Questions from an incoming transfer applicant (Fall 2014)

kd1993
Sat, 24 May 2014 12:17:20 +0000

I was accepted as transfer applicant and have received a quite generous financial award, so I will be attending Reed this Fall. I’m an international transfer student, from India, and I’m really excited about getting to pursue my interest in Physics at Reed. It seems like I’d need to to 5-6 semesters at Reed to complete my course requisites and get the true feel of the “Reed Experience”!

So, a few questions:

1) I will have to take the intro Humanities course plus a year of our “Group A” (two units/one year in one of Art History, Music Theory/History, Philosophy, Religion, Literature) and a year of “Group B” (two units/one year in one of Psychology, Economics, Political Science, History, Anthropology, Sociology). Or a 200-level Humanities course.

As somebody who’s not been in touch with the Humanities side of education these past 2 years, what kind of courses would be easiest for me to balance with the heavy Physics-Math course load? I’m really interested in Philosophy, Psychology and Anthropology, and considering that I do have some prior knowledge of Music Theory… what courses would the Reedies on CC recommend me to look into?

2) This one’s directed to anybody who may have knowledge of the Physics courses in the second year, would it be too difficult to take up both Quantum Mech. I and Classical Mech. I/ Electrodynamics I in the same semester?

3) What are the Junior Qualifying Exams in Physics like? What kind of course material are we expected to have covered to decently in the exam? I need to do well in the Physics courses because the entire idea behind me transferring to Reed is so that it becomes easier for me to move on to a good PhD. program in physics.

4) Everybody talks about the immense workload at Reed, so after that would it be possible to also attempt to become a part of the student group at the Research Reactor? Honestly, how tough is the workload for a prospective Physics major, especially as a transfer student?

5) I’m coming from Bengal where the coldest it gets is 6-10 degrees (Celsius) in the winters, so what kind of weather should I expect to get used to in Portland? I’ve read all about the incessant drizzles, and I’m not too worried about that. How cold would it get around winter and how warm during the summer months?

Thanks for going through my questions, I look forward to any feedback you guys may have… and I look forward to joining Reed in the Fall. :)