Today I started Cemetery. Cemetery is a nick name for Seminary, like Bridal College is for Bible College. Thankfully, I didn't feel like I was spending my day among the dead, but among the living. Today was my first day at Acadia Divinity College/Acadia Baptist Seminary (ADC) in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. For the most part, it was orientation day, and I learned what I needed to know in order to function as a student of ADC and Acadia University (AU).
The morning comprised of doing a devotion/Scriptural reflection by Dr. Harry Gardener on Exodus 3 and administrative stuff. For the devotional, Dr. Gardener said that God saw when Moses saw the burning bush; in the same way God notices when we look/answer our call and He honours that by being faithful to us as we live out that calling. From being at Emmanuel Bible College (EBC; btw, I miss you guys already!), my calling came more in seeing how God used what I learned and the people I interacted with to fuel my love for theology, and so, here I am.
The administrative portion consisted of various things, including topics like garbage. I never knew until now that Wolfville and AU have the strictest garbage sorting system in the Maritimes, perhaps all of Canada, but they do. I got my student card in the campus security building. For the month of September, my student card will give me a free ride on the bus going in any direction. Believe me, I shall take advantage of this opportunity. The student card also gets me discounts at various commercial places and restaurants around the valley. Finally, I discovered on Saturday that a student monthly bus pass is $65. I think that as the cold months come, I'll take advantage of that too.
After the admin stuff, was registration time! This is when students who haven't registered for courses sign up for them. Personally, I say wait until then when you are a new student, because then you can talk with someone about what to do and make sure you stay on top of your program and ensure you have all the course requirements filled. The classes I'll be taking this semester are Interpreting the New Testament on Tuesday mornings, Interpreting the Old Testament Wednesday mornings and Christian Theology in a Pluralistic World Wednesday afternoons; Christian Theology 1 Thursday mornings; and from October 15-19 I'll be taking my MA research course. For those considering post-secondary school, 4-day weekend (Friday-Monday) ≠bparty time, especially at the graduate level. It means sit down and do tonnes of reading time. For more tips on doing well at homework, I recommend this article written by one of my profs- http://www.infobarrel.com/Tips_for_Managing_Homework. However, my 4-day weekend WILL NOT be all work and no play. The reason God took a day of rest after creation was all done was to teach us that we need rest. So, I'll be sure to schedule time within my schedule to enjoy some rest and have fun doing what I like to do.
So, that was the morning. Over lunch I got to meet some of the new students, graduate and undergraduate. One of them, named Joseph, is a retired navy/air force guy who's now taking a BTh! He said that God said, "Well, you've spent the first half of your life serving your country, now you'll spend the last half serving me." We both agreed it sounds fair. Another person met was Susan, who's in the exact same classes and program as me. So, we'll be getting to know one another a bit over the course of this year I think.
In the afternoon, we took many tests. These tests are designed to help the professors, and ourselves, understand how we learn and how we're designed to function as people. When it came to my learning style, I was nice and ripe for doing a doctorate-prep Masters degree. Makes sense to me, as I think God often designs and shapes people to perfectly fit the calling He has for them. In between those tests, we got a tour of campus, met the faculty and staff (I even met my supervisor), as well as got connected to the computer network at Acadia. While I do have an Acadia email, I'm just having everything forwarded to my g-mail.Personally, I think it's easier to have all your email in one place.
After supper, which was a delicious bbq, we divided into our different degrees. I went with the MA students and learned about the basics of being a masters student. Many things were discussed, including writing your thesis. I think I'll do well at writing a thesis. I think my aspergers gives me the ability to easily focus in on a topic that I am passionate about. The trick is to find it, which I doubt will be difficult as I am already mulling over some questions I have about my preliminary reading...Perhaps those questions can be transformed into a research question? Another thing that was discussed is potentially doing a MDiv after finishing up my MA and coming away with two masters. This would stretch my time here to 3yrs, but I wouldn't have to do a 2nd thesis and it would enhance my credibility when I go apply for doctoral studies and/or apply for work as I continue with my studies. Of course, it'll be something I have to think about, but I cannot deny that there is value in having both degrees instead of either/or. In fact, many of the profs at EBC have both, such as John Schuit (miss you professor Schuit!).
So, that summarizes my day. Tomorrow, the real work begins!
