Reed College Top Questions

Students say they study a lot, but they also procrastinate a lot. Nonetheless, they love to brag about how much work they have and be really dramatic about it. Student's aren't competitive when it comes to grades though, since we aren't given grades unless we ask for them. Professors will know your name and class participation is a given. The education in many at Reed is not geared toward getting a job (unless in academia), since it's heavily theory-oriented.

OF COURSE the profs know your name, it was more a problem of hiding from them if you had turned in a paper late, rather than them knowing who you were. I loved Modern Japan (history) and Senior Symposium (humanities). Students aren't really competitive, but there is positive peer pressure to work hard and be on your game. Students have intellectual conversations in class/out of class, in the coffee line, on the night bus, at the Beer Garden at Renn Fayre, in their sleep. Hum 110 is the most unique. The subject matter is pretty straightforward: Greeks, Romans, Early Christians; Literature, History, Philosophy, Art History, but the way the class is structured makes it unique. all freshmen take the same lecture and then have small conference classes. All the Hum papers for all freshmen have the same due date, everyone is reading the same thing, everyone has the same exam. It's a really really high quality, demanding humanities class, but also hardcore academic bootcamp, and a bonding experience for the class. Requirements and classes are definitely geared toward learning for it's won sake, rather than getting a job.

Professors know their students. Students have intellectual conversations outside of class. Education at Reed is largely for its own sake.

The professors are uniformly excellent. You would be hard pushed to come across a staff more dedicated to their students. The professors who taught me all made the effort to learn my name and gladly offered their time outside of class to provide support and have further discussions. The facilities available to the students are excellent. the curriculum is not for the faint hearted. You will be pushed close to your limits. If you do not get an innate enjoyment from learning then stay away for your own safety. For those willing to put the work in it a totally engaging and fulfilling time.

Oh how education at Reed is geared toward learning for its own sake! Some would say too much, though I think those are the people who might want to consider going to school somewhere else. We are not a pre-professional institution, though we might be considered a pre-professorial institution. Reed's curriculum is generally theory-driven, which isn't for everyone; some people begin to feel like they're not learning anything useful. I, on the other hand, find that mastering the theory in your field is incredibly rewarding and prepares you to confront a wider range of issues than you might otherwise have been able to understand. And of course it prepares you for those intellectual conversations that Reedies most certainly do have outside of class. Because, I think, most of us genuinely care about our fields and genuinely believe that what we're studying is important, the ideas we're working with naturally come up in our personal conversations. We don't leave our work at the door, it's part of who we are. My professors do know my name and I do spend time with some of them outside of class. I have met here some of the wisest people I know, and some of those conversations with professors outside of class have been life-changing, honestly, because some of the smartest people in the world, essentially, have paid attention to my work and my life and offered their wisdom. They've helped me become better, not just at my academic work, but at understanding and owning my potential in all realms of my life.

Reed is nerd heaven. You will almost always find another weirdo with whom you can babble about semiotics or organic chemistry. Professors (at least the good ones) demand that your brain be stretched, and if it hasn't been than you've missed the point. The college tries to form you into a working machine, and an analytical automaton. This has happened to me, and I have to admire the people who've resisted it and still manage. There are downsides to this which I've seen in myself, like a loss of creativity and a tendency towards pragmatism. But the academics are one place where Reed really lives up to its reputation.

Relations between students and faculty are pretty informal and close. Everyone (including the professors) are on a first name basis. We'll have class outside on the grass. People will drink or hang out with some of their professors. Hugging a professor is not unheard of. Reed faculty is generally extremely friendly. Before being hired, they have a lunch with students who determine whether or not they're personable. It's an important aspect of Reed academics, because of the conference-style classes we have. I'm not sure what my -favorite- class is, but I really enjoy the French program here. I just started taking it this year, and I've already learned a lot. Other students have said that the language programs here are really amazing, and I'd have to agree. Class participation is a must. Most classes, even the intro ones with large lectures, have smaller conference/lab components with professors (no TAs!). Reed encourages students to learn how to verbalize and present ideas and defend them. It's not hard at all to find intellectual conversations outside of class. Especially during freshman year when everyone is taking Humanities 110, there's something in common to talk about. Seeing how students don't know their grades usually, Reed isn't very competitive. It's pretty taboo to talk about grades or brag about how you did. People compete with themselves to do their best, really. Reed's academic requirements are fairly flexible, except for Hum 110. There are a series of 'groups' which include different departments. Students have to fulfill a certain number of credits in each group. For example, one group has math and foreign languages in it. So to fulfill that group requirement, a student can either take math or a foreign language. Depending on the major (sciences are the toughest), there are other requirements in your department and division. Reed is definitely geared towards learning for its own sake. Not that Reedies have problems after graduating; many go to grad school to continue their education. But the scope of a Reed education isn't very vocational.

All of my professors know my name. We exchange friendly emails from time to time. I can't really pick my favorite class because I'm in a lot of intro classes right now, which means I'm just getting a taste of everything. I really enjoy them though. Students study ALL THE TIME. On weekends, weekdays. Seriously. But it's fun. It's okay. You get used to that life style. The conferences are small, which makes for a lot of student participation. Students always have intellectual conversations outside of class. We think it's fun to do crossword puzzles together and talk about politics, now that the election is approaching. Some students are competitive, but mainly with themselves. We're always pushing ourselves to do better. The education is geared towards learning for learning's sake. We LOVE learning.

Professors know my name, and I know their name. I am very pleased with the amounts of intellectual conversations outside of class.

Every one of my teachers knows my name. The classes themselves are small and conference style, and even the big science class lecturers come to conference or lab to talk to the students, answer questions, and get to know them. If I could change one thing I would make the academic system much more flexible. The requirements for classes and the required curriculum is a bit outdated and conservative. My favorite class is my Spanish film and Literature class concerning Mexican identity. While there is a lot of reading, movies outside of class, and intense in-class participation required, the material is really interesting, and I feel like I'm gaining a lot. My least favorite class right now is Political Behavior. It's an introduction class, but I feel like the school has made it into a general Political Science intro, because I haven't really seen any aspect of the behavior, only basic information on numbers, comparisons, and research papers. I'm able to talk to my professor outside of class if I run into them around campus and feel entirely comfortable, which is nice. The students aren't super competitive like at other schools; it's more like we're intensely focused on what we have to do to be a good student in relation to ourselves instead of as a comparison. At some points it feels like Reed is focused only on learning for its own sake, but I also feel that when you talk about it, teachers can really help you talk about your future.