We are now in Week 6 of the Fall 2 term. This week I want to pass along some advice our faculty gave on studying, and in particular on how to get your reading done.
In this email:
- Student Tip: Set a Goal and a Timer
- Program News: Course Snapshots
Student Tip: Set a Goal and a Timer
A couple weeks ago we had our fall Preview Day at Southern. One of the sessions after lunch is a panel with faculty and this time Dr. Andrew Walker led it, with Dr. Schreiner, Dr. Wills, and Dr. Claunch on the panel. They were asked what seminary is like, what they're currently researching, what they're doing in their churches, and so forth. Then came the question that usually comes up. What advice do you have for seminarians as they study?
Two things stuck out to me. The first was that every one of them is intentional about not having the phone around when they're researching, writing, reading, or doing anything else that takes deep focus. I know this is something that gets talked about and I'm sure it's something you feel. But the reality is that the phone is a constant distraction and you won't be able to do your best work if you're constantly distracted. If your phone is out and pulling at you while you're trying to work, it's a guarantee that your work will be less efficient, more scattered, and missing the reflective quality and focus it would have without it.
It's easy to say you don't get distracted by your phone and come up with all kinds of excuses. But I'd challenge you to reflect on your study habits. If they involve having the phone out, put it in another room and focus on the task at hand.
The second came from Dr. Wills and it was advice I remember hearing from him years ago when I was in seminary. It had to do with reading. When you start a master's program, the reading is probably more than you're used to and it's constant. You'll read things you're less interested in. There'll be times you have to read when you don't want to and times you have to read when you don't have much time. His advice was to set a timer and set a goal. Know how much you need to get done in a particular amount of time.
Now, I did just tell you to get rid of your phone and I know what you're probably thinking. I use my phone as a timer. Well, go on Amazon, get a $5 timer, and put it on your desk when you're studying. It also helps with the repetition, that kind of ritual of getting into "study mode," which can help your brain settle in for deep focus.
Your reading for school won't look the same as your reading for fun, or the reading you do to prepare a lesson for church or a sermon. It will look different. So if you have to get through three chapters, tell yourself you need to get three chapters done in 45 minutes. Sometimes that means reading quicker than you're used to and forcing yourself to work those skills.
One thing that often slowed me down in seminary was this idea of perfection when reading. I wanted to take all these notes and everything else as I went. What that ended up doing was keeping me from getting the reading done, or forcing me to read right up until the due date, scattered and trying to get it finished.
Sometimes you have to set aside the idealized version and ask what works for your situation and what allows you to get this done. Different reading also has different focuses. If you have to write a book review, you'll probably treat that book a little differently than one you're simply required to read. Some reading will involve quizzes and that may look a little different too. So before you sit down, think through what kind of reading it is and how much of it you need to get done. Then set that $5 timer off Amazon and get to work.
Program News: Course Snapshots
I've talked about Course Snapshots quite a bit before. With spring and summer registration now open, it's a good time to point you back to it. One of our policies is that we don't share syllabi before a course is published, so we built Course Snapshots to give you some context for a course before you register. You can watch sample lectures, see what the reading is going to be, and so forth. It also gives you an idea of everything we have to offer, all of it developed for the online program.
Keep in mind that each snapshot is based on the most recent online offering and things can change, so always check your course once it opens.
Quick Reference of Upcoming Term Dates:
- Current Week: Fall 2, Week 6 (November 9-16)
- Winter Term Begins: November 30, 2026
- Spring 1 Term Begins: February 1, 2027
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