ask questions… engage as you read. This will not only help you soak up what you read in for class discussions but also future tests and papers. Although some of the work that I’ve done seemed pointless at the time… even looking back on it a few months out, I can connect dots. You are not only learning things to answer your personal questions, but you are also preparing to answer questions that other people, and sometimes they are pretty crazy! If you write in books and can create a mental picture of a certain topic, that will help you go back to find that topic in the future if you need to.

If you are a new seminary student, I am excited for you!! The Lord will work in your heart so many ways. You will be challenged, but it comes with great privilege & reward. I am praying for your journey! Leave a comment below and let me know if you are a new or returning seminary student! Do you have any tricks that worked, or didn’t work, for you?