By: Alexis M Peters ‘20

Here we are, already getting into the swing of things on campus! We’ve moved in, had reunions with our friends, knocked out the cobwebs from the summer and… now it’s time to actually get some work done. What? I know, I sort of miss summer too, but it’s time to buckle down. How can you start this semester off right so you don’t end up sobbing into your textbooks in the back of Leavey Library come midterms? (Unfortunately, I think we’ve all been there.) Here are some great tips that worked last semester to keep me sane.

By: Danielle Collins ‘20

Hopefully you had a chance to go the Involvement Fair last week. Great! Now you’re probably wondering what to do with all the flyers you got, email lists you joined, and information you received. It can be hard to narrow it down. Here are some tips for what to do next:

By: Natalia Wurst ‘21

It seems almost impossible to encapsulate everything your first year of college teaches you about adulthood in one blog (which is great, because it should be). For awhile, I put off even trying–until I realized that, 12 months ago, I was exactly you. I didn’t care whether the author of the content I was reading felt self-conscious about the quality or relevance of her words. I needed answers, and I needed them before I spiraled into a black hole of doubt and what-ifs. So without further ado, the following are four takeaways from my experience, yours to leave or take.

By: Jamie Wu ‘18

Have you ever wondered what the Priam Residential College in USC’s University Village looks like? Check out this video to get a glimpse!

By: Natalia Wurst ‘21

As of recently, I became a double major. But before deciding law school (and major debt) is definitely for me, I declared psychology as my undergraduate degree—and stuck with it because of how much it fills my heart with joy. The inquires continue to pour in from close family friends and from strangers in the supermarket. “Oh, so you want to be a therapist?” “So can you help us figure out what makes this family so whack?” And of course, my personal favorite, “Are you psychoanalyzing me right now?” (No, yes, and yes).

By: Alexis Peters ‘20

Transferring schools is a big deal when you’re in college. Starting all over again, changing states, losing friends, learning your way around a whole new campus: it can be pretty stressful. USC actually has a quite large transfer student population. So for all the transfers out there: remember you are not alone. I transferred from one four year university to another, so the structure of my college experience wasn’t too different, but the culture was something to get used to. Being a spring transfer student made it difficult to adjust to LA life, from finding my way around the city, making new friends, and joining clubs. And although I have definitely gotten into the swing of things now, looking back on my first semester at SC, I realize there are some things I wish I had known before transferring. So, here it is: 5 things I wish I knew before transferring to USC.

By: Maddie W. ‘20

Football season is a staple of the USC experience, and nothing beats going through it for the first time as a freshman. Most first year students spend the fall semester assembling the perfect game-day outfit, bouncing between fraternity tailgates, and navigating an overcrowded campus on their way to the coliseum, but for a select group of freshmen, game-days don’t involve any barbecues on the row or a crammed student section. No, for the freshmen football players, game-days are all about lining up with their “brothers” and watching their hard work pay off. I had the opportunity to sit down with red-shirt defensive linemen Jay Tufele and Marlon Tuipulotu who told me all about their first year being a part of the team, and how the football team takes the phrase “Trojan Family” to a whole new level.

By: Natalia Wurst ‘21

Even though dining hall food is currently the most unappreciated aspect of my college experience, I know it will quickly turn into the metaphorical “one that got away” the minute I have to cook anything more complicated than pasta. Multiple sources have confirmed this fact. That being said, if you’re a freshman, or even a sophomore/junior/(senior?) with a meal plan, it’s perfectly valid to be sick of months or even years of the same old, same old. No one is denying that this a first world problem, but the struggle is a struggle nonetheless.

By: Alexis Peters ‘20

When you’re first going off to college, people don’t tell you the whole story. They talk about how much fun it was, how many great friends they made, all of the crazy adventures they had. And when people do mention the not so great parts of college, they might talk about the workload, having to pull all nighters, and their weird freshman roommate. But nobody tells you about how hard it is to grow up and actually start being an adult. Who knew adulting was so hard?? And expensive?? I have had my fair share of ups and downs while trying to figure out this brave new adult world, so here I give you a crash course in ADULTING 101.

By: Alexis M Peters ‘20

You may think that this process is no different than making friends as a freshman, but you would be wrong. Any transfer student knows that making new friends at your new university is not always an easy feat. Maybe as an incoming freshman at your previous college, there was a welcoming committee ready and willing to help you move into your dorm in a flash. There was a long welcome week full of events and activities specialized for you to mingle, make friends and assimilate into college life. There are mixers and events to get you integrated into your dorm community. And sure, they’ve got welcome week at USC, but as a transfer student, it’s just not the same. You’re older than a freshman, and should therefore be able to figure out USC life yourself, right? But coming from another college can be challenging in many ways, and one of those is making friends. As a transfer student myself, I understand how difficult it is to start over from scratch at a whole new university. It might be tough, but it’s not impossible. Fear not! Here, I offer tips to making friends as a transfer student easy as pie.

By: Jamie Wu ‘18

It’s that time of the year again where everyone is frantically trying to gather all their friends and decide where to live next year. But don’t worry because today we’re going to break down all the popular options for USC undergraduate housing (including those for incoming freshmen!)

By: Joy Ofodu ‘18

I’m about to graduate from the University of Southern California with a B.A. in Communication and Minors in Spanish and Marketing. It’s a feeling that is equally unreal and the realest thing I can conceive. Freshman Me came in with a rough plan and a lot of hope. Senior Me is leaving as an employed graduate of three academic schools. If I could go back in time and give her some pointers, here’s what I’d offer: