We’re starting a new academic year that looks and feels unlike any other — and yet some things remain the same. Pandemic or no, we’ll still be writing, reading, thinking, and experiencing the many facets of life.
We’re glad to share our Beginning Well series for a new academic year. There’s so much good thinking and encouragement in all of these pieces, relevant in and out of changing times. Two pieces we especially love that seem particularly relevant to our wildly irregular fall 2020 semester are Carmen Imes’s “Scholar’s Prayer” and Stephanie White’s piece on goal setting — she creates goals even when she sits down to work for an hour!
Whether you are gearing up for a new stage in your career or returning for your umpteenth year of tenure, let these articles from The Well encourage you to pursue your calling to the best of your ability this fall.
"Is academia a frivolous waste of time when we could be telling people about Jesus, or is there a deeper significance to a life of learning? And if learning is worthwhile on an eternal scale, are some questions more worthy than others?" Anna Plantinga reflects on these important questions.
“I like 'back to school' season. But I need more time! I want more time to prepare for a new semester, more time to play with my kids, more time to 'make something' of my summer. What do I have to show for these long hours with no classes, no assignments, no grading, no committee meetings?”
"Christianity says that not only do we not have to go it alone, we can’t possibly do so, nor should we. It flatly contradicts the academy’s founding myth of the direct relationship between success and individual merit." Debra Sulai explores the spiritually damaging nature of self-reliance in academia.
"The practice of attentiveness not only makes us more aware of the presence of the Lord throughout our day. Prayerful attentiveness can also be a critical element in our scholarship. Many times over the years, we’ve seen the Lord illuminate thorny research problems as we’ve prayed for his insight into his created order."
"I’ve started taking about two minutes to answer these questions every time I sit down to work for even an hour, and I’ve been amazed at how useful they are."
Join us for this conversation with author and professor Susan Maros as we discuss the process of discerning God's calling and the ways our unique contexts inform that journey.
Listen in on our summer book club interview as Women Scholars and Professionals director Karen Guzmàn conducts an online discussion with author Joanna Meyer where they talk about perfectionism, mentorship, and the nuances of working well with male colleagues.
Academic life offers special challenges to spousal and family relationships. Receive the gift of sound advice and spiritual encouragement from these articles at The Well as you enter into a very unusual school year.