5 Tools for the Seminarian: Part 3

We have had a really busy week around Asbury with Holiness Week and the Move conference, so I apologize for missing yesterdays post and being so late today.  Perhaps I should add a sub-tip on learning to juggle a schedule.

But today's tip is one of the more important things to both my academic and devotional/pastoral work.

Get good software and learn how to use it

I use Accordance Bible and I would by lying if I didn't tell you that's what you should buy.  But I realize not everyone that reads this will go out and drop two bills (minimum) on Accordance. The other major options are Bible Works and Logos, but I think Accordance really is the way to go.

I use my software pretty intentionally, because it really expedites any sort of research or preparation.  I will talk about efficiency in sermon and teaching prep not because the time spent in the word isn't deserving of time, but to be able to spend larger amounts of time with specific things that change from project to project (more word studies, or more structural work or theological interpretation).  Correctly setting up my software helps me with this.  I use Highlights for various things, and I keep them permanently color coded.  I also take full advantage of User Notes and have around 15 different files.  These allow me to systematically make notes in the text, as well as link to other resources besides scripture that I have in my software.

I wrote Monday that I have a file of all my reading notes, and I keep this organized in Accordance as well, because it is the easiest to update as well as search.  I just type in the new entries as soon as I finish books.

Accordance also allows me to save workspaces (the various windows and tools I use for a specific project), so if I come back to a topic often, I save the workspace so it can be recalled.  In any software you have, take full advantage of the user functions that are customizable.

I also spent the money to get alot of research resources (such as bible dictionaries, etc) in my software, so I have them right at my finger tips.  This makes writing papers ALOT easier.  The money has to be spent-but I am building a system and library that I will always have with me.  In 10 years if I need to come back to something I wrote a paper on in seminary, I can get back to the work and thought in under a minute.

I think that I can actually do back-end research in about 35% of the time it takes some of my other friends that I have to rely on the library or rarely use their software.  For me, time is worth money.  I also learned this lesson when I was a local pastor and I would routinely find out I was preaching in 8 hrs. It was nice to be able to prepare in a way that was mindful of the time that I had available to me.

 

+++EDIT
Go read my friend Greg's comment.  I will add a subtip here....GET TO KNOW THE LIBRARIANS. These folk can make your life so much easier.  Thanks Greg

Comments

[Sigafous]

A few thoughts on the series so far:
1: Add Refworks to your system. Refworks can be your running Seminary bibliography. You keep access as alumni as well, so you can always check your reading notes for things like journal articles.
2: Dropbox is great, but don't forget to backup to DVD periodically. Hard copies matter.
3. Pertinent to 3 is the issue of time. In my next tech training, I want to have a pie chart up that shows the average student's time commitments. Technology exists, essentially, to optimize your time. So Bible software is crucial, but learning how to best use any tool will maximize the time you spend learning, and minimize the time you spend searching for what you want. We both know how frustrating dead time can be.

[Chad]

Greg-
I liked your comment so much I added a small edit. Thanks for pointing people in this direction, I agree with everything you said and they are all great suggestions. I do back-up cloud stuff and #3 is a great point as well.

[Klay]

What added modules/books/whatever do you find helpful on accordance?

[Chad]

Klay- In no particular order. Most of these are available on the three major platforms.

The IVP Reference Set
Anchor Bible
NIDOTTE
BDAG
HALOT

those are the ones I use the most, and get me through about 75% of basic research

[Klay]

Thanks Chad.
I've done two years of seminary already, and I'm just now ordering Accordance. This is my first bible program. It would have probably been handy to have prior to this semester. I am getting the Halot/Bdag bundle. I'll remember the other three you mentioned and save up for them.