In May, I’m going to help lead a track at InterVarsity’s Southeast Chapter Camp called “Getting Ready for Grad School.” (If you’re not familiar with the undergrad InterVarsity world, this is a week-long camp for students involved in IV chapters, and it typically includes tracks for new Christians, students headed into chapter leadership roles, training in inductive Bible study, and a few other topics.)
Video: What? Don’t you think The Paper Chase (1973) is still relevant to graduate school? Don’t you carry massive suitcases to your study sessions, or is that just me?
The track is co-sponsored by the Emerging Scholars Network and our new partner ministry, Black Scholars and Professionals. While ESN’s focus is on academic careers, the Grad School track will include as many grad school options as we’re able: master’s programs, law school, medical school, professional degrees, MBAs, PhDs —really, whatever grad school path our students are considering.
What do you think we should be sure to cover? Here are the topics we’re planning to touch on:
- A study of Daniel as a Biblical example of a scholar/professional
- The theology of vocation and calling
- Postmodernism and naturalism (which we think are the dominant worldviews in the academy), contrasted with a Biblical worldview
- Multiethnicity and gender in graduate school
- Practical next steps and spiritual disciplines for graduate school
We’re also planning to have a faculty roundtable on the final day, so that students can ask faculty whatever questions are on their minds.
What are your suggestions, either within those topics or in other areas?
The former Associate Director for the Emerging Scholars Network, Micheal lives in Cincinnati with his wife and three children and works as a web manager for a national storage and organization company. He writes about work, vocation, and finding meaning in what you do at No Small Actors.
Is preparation for seminary covered in this topic? Or is that handled separately?
As the form of grad school I’ve participated in, preparation would have been useful! (And I can imagine that some seminary-aiming students wouldn’t necessarily realize the value of hearing about “preparing for grad school,” though they’d be wrong.)