Reed College Top Questions

All of my professors know my name. I'm pretty sure they also talk to one another about me. They are very interested in what we have to say in class and in papers. During my freshman year, I would have half hour one-on-one paper conferences with my professor after turning in Humanities papers. In my favorite class right now, the English Renaissance, my professor assigns absurd amounts of reading that we couldn't possibly finish because he wants us to have lots of interesting material for class time. We read Elizabethan Parlimentary speeches, Shakespeare and post-Reformation tracts. When we get to class my professor can always point out interesting ambiguities in texts and give us incredible anecdotes about the writers and subjects. Reed professors are very good at piquing your interest in a subject both in and outside of class. They are always recommending books to me, as do other students. I came here to learn how to think like an academic, or in the very least a life-long learner, and so far it's working well for me.

Many professors know my name; it impresses me. My favorite class is Developmental Psychology. My least favorite was a Russian Literature class I took as a freshman, and felt very intimidated by the older students and the professor. Students are constantly studying. Class participation is vital in the majority of classes. Reedies often discuss intellectual things outside of class, often over meals. I spend some time with my Psychology professors outside of class. I do not mind Reed's academic requirements, as they fall in line with what I would take otherwise and for a Psycholgoy major, they are relatively small. I'm not sure if Reed is geared towards getting a job or just learning.

Yep, the professors know my name. Mostly they mispronounce it but that's because it's an uncommon pronouncement of a somewhat common name. My favorite class right now would be English: American Success and Failure. I get to read really interesting books and the discussion's always stimulating. Least favorite class was the one I had to drop because I really didn't like it and was struggling so much. That would be Chemistry. Students study all the time, and I don't know how so many find time to do other things. Class participation is great, if you're not participating the professor notices and will talk to you about it and see if there's anything wrong. It's terrifying, but it helps. As far as Reedies having intellectual conversations outside of class, yes. Yes they do. How often do I find myself walking to class and someone's having an argument about something like molecular biology..for fun. It's sick.

the academics at reed are outstanding. the classes are small (about 15-20 people, generally), and very few have lecture components. since grades aren't released unless requested, students are not competitive with each other. requirements are loose, but the range of classes is limited because the school is so small. generally, the edcation at reed is not really geared towards training for the professional world, but rather preparation for further education. students at reed just love to learn. really, they have to love it because there is so much homework assigned for each class that it would be torture if they didn't. really, the work load can be epic, especially for upperclassmen, and most people aren't prepared for that before they come, no matter how much warning they receive.

Most professors know us by name. Students study all the time - probably a minimum of four or five hours a day. Class participation is "mandatory", but participation ranges a span of not at all to too much. Reedies do spend time with professors outside of class. This is very cool. Reed education is certainly about learning for its own sake. We hear lots of horror stories about Reedies not getting jobs after graduating, despite their incredible education.

I can walk in to any office and the prof is always willing to talk.

Academics at Reed are great- especially if you can find your professor "soul mate" or maybe even a few. Classes can be really hit or miss depending on your relationship with the professor. I took a class last semester, the content of which I thought would be great, but which was ruined by a professor I simply could not see eye to eye with, nor that I could respect. However, if you can find professors who understand you, and who you understand, you can get a lot of personal attention in classes, and really get what you need out of them. It isn't a bad idea at all to take a class that doesn't sound interesting but that has a good professor- because a good professor can make anything interesting. My favorite class was Literary Theory. It kicked my ass North, South, East, and West until I thought I didn't have one anymore. I often thought I wasn't getting anything, and really struggled with the concepts. However, everything was so interesting. The professor who has taught it since the Big Bang (who shall go unnamed, but is the cornerstone of the French department) is one of the smartest and most modest people I have ever met. He was able to make Derrida make sense in under five minutes. That class changed the way I think and also the way I understand everything I now read. Things just suddenly make more sense, as I can see them in the contextual frames that they were always in. That class will probably remain my favorite class of all time, and one of the most challenging growth opportunities I ever had. Plus, it wasn't bad that I got my highest grade ever at Reed in it- although, of course, we don't care about grades here.

Students at Reed study all the time. This is pretty much true. It depends on the individual and their course of study, but there is always work to be doing. I probably study ten hours a day, depending on how much class I have. Reedies are always having conversations outside of class; conversations that are intellectual, emotional, spiritual, historical, theoretical, factual, mythological...throw in any word you want and somewhere a conversation like that is probably happening. No one is competitive here, though. Grades exist somewhere, but we don't see them. No one has a desire to. The focus is on the passion and diligence you and your colleagues bring to the academic environment-and professors are our colleagues, as well. They know the names of all their students and are incredibly accessible. Reed's academic requirements are considered conservative. You have to take a few classes in every field, plus there are requirements for different majors. It is a hassle to spend two years fulfilling requirements, especially if you aren't sure about your major. I am a religion major, and I love my department. It is small and friendly, and the required classes were all really challenging on a theoretical level. I wish I had the opportunity to learn more about many different religions, however. Having to take introductory level courses in each religious system before moving on to the upper levels often seems like a disadvantage. At Reed, the focus is on education for its own sake, definitely. There are resources for people concerned with their future careers and many people take advantage of them, but the day-to-day emphasis is on a love of learning.

Classes are small at Reed, so we really get to know our professors. My favorite class this year is Humanities 110. It is the one required class at Reed, taken by all freshmen. I love reading, especially about philosophy, so this class is great for me. My least favorite class is Chinese, which I took first semester, then dropped. It was extremely hard, and I never particularly cared for the language to begin with. Students study a lot, and I'm just a lowly freshmen. Seniors, who obviously have the hardest load, often sleep in the library. Reed students have frequent intellectual conversations outside of class, which is one of the reasons why I love Reed so much. The academic atmosphere at Reed is very nice because we don't see our grades. As long as you are getting a C or higher, you don't know what grade you get in a class. Because of this, we don't compete with each other to get the highest GPA. The most unique classes I've taken have been Humanities (which I've already explained) and Music Since 1968. In the music class, we have weekly assignments to listen to music such as Radiohead and Missy Elliott, and then discuss it. The Missy Elliott discussion was interesting because somehow race and music elitism got into the discussion. The education at Reed is definitely geared toward learning for its own sake. Since most Reedies end up going to graduate school afterward, we are brought up with the idea that the undergraduate degree doens't really matter. While this could have possibly negative effects, instead, it puts into perspective the fact that we should pursue the subject we want to pursue, instead of pursuing a major that we think will make big bucks. Since grades are practically invisible, students focus more on understanding rather than getting an A in a class.

Personally, I have never been intoxicated by the facilitation of a professor. But I hear it's been done.