Learner took his first exam of the semester this morning, a 185-point monster over the book of Acts. The Smiling Assassin has struck, and Learner's wondering how to stop the bleeding.
The sad part, he says, is he actually studied - 50 pages of notes, 250 pages of previously highlighted readings, a memorized outline of the 28 chapters of Acts - he studied it all.
The mistake he made was not doing the Greek translations, which, even though the Assassin said were going to be minimal on the exam, were not. (That, or he and the Assassin have two different ideas of what "minimal" means, which could very well be a possibility, as he is German.) Either way, says Learner, "Whups."
He's hoping for a big curve - a circle curve even, where the worst you do, the better you do - but that's a little optimistic, especially for him. We'll see. In the meantime, he's gearing up for starting in on Galatians tomorrow and hoping for the best.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Ordained to What?
Learner is studying in the student center, semi-eavesdropping on a conversation between two visiting pastors and a graduating student about his upcoming graduation and ordination in May. The conversation goes something like this:
But that's probably just over a coffeebreak or something.
Student: What do I REALLY need to know for ordination exams?Maybe it's because he doesn't know (or passionately care all that much right now) where he stands on any of the above, but Learner assumes there's a consideration of the student's knowledge of Jesus as well.
Visiting pastor #1: Know where you stand on the New Perspective on Paul, Federal Vision, and paedobaptism.
Student: Anything else?
Visiting pastor #2: Don't choose to sit in the middle chair.
But that's probably just over a coffeebreak or something.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Counseling Class Humor
From Learner's Intro to Counseling class this evening:
"Neurotics build castles in the air.Nothing funnier than depression humor, says Learner.
Psychotics live in them.
Psychiatrists collect the rent."
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Hammy, Sting, and the Smiling Assassin
Rather than explain my past month-and-a-half absence from chronicling the life and times of Learner, I'm pleased to report that he has begun a new semester, one he is enjoying for a variety of reasons, not the least of them being that he has class with three new professors he has not had before. The reading is heavy (at least in terms of volume), and the writing will be likewise, but hearing new voices and experiencing new teaching styles in communicating the content is a needed refreshment, he says.
Each of his new professors has a distinct style and personality, and Learner (who is far too aware of such things), has (lovingly) identified their more famous counterparts: Hammy, Sting, and the "Blond Bond" (also known on campus as "the Smiling Assassin").
Hammy teaches Reformation & Modern Church History, is young, and, by his own admission (and like his hyperactive namesake from the movie, Over the Hedge), could benefit from taking a handful of quaalude sedatives before teaching in his hyperactive way. Still, he's smart, loves baseball (always a plus in Learner's book), and is obviously passionate about his subject.
Sting teaches Learner's Intro to Counseling Class, is quite refined, and speaks with a British accent. Learner says he keeps waiting for the VH-1 Behind the Music crew to show up and chronicle Sting's newest creative endeavor - teaching biblical counseling at a U.S. seminary - but that hasn't happened yet. In the meantime, Learner says, he keeps looking for a stanza or two from "Message in a Bottle" in the course notes, but he hasn't found it.
The Blond Bond/Smiling Assassin teaches Acts & Paul, is a native German who speaks fluent English, and, says Learner, is an incredible lecturer who carries himself as more of an international academic (which he is). Impressed with both his handle on English as well as Greek, Learner is sure he must speak at least 10 other languages fluently as well as part of his covert training from the CIA, MI-6, and whatever the German equivalent of special ops is.
As he always does, Learner takes great pleasure in spending the first day(s) of class painstakingly entering every single assignment into his organizational system, dividing reading assignments across the weeks of the semester, taking note of when papers are due, and ensuring that any quizzes or exams are on his calendar. This easily takes a good couple of hours to do, but once entered, Learner lives and breathes by this system, which seems to have served him well so far.
There's nothing quite like a new semester, he says, referencing the shelf of new required reading and syllabi and notes he's already taken in the week of classes he's already had. Thankfully, his schedule seems to be a little more conducive to bigger blocks of study time, and he has so far made good use of those chunks, investing them in the library reading and marking in his new study carrell upstairs.
While he tries to study in a new place each semester so he doesn't get in a rut, Learner says he does have affections for certain locations and, when the paper writing begins, he'll probably mosey back downstairs to his favorite Reference table, as even when the library is full, rarely does anyone sit there because of the "Reference" sign hanging above it. It's a little thing - thinking that sign marks his own, personal "reserved" spot (sort of like having a "regular table" in his favorite restaurant) - and each time Learner walks by and no one happens to be sitting there, he smiles to himself, happy.
Suffice it to say, Learner's new professors aren't the only interesting ducks in the seminary pond...
Each of his new professors has a distinct style and personality, and Learner (who is far too aware of such things), has (lovingly) identified their more famous counterparts: Hammy, Sting, and the "Blond Bond" (also known on campus as "the Smiling Assassin").
Hammy teaches Reformation & Modern Church History, is young, and, by his own admission (and like his hyperactive namesake from the movie, Over the Hedge), could benefit from taking a handful of quaalude sedatives before teaching in his hyperactive way. Still, he's smart, loves baseball (always a plus in Learner's book), and is obviously passionate about his subject.
Sting teaches Learner's Intro to Counseling Class, is quite refined, and speaks with a British accent. Learner says he keeps waiting for the VH-1 Behind the Music crew to show up and chronicle Sting's newest creative endeavor - teaching biblical counseling at a U.S. seminary - but that hasn't happened yet. In the meantime, Learner says, he keeps looking for a stanza or two from "Message in a Bottle" in the course notes, but he hasn't found it.
The Blond Bond/Smiling Assassin teaches Acts & Paul, is a native German who speaks fluent English, and, says Learner, is an incredible lecturer who carries himself as more of an international academic (which he is). Impressed with both his handle on English as well as Greek, Learner is sure he must speak at least 10 other languages fluently as well as part of his covert training from the CIA, MI-6, and whatever the German equivalent of special ops is.
As he always does, Learner takes great pleasure in spending the first day(s) of class painstakingly entering every single assignment into his organizational system, dividing reading assignments across the weeks of the semester, taking note of when papers are due, and ensuring that any quizzes or exams are on his calendar. This easily takes a good couple of hours to do, but once entered, Learner lives and breathes by this system, which seems to have served him well so far.
There's nothing quite like a new semester, he says, referencing the shelf of new required reading and syllabi and notes he's already taken in the week of classes he's already had. Thankfully, his schedule seems to be a little more conducive to bigger blocks of study time, and he has so far made good use of those chunks, investing them in the library reading and marking in his new study carrell upstairs.
While he tries to study in a new place each semester so he doesn't get in a rut, Learner says he does have affections for certain locations and, when the paper writing begins, he'll probably mosey back downstairs to his favorite Reference table, as even when the library is full, rarely does anyone sit there because of the "Reference" sign hanging above it. It's a little thing - thinking that sign marks his own, personal "reserved" spot (sort of like having a "regular table" in his favorite restaurant) - and each time Learner walks by and no one happens to be sitting there, he smiles to himself, happy.
Suffice it to say, Learner's new professors aren't the only interesting ducks in the seminary pond...
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