When I started at USC, I hadn’t toured the campus or even stepped foot in the area before I accepted my admissions offer. I was about as clueless as I could be. I’m not from California, and certainly not from Southern California, so it was definitely an adjustment in every possible way. I distinctly remember buying chapstick during my first semester and my jaw actually dropping at the price. Here’s what I wish I could’ve learned from my online research about USC and student experiences before I got here.

The midterms season is already upon us, and this might be frightening, but there are ways to proactively approach studying for these exams. If you find yourself in the same predicament or simply want to create better study habits, consider these suggestions to get started on a successful midterms season.

When volunteering you have the opportunity to empower and improve communities, meet new people, discover new causes and passions, and much more. In a city as big as Los Angeles, there’s always events where you can lend a hand, and there are tons of organizations to work with on a regular basis. However, with all of these options, it can be overwhelming to start a volunteer search, especially with a busy student schedule.  My suggestion is to start finding opportunities right here on-campus. 

“We meet every Sunday to create whatever it is that makes us feel alive.”

One rainy Sunday, I stumbled across a new Instagram page called Sundays@USC. A few USC students were featured, including someone building an AI gardening tool, a student creating a card game, and someone researching quantum computing. I quickly fell in love with the idea of Sundays@USC: a place for anyone to work on passions that excite them.

Are you ready for Valentine's Day? Excited to dive into a sea of romance, or perhaps you're approaching it with a different mindset altogether? Whether you're basking in the company of a significant other, treasured friends, or prioritizing self-care, seize the opportunity to savor each moment and sprinkle love wherever you tread. Regardless of your plans, Valentine's Day at USC offers a diverse array of activities and opportunities to celebrate love in all its forms. In this blog, we'll explore the V-day atmosphere on campus, delve into some of the dating topics and trends emerging in the Trojan dating landscapes and highlight some exciting Valentine's Day events and activities happening at USC.

The clock is ticking – you grip your laptop and scout for a spot to take your Zoom meeting. Your meeting starts in a few minutes, so you don’t have time to reserve a room in Leavey or rush back to your room. Where are the best spots to plop down, plug in, and join a Zoom at USC?

Have you ever come across an interesting class during registration but felt unsure if you wanted to take it? USC has a wide array of electives to choose from, and many of them have attention-grabbing names. But, sometimes, there’s a little voice in the back of my head that gives me doubts on whether or not I should take that class. We’ve all been here before, but I’m here to tell you that you should always give the class a try.

When I first arrived at USC, I knew I wanted to have a minor, mainly because I thought it would be cool to have a longer title when people asked me what I studied. But I also wanted to be able to explore as much as I could during my time at USC. I just wasn’t quite sure what route I wanted to go down. I am a business major, which is broad and provides a wide variety of opportunities. Since I’m not exactly passionate about my main field of study, the option to branch out into a minor was exciting.

Putting anything in a vending machine instantly makes it more interesting, so the new gold vending machine sitting outside of Trader Joe’s up against the elevator bank immediately caught my eye. Actually a revival of a project started in 2019, the USC Pharmacy and USC Student Health have installed a “wellness-to-go” vending machine in the USC Village to give students 24/7 access to over the counter medication.

While finally figuring out your study abroad plans is exciting, there’s also a fair bit of stress as the idea becomes a reality. One of the most common causes of this stress is packing. Whether you’re studying abroad for one month or six months, it can be quite challenging to assess which items you’ll absolutely need and what’s a waste of precious suitcase space. Here are a few must-haves and tips to help you pack for your time studying in a new country.

Before coming to USC, I knew I wanted to travel abroad during college, whether that be a personal trip, a semester abroad, or an internship. About half way through the fall semester of sophomore year, my transfer advisor notified me of the TIE program. I was definitely hesitant at first and did not know what to expect, but I decided to attend the info session to see what it was all about.

One age-old piece of college advice is that you should never under any circumstances enroll in an 8 AM class unless you want to hate your life for an entire semester. Even though I’ve always been an early riser, I’ve done my best to heed this warning. Throughout my college career, I’ve started no earlier than 10 to keep a safe distance from the dreaded 8 AM. It made sense. I liked my quiet, slow mornings even though I regularly woke up early enough to make it to a lecture at the crack of dawn.