Academics

university of puget sound, being a liberal arts college, places great emphasis on its cross-disciplinary structure and intimate campus setting, making for an interactive learning environment.

coming from the ib program, the workload here is about the same if not a little less than what i had in high school. that is to say, you're definitely not going to get by slacking, and procrastination will often come around to hit you in the face, but as long as you treat your academic career here with respect, you can get by without too much stress. the classes are generally far more interesting as well. you might have a few hours of homework each day, but often you'll still have some time for socializing, clubs, etc., if you want. just be careful with your time later in the semester. of course, this is coming from an introvert. some students seem to socialize or be in activities all day and still get their work done. just take care to balance your time at first and you can adjust it as needed later.

UPS offers a large variety of great classes. Classes such as Ancient Greek (which I've taken!), Latin, classes on the Extraterrestrial and even a class on Lord of the Rings. While these classes sound amazing and interesting, the definitely aren't a walk in the park. Puget Sound's classes can be hard- but they are such great classes that they make you want to do all the work that they require. Every professor I've had this year has been amazing. They are so wonderful to their students, they always make themselves available to help students and always have the students best interest in mind. I felt like the classes I took pushed and challenged me- but in a way that I loved. I learned so much during my first year at Puget Sound and I am so eager to learn more.

Because UPS is a liberal arts school, they really try to help you find what you are passionate about. As a freshman you get both an professor academic adviser and a student academic adviser. There are many different classes and in general the professors are engaging and care about your success.

For me the academic rigor is a 5 on a scale of 1-10. It isn't too challenging but it isn't too easy. You are kept on your toes, but you aren't completely beat down with work. Also, it really depends on who you are as a learner and what classes you take and how many.

My first semester was really easy, coming from a highly rigorous senior year of high school. My science and math classes had such good teachers that once I got the knowledge, I had it. My second semester, though, my English, seminar, International Political Economy, and language classes are really challenging me to work hard and grow. They're all fascinating and have extremely dynamic professors!