It's Almost Official

Garrick put his PhD offer acceptance in the post. St Andrews will be our home for the next 3-4 years, conditional on the completion of his MLitt this August.

You may have questions. We have answers:

Why get a PhD?
A PhD, or Doctor of Philosophy, is a large undertaking. It's definitely not for everyone. First, Garrick is very passionate about Biblical Studies and has an idea that he would like research and write about 5 days a week for the next few years. That's commitment. Second, he'd like to teach and write, and PhD is necessary for this type of work. Third, Garrick gets on well with his advisor, and truly loves the academic culture of the University.

Why study at the University of St Andrews?
St Andrews is one of the top 100 universities in the world, and for Biblical Studies, it competes with Oxford and Cambridge. Not only does the University draw excellent academic staff, prolific scholars  often are brought in to present papers and interact with the students. Garrick has an opportunity to be exposed to an academically rigorous environment and has already adjusted very well to the system.

What will Andrea do?
Pay the bills. Well, some of them. Andrea loves working at the University and feels both challenged by and excited about her position. Had she not found a good, stable job, it would have been a difficult choice to stay in St Andrews. We're very thankful for God's provision. She may get a master's degree, as her tuition would be 98 GBP a year as an employee. For you American folk, that's $158.54.

Where will you live?
This September we're saying goodbye to our wee flat on Langlands road and will say hello to another wee flat in St Andrews, preferably one with a bath tub for Garrick. We have a place allocated to us by the University with a view of the North Sea, but are researching all of our options before committing.

Will you visit family and friends in the States?
Christmas 2012 will be our long-awaited return to the US of A. Although this is still a few months away, we have some pretty special visitors to ease the homesickness, namely Kenneth and Janelle Owings! We welcome visitors any time and recently purchased a king size, luxurious air mattress, just for you. ;)

Will you travel?
We'll try to save our pence and take some trips around Europe while we're here. We're traveling to Italy in June and would like to visit Paris next. We seen quite a bit of Scotland with our Historic Scotland Passes, but there is still much to explore. The summer months will definitely encourage more travel in this beautifully cold country. 

Any more questions? Leave a comment!