Seminary Time Waster #3: Interruptions and Task Switching.
The kind of study you are doing at seminary requires deliberate and sustained thinking—the kind which is impossible in high-interruption environments. You should aim in your study time for long, uninterrupted blocks of time. I’d recommend a minimum of 90 minutes. You should have enough time to get [...]
Time Management
Be Unavailable. Like Jesus. (Seminary Time Waster #3)
The Internet Sucked Away My Life: Seminary Time Waster #2
Technology has given us the Internet, and the ability to instantly communicate worldwide. Wonderful isn’t it?
It has also given us
email in-boxes full of spam
stupid forwards you’ve seen a thousand times already.
access to millions of webstores where we can spend all the money we don’t have
video games, the most fun way to waste your life
other entertainments [...]
Procrastination: Seminary Time Waster #1
We’re all very well acquainted with the problem of procrastination. Putting off things that we do not enjoy or are dreading is a very human temptation, but is completely self-destructive.
Here are a few practical tips on overcoming procrastination. Some of these tips will work well for you, others won’t. Pick and choose as you will.
Don’t [...]
Eliminate Time Wasters
It’s mid-semester, and lots of projects and tests are coming due. Final exams and papers are not that far off, and I’m sure you feel the crunch coming.
With that in mind, we’re going to talk about reclaiming desperately needed time by eliminating the things that waste it.
The Enemy’s main strategy for people in ministry is [...]
Can’t say no? Try the “Qualified Yes”
Learning to say no is an important survival skill for ministry. People will ask you to do all sorts of things. because you’re nice. You’re in ministry! How could you say no?
This will suck your life away if you’re not careful. We must defend our own borders.
Of course, most of us in ministry ARE nice, [...]
No one cares what your grades are, part two
Part one was addressed to the grade nerds. Today, I speak to the rest of you.
No one else may care what your grades are in seminary…. but you should.
(Fair warning. Those who know me know that one of my finger wagging episodes is only moments away.)
You should care about your grades, to the degree that [...]
No one cares what your grades are, part one
In seminary, I was a grade-nerd. It started early in my academic career. I was in the gifted program from 3rd grade through high school. Once I discovered that I had academic gifts, I found I liked achieving well in that arena. And my parents never settled for less than I could do. In high [...]
February 4th, 2008 | Mark | 1 comment | Continued
Take the Poll
Tony over at Said at Southern noticed our discussion here, and set up a poll on whether all your seminary classes are worthy of your best attention.
I say no. What do you say? Take the poll.
I’m really curious to see the results.
At the start of each class
Here are the questions you need to ask and answer at the beginning of each class:
1. Will this be among the 20% of most valuable classes, to which I should devote my best energy, or will it be one of the 80% that are (comparatively) low-value?
Many things go into this determination. Some classes you will [...]
Sucking out the marrow (and spitting out the pits)
Back to planning your study. Again, I mention that our key idea here is triage. If you have time to devote full attention to every class (and your ministry and your job and your marriage and your health), then knock yourself out. If you’re one of the rest of us who has to let something [...]
January 28th, 2008 | Mark | 3 comments | Continued


