An interesting observation that I have heard many a time over the past two weeks is that Princeton is a "head school." Umm, yeah... it is. But I have been hearing this comment in both positive and negative contexts. Some of the best scholars come from this school. And trust me, there are many incredibly intelligent people around here. This "head school" idea has a tendency to worry some people about the well being of their spiritual life. This being said, I would like to list a few bits of advice of what have helped me stay pretty well grounded--things that I would turn to in order to "check myself" and make sure I remember the deepest reason I am here in the first place.
Call stories and testimonies. These are great! There are so many people here with such diverse backgrounds and different call stories. Each one of us has a unique journey that brought us here. Most people are pretty comfortable to share their call story and/or testimony. Plus, it always helps to recenter and remember why you're here. Just go for a walk when Liberation Theology is getting frustrating and talk about what brought you here. Honestly though, hearing call stories and testimonies is even better than sharing yours (although, I would argue sharing your very own story is incredibly important for refocusing yourself). You just never know how someone will inspire you, or how you could inspire someone else. Let God work.
Laugh. ...a lot. Have a good time; lighten up. And for goodness sake, be willing and ready to laugh at yourself. I for one say a lot of stupid things and have many ridiculous things happen to be, so I am wholeheartedly sincere when I say, "Laugh at yourself." For instance, just the other day a baby bunny rabbit scared the living cahoots out of me in front of the mail room. The little guy was probably more frightened that I was, but the entire situation was really funny. One of my friends tried to "help" him up the stairs and to safety. Another great example is that my friends and I have distinctively defined what we call an "engagement hug." Just an FYI: an engagement hug is when a slightly taller person hugs a shorter person with both arms around the shorter person's neck and squeezes with their biceps. Oh, and one could even add a soft pat or clockwise hand motion on the other's back. Yeah... it's kinda creepy, but apparently it means you're engaged. =)
Weave in, don't weed out. The academic nature of this school and the insane amount of reading may push you to prefer quiet, lonesome studying. I would strongly discourage this method. Instead, I would recommend studying in groups and especially with other students in similar classes. This is very comforting when I get frustrated and usually involves lots of laughing (point number 2). For instance: when I study Hebrew, I tend to do it with a small community of people. There are multiple reasons for such tactics: Firstly, it's a language--you have to do things verbally. Secondly--it's a lot of work. Having people who can relate is extremely helpful. You are not alone in this journey of ancient languages. Thirdly--as my professor so nicely put it, it helps you, "Embrace the stupidity." Being novice Hebrew-ers, we tend to sound like babbling babies with confused tones of voice. Classes are not a competition around here. They are a cooperation. If you are going to succeed, it is because of the immense amount of help you receive from your classmates. So, weave in, don't weed out.
Forget about the Impostor Syndrome. It's kinda paradoxical that I would bring it up then, right? I just want to address this because it seems to be playing in the subconscious of a few people around here. If you've never heard of this before, it is basically the idea that you are a fraud.... that you're faking some major part of your life. To this, I would simply say... let it go. If you are here, you are here for a reason. Don't let doubt creep into your mind, especially when things are beginning to get difficult. Trust. Have faith that God will make your paths straight.
Yes, this is a head school, but don't let that overwhelm you. There are plenty of things you could do to make sure your heart stays in the right place and that your motives remain pure. So, check yourself before you wreck yourself. =)
Until next time friends, God Bless!
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