Over the past six months we’ve received several emails asking about what we might recommend for new students to do at GCTS. Primarily students are concerned about “must-take” classes, or little hints for excelling at GCTS. It ought to go without saying, but the most important ingredient for excelling at Gordon-Conwell, or any other school for that matter, is hard work. But here is a list of five things we’d recommend to students, new and old, at our alma mater.
1. Take BTI Classes – Through the Boston Theological Institute you are afforded a number of opportunities as a student at GCTS. Not only do you have access to the libraries at each member school (a huge help in and of itself), but you can also cross-register classes. Most people pile on the classes at Harvard, and that is all well and good, but don’t miss some of the other great opportunities at BTI schools, especially Boston University and Boston College. Our personal list of recommendations is: Textual Criticism of the Hebrew Bible with Dick Saley at Harvard, and anything with Dr. Alejandro Botta at Boston University. We’ve also heard great things about Katheryn Pfisterer-Darr’s classes at BU. Of course you ought to also be on the lookout for classes that interest you with Peter Machinist and Jon Levenson, both at Harvard.
2. Take language classes – If you plan on learning to study the Bible, you want to go on for a PhD, or you just enjoy learning, then there is really no substitute for learning as many languages, at as high a level, as possible. Intermediate Hebrew at GCTS is a must, as are Aramaic and Ugaritic. We’d also recommend starting work on either Akkadian or Middle Egyptian (the latter can be had at BU with A. Botta). Also, don’t underestimate your own resources at Gordon-Conwell. If you are studying Old Testament or Biblical Languages, track down Tom Petter to take Epigraphic Hebrew and Advanced Hebrew Grammar (independent classes as of now). We also recommend plenty of Hebrew or Greek reading courses. We know it sounds lame to pay for three credits where you basically read/translate XX number of chapters and report to a professor about it before taking a final exam. But your Hebrew really will improve from the discipline. And please – certainly don’t neglect the basic languages. GCTS has a heavy emphasis on Greek and Hebrew, and if you don’t take the time to learn them well, you will suffer for it, both academically at GCTS and personally as you seek to go on for further study. Take advantage of that emphasis for your own benefit!
3. Listen to your fellow students, but also…don’t – What we mean by this is simple, your fellow students can be a great help. They can point you to resources you might not know about, tell you about classes you wouldn’t have taken otherwise, help to carpool to BTI courses, and a host of other things. However, it can also be discouraging when you talk to them. Time and time again Mandy and I were told never to take more than three classes a semester. Of course, if you do this, you’ll take three years just to complete a single MA. Mandy and I never took more than five, and we found our sweet spot to be four (which requires summer term classes to complete your degree in two years, three for the M.Div.). What we’re trying to say is this: know your limits academically, and go with those, regardless of whether others tell you you’re taking “too many” classes. If you’re getting As and you’re learning, don’t take fewer classes just because someone gets you worried.
4. Fill those “core requirements” with helpful classes – All MA students at Gordon-Conwell are required five “core classes.” At first, these classes can seem like throw aways. A world missions elective, Theology survey, Church history survey, etc, etc. However, if you have a religious studies/Bible college background, you are often able to waive the required theo and church history surveys and take more advanced electives in those areas. We really aren’t sure how to redeem the theology requirement yet, but we definitely recommend Historiography with Dr. Rosell if you can get the required survey waived. Also, don’t just throw away that world missions elective on “Personal Evangelism through the Local Church.” Instead, take Applied Anthropology with Paul Martindale. This class was without a doubt, for both of us, the single best non-biblical studies class we have ever taken. Dr. Martindale let us shape are research papers to a very large degree, and so we were able to interact with cultural anthropology in relationship with the Old Testament. We highly recommend this class.
5. Use Semlinks sparingly. Unless you live far enough away from the school that they become a vital part of completing your degree, don’t rely on them too heavily. They can be helpful for filling in a class or two, especially your core requirements, if you’re unable to take the advice in number four just because of the way classes pan out in the schedule, or if you need a summer class and there isn’t anything being offered that will meet your needs. Above all, do not use Semlinks for your basic language classes, Hebrew or Greek, especially if you’re going to be studying either language for the first time at GCTS (also, please, if you can avoid it, don’t take the basic language classes during the summer if you hope to retain the languages). Why do we give this advice? There is nothing wrong with Semlink courses, generally speaking. In fact, if you’re a pastor looking to brush up on Hebrew or Greek, do some extra study, or just an interested lay person, and you don’t want degree credit, the value for what you pay is phenomenal, and I’d highly recommend them. But the fact of the matter is, for degree-seeking students, there is just no substitute for in-classroom instruction.
In summary:
1. Take advantage of the BTI, and not just Harvard.
2. Take as many language classes as is helpful to your degree and personal goals.
3. Listen to the advice of others, but know your own academic limits.
4. Don’t waste your core requirements – if you can get waivers, look for classes that will relate somehow to your field.
5. Use Semlinks sparingly to fill in where scheduling doesn’t work out for you.
Feel free to contact either of us if you have questions, concerns, or would like further suggestions.