A Day in the Life of a Seminary Student
It’s time to take a little break from the ordinary, I decided, so I’m going to mix things up today. I thought I’d document one day in my life with some pictures, giving you a taste of a day in the life of a seminary student! Hope you enjoy!
My day starts out at 5 AM when the alarm goes off. This is my goal, though I’m not always successful: the race to turn in assignments on time sometimes leads to late nights and later mornings. This morning, though, is a good one – I’m up on time and start the coffee brewing.
Even though I’m a morning person, I still find it hard to get up most mornings. Coffee helps, and so does my Bible study. Since I enjoy it, it makes for motivation to get up and have some quite, relaxed, unhurried time – a rare commodity in my day! Today, I’m studying in 2 Peter and making some notes in this booklet about what I have learned.
I am trying to get into the habit of taking a walk around my neighborhood. Today is a good day, though much of this spring has been unseasonably wet and rainy.
Returning home, I make some breakfast: sometimes eggs, sometimes Malt-O-Meal (one of my favorites!) or, today, some peanut-butter oatmeal and milk.
On this particular day, I don’t have class until the afternoon, so I spend most of my time studying. This morning is focused on writing a paper on 2 Peter, and preparing for a class that I will be involved in at my church.
Sometimes I take a break to play my cello – a hobby that often falls to the wayside when I feel overloaded on assignments. I still don’t sound that great, but…
Many seminary students live on campus, but I live about thirty minutes away. I try to take advantage of the time by listening to books during my drive to and from school.
I’m currently studying at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, where I’m taking classes for my M.Div. The chapel is imposing!
My seminary often hosts informational lunches to acquaint students with different ministries. Today they have a meeting about Reaching and Teaching, a missions organization that I appreciate. It was great to hear from these guys over lunch.
After lunch I spend some time studying in the Spurgeon Library. This is one of the highlights of Midwestern, and there is no place that is more epic to study in than this!
Because I live a little ways from school, I try to group my classes into a couple days each week. This means that today, I have six hours of lecture with an hour break in the middle. Today includes both New Testament and Old Testament Survey.
It’s me, trying to make it through the last few hours of class. The content is great, but it is a lot of time to be sitting.
When I finally get home, it is past 10 PM. It’s time to end the day – already dark and quiet inside.
Well, there you have it: a day in the life of a seminary student. Not every day is so devoted to studying…though most days are. Overall, a great day, just a lot of sitting.
So, can I ask how you’re able to pay for college?? I’m looking into college, but I am having a hard time finding a college that I can pay for and not get into debt!
Hi Elizabeth, Great question that you ask. College is so expensive these days that it is difficult to afford it, often. I’ve been blessed with some scholarships during my education which have significantly helped. I’ve also found schools that provide quality education at affordable prices (they are out there, but not always many of them). Right now, I’m also working as a nurse part-time during my seminary education, which helps me to cover the costs. I’d encourage you that it is possible to go to college and get a quality education, without having to go in debt. My recommendations would be: (1) Look for scholarships and apply for them – sometimes you can get good scholarships if you have a decent GPA and can write well. (2) Consider various options and get advice from people who have experience. For example, community colleges can provide good training for a fraction of the price. Online universities – such as Western Governor’s University – can also do a good job with that. (3) Having a part-time job can help, and if you look around, there are some jobs that give you lots of study time, so you are getting paid to study. Obviously all of this advice depends a lot on what sort of degree you are looking for, but hopefully this helps! And, of course, seek God’s wisdom – He can direct you perfectly and will give wisdom. Blessings, Daniel
Daniel, Thanks so much for taking the time to reply! There are many great ideas here, the best one, of course, is seeking God’s wisdom, which ultimately will show me what to do and how to do it.