Fall semester typically brings an exciting aura into the atmosphere: tailgating, the smell of the street hotdogs after a football game, waiting in long lines at Dulce, joining new clubs, etc. But for those who embarked on a full-time Summer internship, going back to school brings a weird mix of feelings. During the last week of my Summer internship, my team gave me words of wisdom for approaching my senior year like, “have fun,” “live in the moment,” “treasure it!” I took these pieces of advice to heart but internally made a duh face. Of course, I’ll enjoy going back.

By: Ela Rybak ‘25

When I tell strangers about my major, I normally get one of two responses – a knowing nod or a weird mixture of a shrug and a smile. And I get it. People have a preconceived notion that business majors are only looking for a high-paying job. Finding a job that offers a secure lifestyle is truly a significant accomplishment. However, this is far from the main reason why I chose to major in business.

By: Hannah Skinner ‘23

Changing your major is one of the many daunting and explorative aspects of college, but it’s not as uncommon as you think it might be. In fact, I changed mine twice! If you’re reading this, you’ve probably decided to change your major, but how does the process work? Here’s a step by step guide to embarking on a new academic journey.

By: Sydney Fiorentino ‘24

As college students, we are surrounded by technology. We rely on our smartphones and tablets to  communicate with our peers and professors, to check our exam grades, or to fill out all the random surveys we get sent. With the right apps, you can avoid having to find a place to sit, pull out your laptop, and connect to WiFi to stay up to date on your school life. Here are the five apps all USC students should have.

By: Ani Antonyan ‘24

As I scrambled through Handshake looking for a summer internship last year, I noticed a lot of job offerings were remote or hybrid. I ended up landing a fully remote internship for a company based in London. If you’re job hunting, or have a remote or hybrid job lined up for the summer, here’s my take on the unexpected challenges that come with remote work, along with tips for navigating the ins and outs of the workspace.

By: Ngai Yeung ‘23

For international students who are graduating in May 2023, now’s the time to start applying for OPT if you want to stay and work in the United States after graduation. Even though I’m aware of OPT, I’d put off learning about how to actually apply for it until now because it seemed so complicated. Here’s a (hopefully) more straightforward step-by-step guide that incorporates the USC Office of International Service’s (OIS) video and website as well as outside sources.

By: Kristen Adam ‘25

Ready to enter the world of consulting and casing? One way of preparing for a career in consulting is to join a student organization geared towards hands-on client projects. With multiple rounds of interviews and only so many open spots available for new members, it can be very nerve-wracking to go through the process of applying to a consulting club at USC. Here are 3 tips to help demystify the application process.

By: Ela Rybak ‘25

Whether you’re a pre-med student hoping to become a doctor or a business major set on investment banking, the job market can seem daunting, but it doesn't have to be. Here are three tips to make navigating recruiting as painless as possible:

By: Ngai Yeung ‘23

Everyone loves to talk about how important networking is, but no one ever gives you a clear answer about how to do it. As a big time introvert, this is extra frustrating because chatting doesn’t come naturally to me. So when I saw that the USC Career Center was hosting a “Networking for Introverts” workshop (bless their heart), of course, I had to check it out. Here’s what I learned at the event, along with my own experiences as a reporter moonlighting as an extrovert:

By: Lauren Liang ‘23

Before I was hired for my first internship, I was willing to accept any offer that came my way. During interviews, I curated my experiences to whatever I thought the recruiter wanted to hear. While this is permissible as long as you’re still truthful, doing so is a surefire way to end up at a company that might not be a great fit for you.

By: Nancy Aguilar Sanchez ‘22

It took me a really long time to work up the courage to apply for internships, but I cannot stress enough how much I wish I would’ve done it sooner! Companies need interns just as much as we need them, so always make sure that you are being valued and that you’re getting what you’re looking for out of the experience.

By: Chia Okwaraibekwe ‘26 (USC Student Life Guest Blogger)

Every time I found myself at a hospital or clinic, I desperately searched for people who looked like me. As I grew older and started to become more knowledgeable about the hidden truths in life, I began to realize that being both Black and a woman would make navigating the medical field more difficult than I anticipated.