I's a man of many learnings

I came home today and found a B.Th. in the post with my name on it. So I had a graduation ceremony at 5:58pm. Here's a photo:



I wore the cardboard on my head to identify with poor students in the developing world who can't afford a mortar board.

From now on you'll call me Thomas French B.Th. Just in time to open my HSC results.

See Ya Later, Academia

I'm home from my last exam, for my last subject in my BTh. This really could be it. I really could be finally done with Bible College. I only started in 2002. I have a full six months left to sit the last subject again if I fail before subjects start slipping off the back end. I've probably been a little hasty getting this done.

The first question I had to answer in the exam was What are the main objections to the doctrine of predestination? Discuss the strengths of the responses which may be given to these objections. I really wanted to discuss the weaknesses of the responses just because the question was a little too biased for my liking. But I answered like a good Calvinist because I can't be bothered risking another six months of assessments and stuff to teach the examiners a lesson they probably wouldn't even notice.

That said, I was pretty happy with the exam. I think the 5 hours or so of study I did for this exam really helped. I was pretty impressed. I think 5 hours is more study than I've done for college in the last 5 years combined.

I celebrated the end by eating Pad See Ew and reading Time magazine. Tonight I'm gonna go watch a movies with Ryan. I party hard.

Anyway I should go do some real world work, because I still have that to do. Probably for another 40 years or so.

The End Really Is Nigh

I blogged last August saying I was writing my last essay for college. But it turned out to be a fallacy.

But tonight, I think I really am writing my last ever essay for my Batchelor of Theology. I know it's not that exciting for anyone but me, but 8 and a half years after beginning this darn thing, I might be about to end it.

This last essay is on "Can a Christian lose their salvation?" It'd be an interesting topic if I wasn't writing an essay on it.

Still A Little Longer Till I Get the Funny Hat

I thought I was going to finish college this semester but I sent an email to the registrar to make sure, and he wrote back and said that after this semester I still have one more subject to go. Ah, shame.

But when I asked him what I have to do he said TH403, which is a theology subject. So it turns out, I'm not disappointed at all. I love theology. I'll happily spend another six months at college for theology. I might even get to buy some more big books. Woo!

Now I have to find out what Theology subject it is. I'm guessing it's "Holy Spirit, Grace and Hope" but that's just a guess.

Update

Essay is done. Handed in. I rewarded myself for 8 years of poorly written essays with a Bacon Deluxe meal from Hungary Jacks. The bacon was square. Fitting really. Poorly executed bacon for poorly executed essays.

The special vanishing boxers have been found. They shacked up in the sleeve of one of my jackets with one of my socks. Peter was right. I should keep an eye out in future for more items of clothing sneaking off for illicit rendezvous with other items of clothing in other items of clothing. I'm having trouble figuring out if the jacket was also involved in the affair, just facilitating the affair, or just being used because of it's bulk. If it was in fact a three-way laundry liaison I am rather disgusted by the moral turpitude of my clothing and I shall be taking action to do segregated washes from now on. It's as bad as running a youth camp. "No socks in the boxers wash, no boxers in the jackets wash, and no jackets in the boxers or socks wash."

Tommunism

I am in the process of writing my last essay for college eva!*

This is an exciting feeling. My eight years of perpetual essay writing are coming to an end. If I finish this and hand it in tomorrow it will be first essay I've handed in on time in three years. I think that's pretty good.

The essay is on church government which I'm finding interesting because, while you probably wouldn't guess it, I've been thinking a lot about the subject lately. I have to compare and contrast two forms of Church Government and then propose the perfect one. I have decided that neither Episcopalian, Presbyterian or Congregational are perfect (they're the big three). So I will create my own. I'm trying to decide what to call it. Right now I'm thinking Tommunism and if you are a member of my denomination you'll be called a Tommunist.



First Bishop of the Tommunist Church

I read a little book by Driscoll on Church Leadership while doing my study. It's annoying but of everything I read I think I like his form of church government the best. But I'm not going write that in my essay. I'm going write about Tommunism (which will be like Driscollism, but better).


*That is assuming that I pass and that this is actually my last semester and there aren't subjects that I should have done but didn't. But I'm pretty sure this is it. It's also assuming I don't go do a masters one day or something dumb like that. But I probably won't. I'm pretty crap at being academic

Almost Done

I did my exams. They were about as good as unstudied for exams can go. Joys be had.

Almost everything on the to do has gone on the too done list. I'm even almost totally packed. All the suits and icing sugar and one or two pieces of clothing I want to wear are in and wash bags and clothes on the line to be squashed in.

I have to work tonight and earn my cash monies, than I'm sleeping and flying.

I love this time before you go away, when you realise you're almost ready to go and all the things that were stressing you about leaving are over. The holiday begins now. I know I have to work, but that's pretty stress free. It only really involves scanning tickets, telling people they can't smoke outside or bring plastic bottles inside and maybe seeing a bit of an international pop star. Not too shabby really.

Now I have to go wee. That's my most pressing need and it really is pressing.

More Academic Grace

So I got a phone call yesterday from the lecturer who is marking the essay for the subject which I'm redoing because I failed. I couldn't work out why he'd be calling. I didn't think it'd be because my essay was going to fail because I had put a lot of work into the essay. I was pretty sure it wouldn't be because I neglected to hand it in. All I could think of was that it was so good he wanted to publish it. At least, that was what I was hoping for. So I rang him back this morning.

He asked me if I was aware that the late penalties at college had changed this year. They used to be 5% a week, which was insanely generous and I exploited it regularly. Now they've been upped to 10% a week. Which is still very generous, but probably better to stop people like me treating deadlines like suggestions.

But this phone call was the first I had heard of the change.

Turns out my essay wasn't as insanely brilliant as I had thought it could be. It seems it takes more than having 12 books in your bibliography to impress these academic types. I even had a book by John Calvin! Anyway the lecturer told me that if he marked me on the new system then I would fail. But seeing as I didn't know he was going to mark me on the old system, and so I'll pass.

I must say, it's times like this that I love my college. I have by no means been the best student. But they're gracious to me even when I should have known better. Ignorance isn't really a valid excuse, but they passed me anyway.

It makes me not regret the dream I had last night where I got into a shouting match with the lecturer of one of Sydney's other conservative evangelical colleges who was ripping on my college. I totally won the argument too.

If they've got my back in real life, I've got their back in my subconscious.

Smashed It

I got back my two Greek assessments tonight. Turns out in my final exam I only need to get 28% to pass the course. I don't want to tempt providence but passing a subject hasn't looked this good for me in years.

One Thousand on Two

I have 1000 words to punch out on two Greek words today. I think a little snooze of preparation might be in order.