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Micah
Student
Marinette, Wisconsin
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How many hours of reading can I expect as an M-Div student per week?
I plan on playing soccer for my college in the fall, and I'm attempting to understand how busy I really will be if I have 20 credit hours per week and soccer practices and games.
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cassandra Harris
Social / Emotional learning Teacher
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Tucson, Arizona
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cassandra’s Answer
Wow, that's a fundamental question you're asking, especially trying to balance a 20-credit-hour M-Div load with college soccer! From what I understand about seminary and the demands of being a student-athlete, you're looking at a seriously packed schedule.
Honestly, the reading in an M-Div program can be pretty intense. It varies depending on the seminary, your specific courses, and the professors, but you should expect to be doing a lot of reading each week. Some people estimate that for every credit hour, you might need to set aside 2-3 hours for outside work, and in seminary, a big chunk of that is reading.
I've heard from other seminary students that in some of their reading-heavy classes, they could easily have 100-140 pages to get through per week, per course. If you're taking 20 credit hours, and we just make a rough guess of maybe 50-75 pages of reading per week for each credit hour (some will be more, some less), you could be looking at somewhere between 1000 and 1500 pages of reading every single week.
Now, when you think about how long it takes to digest that kind of material – I know for me, with dense theological stuff, I might only get through 20-30 pages an hour if I'm trying to understand it and take notes. So, that could translate to anywhere from 30 to maybe even 75 hours just of reading each week.
Then you throw in college soccer – practices a few times a week, plus games that can take up a big chunk of your day, especially with travel. You're probably looking at another 8 to maybe 18+ hours a week dedicated to that.
If you add it all up – your 20 hours of class, potentially 30-75 hours of reading, and 8-18+ hours for soccer – you could be facing a weekly commitment of 60 to over 110 hours! That's more than a full-time job on top of being a student-athlete.
It's a balancing act, and while it's doable, you'll need to be incredibly organized and disciplined with your time. Things like planning out your week in detail, breaking down big reading assignments, and maybe even learning some speed-reading techniques (though for seminary, deep understanding is key) will be crucial. You'll also need to be good at prioritizing and maybe saying 'no' to other things.
Honestly, I'd also recommend talking to current M-Div students who are also athletes at the college you're planning to attend. They'll have real, on-the-ground experience and can give you much more specific advice about how they manage their time. Don't be afraid to connect with your professors and coaches early on to communicate about your commitments. And please, make sure you're also factoring in time for sleep and taking care of yourself – you don't want to burn out!
You might even want to think about whether taking a slightly lighter course load in some semesters might be a better strategy, even if it means your program takes a little longer. It's all about finding a sustainable rhythm. Good luck – it'll be challenging, but I have no doubt you can make it work with the right approach!
Honestly, the reading in an M-Div program can be pretty intense. It varies depending on the seminary, your specific courses, and the professors, but you should expect to be doing a lot of reading each week. Some people estimate that for every credit hour, you might need to set aside 2-3 hours for outside work, and in seminary, a big chunk of that is reading.
I've heard from other seminary students that in some of their reading-heavy classes, they could easily have 100-140 pages to get through per week, per course. If you're taking 20 credit hours, and we just make a rough guess of maybe 50-75 pages of reading per week for each credit hour (some will be more, some less), you could be looking at somewhere between 1000 and 1500 pages of reading every single week.
Now, when you think about how long it takes to digest that kind of material – I know for me, with dense theological stuff, I might only get through 20-30 pages an hour if I'm trying to understand it and take notes. So, that could translate to anywhere from 30 to maybe even 75 hours just of reading each week.
Then you throw in college soccer – practices a few times a week, plus games that can take up a big chunk of your day, especially with travel. You're probably looking at another 8 to maybe 18+ hours a week dedicated to that.
If you add it all up – your 20 hours of class, potentially 30-75 hours of reading, and 8-18+ hours for soccer – you could be facing a weekly commitment of 60 to over 110 hours! That's more than a full-time job on top of being a student-athlete.
It's a balancing act, and while it's doable, you'll need to be incredibly organized and disciplined with your time. Things like planning out your week in detail, breaking down big reading assignments, and maybe even learning some speed-reading techniques (though for seminary, deep understanding is key) will be crucial. You'll also need to be good at prioritizing and maybe saying 'no' to other things.
Honestly, I'd also recommend talking to current M-Div students who are also athletes at the college you're planning to attend. They'll have real, on-the-ground experience and can give you much more specific advice about how they manage their time. Don't be afraid to connect with your professors and coaches early on to communicate about your commitments. And please, make sure you're also factoring in time for sleep and taking care of yourself – you don't want to burn out!
You might even want to think about whether taking a slightly lighter course load in some semesters might be a better strategy, even if it means your program takes a little longer. It's all about finding a sustainable rhythm. Good luck – it'll be challenging, but I have no doubt you can make it work with the right approach!