{"id":787,"date":"2009-04-01T05:28:21","date_gmt":"2009-04-01T11:28:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/toddbolen.com\/2009\/04\/01\/change-of-program\/"},"modified":"2009-04-01T05:28:21","modified_gmt":"2009-04-01T11:28:21","slug":"change-of-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/toddbolen.com\/blog\/2009\/04\/01\/change-of-program\/","title":{"rendered":"Change of Program"},"content":{"rendered":"

After a period of serious reflection, consultation, and consideration, I have decided to make a slight change in my educational program.  The PhD at DTS is quite good, but it is also quite hard, and it takes a long time.  There’s something to be said for hard things, but there’s also something to be said for easy things.  Just because it is hard doesn’t mean that it is good.  I have had hard teachers that I have liked, and I’ve had easy teachers (not at DTS) that I’ve liked.  I’ve been in this program now for 1.3 years and am looking at another 3.2 years, plus whatever delays they decide to supplement the program with.  I love learning the Bible, but education isn’t just about learning.  At some point you just have to stop learning and get the degree<\/em>.  I’ve come to realize that the degree is really the most important thing.  Students ask if you have the degree<\/em>, but they never ask how long it took you to get it or what kind of degree it is.<\/p>\n

My new program has many advantages.  First, I don’t have to move, but I can finish the degree process from my home.  Second, while it does cost, this degree is much more affordable than $500\/unit.  Third, this program takes into account not only my previous education, but my work experience, life experience, job experience, and unemployment experience.  They rightly recognize the value of living.  Fourth, there are fewer requirements.  For example, I do not have to attend the graduation ceremony, but they will mail the degree to me directly.  <\/p>\n

My degree will not be a PhD, but it will have “doctor” on the diploma, which is really all that matters.  I will be “Dr. Todd Bolen.”  Yes, once the certificate arrives, I will insist that I be called “Dr. Bolen” by my kids, wife, and anyone else who is around me.<\/p>\n

It is true that this new direction is perceived in a negative way by TMC, and as difficult as that loss is, it is more than made up for by my job offer to be Associate Professor of Biblical Profundities at the College of the Mountain Men, located in a state west of Virginia.  The kids are celebrating because 1) they are happy that my days of learning are over and 2) they have never been to where we ‘re going.  Kelli keeps muttering something about “richer or poorer.”  I am most pleased because on the mail order form, I am allowed 15 words to describe myself.  <\/p>\n

There can be no doubt that in years to come we will look back with awe and wonder in recalling this momentous decision, made on this day, the first of April<\/a>, in the year of our Lord 2009.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After a period of serious reflection, consultation, and consideration, I have decided to make a slight change in my educational program.  The PhD at DTS is quite good, but it is also quite hard, and it takes a long time.  There’s something to be said for hard things, but there’s also something to be said\u2026 Read More »<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-787","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-april-fools-day"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/toddbolen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/787","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/toddbolen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/toddbolen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/toddbolen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/toddbolen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=787"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/toddbolen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/787\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/toddbolen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=787"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/toddbolen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=787"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/toddbolen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=787"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}