If seminary is not anything else, it is a learning experience. I have felt so many emotions and learned so much in just the first three weeks.
Before classes, I went to NSO (New Student Orientation). This was two days of getting to know the campus, learning where buildings were, hearing people speak about all sorts of stuff, and meeting new people. Sound overwhelming? Well it was! So much so that I went home that weekend! Well, not because of that. My sister got married!!!!!! But the trip home definitely didn't hurt my anxiety about this new place. "Starting over" is not something I've done a lot. Actually once to be precise and that was when I went to USM. However, at USM, I knew a few people there, but had Tri Delta, the Wesley, band, Luckyday, and the Honors College to introduce me to new people who were going through this same new change with me and to introduce me to the upperclassmen. What built in friends do I have at Asbury? My roommate, Haley! I met people at NSO and in class, but am not good at plugging in with people. That is prayer request number one! :)
Classes began with much more positivity from my end. Going home allowed me to clear my head and to realize that I was not drowning in being overwhelmed. Classes were actually a lot more interesting on the first day than I thought they would be. And then I got to the end of the week... (by the way, I only have class T, W, Th!). At the end of the week I realized all of the homework that was before me. During the first weekend here, I read around 300 pages in text books, essays, and online articles. That is no joke. Every time someone called I told them I was reading. As far as the interest level of the reading I'd say about half is interesting and the other half is very lofty theology that takes hours upon hours to read. There was also an essay written that first weekend.
Now that it is the 2nd weekend, I feel much more buoyant. I am getting the hang of reading a lot and writing papers. I am nowhere near swimming freestyle, but I am sure I will get there.
I do not want any of this to scare anyone out of going to seminary. First of all, if reading a lot would make you not want to learn about God, maybe going through a training organization is more your style. A lot of learning in seminary is done without the professors. Secondly, reading most of these books has already allowed me to organize my theology in more of a clear way. I have learned a lot about missions and how much we don't think about God when we think about Christianity (more on that in the next post).
I am so blessed to be here and even in my times of frustration and confusion, I know that I am where God wants me to be... even though I am 8 hours from home. I cannot imagine what else I will learn during the rest of my time in the program. But I do know that meeting people and finding my niche is a high priority for the next few weeks!
A few things I have learned about life in Kentucky:
People down south think Kentucky is up north. People in the north think Kentucky is down south. (No one wants to claim it.) :(
Basketball is just as much religious as football in Mississippi.
Snow is not a force to be reckoned with. There is salt for the snow in my coat closet. What?!
I am less than 2 hours from Cincinnati, Ohio, 10 hours from Niagra Falls, and about 2 hours from Moonbows! (Look them up)
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