It’s been a while. A long while since my first post. And much has happened since then. Mainly, Aaron and I have successfully completed our first semester of seminary. I thought it would be fun to document all that I learned in this first semester now that I actually have time to think again. So here it is: the top 10 things I learned in my first semester of seminary.

10. It is possible to read and write every day of the week and still not finish all of my homework.

9. Whether MLA or SBL format, footnotes and bibliographies are a pain in the you know what.

8. I’m not a huge fan of research papers. I feel like I’m just regurgitating information other people have already written down. My profs have books, can’t they read for themselves?

7. It is possible for me to write a paper in as little as an hour and a half.

6. Church history is fascinating, especially the stories of the martyrs during the times of persecution by the Romans. It’s truly by the hand of God that we have any semblance of the Church today.

5. Theology is frustrating but necessary.

4. It’s ok not to get 100s on everything, especially when it’s a theology class. At least that’s what Aaron keeps telling me. I haven’t decided if I believe him yet. 🙂

3. I can actually make it an entire month without washing clothes as long as I wash one load of underwear.

2. Everyone asks the question, “Why am I going to seminary?” at least once a week or so and even more often during times of stress like the night before a 15-page research paper is due. This is just a natural part of going to seminary.

1. I love Greek! There I said it.  I actually enjoy the challenge of learning a new alphabet and grammar. It’s like a puzzle. Aaron says this makes me a nerd, but I don’t care. (He also says aforementioned desire for perfection is a nerd symptom as well.)

There you have it. The top 10 things I have learned this semester. Despite the numerous ups and downs of my first semester of seminary, at the end of the day, I have really enjoyed being back in the classroom as a student, and I have been challenged in countless ways spiritually, emotionally, and intellectually. Now that finals are in the past, I am actually getting excited about next semester. Maybe I am a nerd at heart. 🙂