Ken Robinson presents a fascinating tedTalk entitled "Do schools kill creativity?" If you haven't seen it, it's worth a look. The type of education he endorses is exactly what COA offers. You are forced to design your own education at COA, taking the courses that you think best address the problems you want to solve in this world. There's no planned trajectory, and so students can marry their diverse interests into a practical, beneficial project or course of study. There are no traditional departments, but faculty members become the de-facto representatives of disciplines. While we say there are no inherent divisions in different areas of study, they do functionally exist. There are definite scientists, strict artists and students with the politics bug so far up their butt you never want to mention it around them. The great thing is that if you want to write a ballad about the importance of composting, you can.
Class participation is mandatory. You'll be in classes with 11 other people on the average, and often with just 4-5 other pupils. It's painfully obvious if you didn't do the reading, but that's a great motivator. Presentations and papers are the standard form of work. Tests are rare to non-existent. This means you'll be doing a lot of writing. Late-night cram sessions are centered around hammering out these papers as opposed to cramming for a test, memorizing facts you'll just forget after the exam.
Professors are very accessible (first name basis, home phone numbers, potlucks and visits to their house if they like you) but also very busy. You are assigned an advisor to help guide you through a very de-structured 4 year undergrad education, and this is most often the professor in your primary focus (not everyone has just one focus, or even a predominant focus, though). You have to work to arrange meetings and get what you need done. No one is going to baby you, but you're a young adult, and this is something you'll get used to.
Motivation, passion and a laid-back but still A-type personality are attributes of successful students here. You can float through your education, taking introductory courses and never fully committing. Students who come here do not do this, though. A lot of high-quality work is expected, and most students rise to this. Academics extend even to the residential life, conversations about the importance of pop-culture continuing over dinner, or why the ocean is screwed being discussed while getting your hair braided.