How to Thrive, Not Just Survive the Seminary Scene

Published: April 13, 2021

When Chris Albin 14 finished his undergraduate studies in psychology and religion at Greenville University, he was thrilled to receive a substantial award to attend Dallas Theological Seminary. The program proved rigorous, though. He recalls feeling immediately grateful for the four years hed spent building his academic chops at Greenville.

The preparation I received at Greenville was indispensable to prepare me for seminary, he says. I learned how to research and learned the major issues in biblical and theological scholarship.

How should a student prepare for graduate school? What makes the difference between surviving and thriving? Chris says students can proactively set the stage for success. He shares four specific bits of advice:

1. Expect the work pace to accelerate, he says. Graduate school in any discipline is simply faster paced than undergraduate education.
2. Develop good research habits while in college. He stresses that this includes learning to properly cite sources, a skill that turned out to be critical in seminary.
3. Develop good work habits in college. Create a rhythm where you get everything done, and try to transition that into graduate school if possible. Chris explains that graduate school takes a lot of self-discipline, and its much easier to develop that sooner rather than later.
4. Finally, Chris says, I would advise students thinking about graduate school to make sure they are dedicated to their future ministry. This doesnt only apply to seminary students. Any job should be considered service to the Lord, so students should be mindful to choose a career path they can be passionate about and proud to serve.

Chris completed his studies at Dallas Theological Seminary in December 2017 and immediately began pursuing pastoral employment opportunities. He looks forward to a career in ministry.

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