Scripps is very strong academically. Classes are generally small - the largest I've been in is about 40 in my science classes - so most professors do know your name, especially if you make the effort to talk with them outside of class. It is also generally very easy to get into the classes you want. If a class is full when you register, I have found that if you talk to the professor right away and go to the first day of class, you can usually get into the class.
It depends on the professor, but classes are generally pretty discussion based, with the exception of some science lecture classes. While some students are quieter than others, I have found that most students participate in class. Also, aside from required Scripps only courses, almost all classes have students from the other colleges. It is very easy to cross register for classes on other campuses, giving students more course options than at regular schools the same size as Scripps. Additionally, students can even have an off campus major if the major is not offered through Scripps.
On weeknights and weekends, students do spend a lot of time studying, but they are also involved in many other activities, so studying is not all students do. Students are generally not very competitive with each other, although they are driven to do well. Students usually know at least some of the people in their classes and often form study groups to study for exams or go over material.
Some Scripps students complain about the large number of general education requirements. Because Scripps is a liberal arts school, there are more requirements than at a large university, such as the required race/ethnic studies and gender/women's studies courses. However, I am a science major and have not had any trouble completing my requirements, and is has caused me to take very interesting courses that I probably would not otherwise have taken, such as "The Ethics of the Beginning and End of Life" for my letters requirement.
Another requirement is the Scripps Core Curriculum, which involves three semesters of courses in the interdisciplinary humanities. The quality of core classes usually depends a lot on the professor, but many students do not like this requirement. For me, while some of the material I learned was interesting and fun, such as in my "Pop Law and Psychology" Core III class, I would have preferred to be able to have more flexibility to choose my courses, rather than taking one of the required core courses. It certainly is a unique academic experience, though, and I did learn about subjects that I probably would not otherwise have learned about.