By: Jordan Bucknor ‘22

As the year begins to wind down and we make our plans for the next semester, you may or may not be considering taking a class Pass/Fail. While it is still pretty early in the decision-making process, it does not hurt to get a jump start in considering all your options. If you do not know what the Pass/Fail option is, you can read here to find out, but if you do and you are just not sure whether it is the right decision — keep on reading!

By: Antonia Le ‘22

On October 28, actress and activist Jameela Jamil came to USC and spoke at Bovard Auditorium in a discussion moderated by Dr. Stacy Smith, of USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Jamil’s talk at USC was sponsored by USC’s very own SAGE (Student Assembly for Gender Empowerment), working with USG, USC Speakers Committee, ISA, and SCIA. During the event, Jamil spoke about self-love, being an activist, and staying strong in the face of criticism and adversity. If you had to miss the event, here are some bits of wisdom from Jamil that should be heard by everyone.

By: Antonia Le ‘22

As college students, one of the hardest things for us to do is to take care of our mental health. With midterm season still in full swing for some, while social and extra-curricular responsibilities continue to exist, it’s difficult to find time to sit down and ask yourself, “Am I okay?”. If the answer is no, then it’s near impossible to start making efforts to improve one’s own mental health. I’ve struggled with mental health issues all throughout high school and through my freshman year of college, and for the longest time, I was good at bottling up my feelings and pushing through. However, this semester, I’m taking a harder course load than ever, and I couldn’t deny my own feelings. I needed to talk to someone who would understand how to help me. As a result, I made the trek over to STU 422, where I decided to talk to a counselor for the first time in my entire life.

By: Sophia Pei ‘22

It’s the height of midterm season and everyone around you is getting sick. The combination of lack of sleep, stress, and lack of self-care can easily lead to you feeling unwell when you most need to be at your best. It’s easy to forget to do the things that keep us well when things get hectic, leading to a positive feedback loop of stress. Here are some reminders and tips for you to be and stay well!

By: Natalie Oganesyan ‘22

I was recently moved to make this post because of an experience in my personal life concerning relationships. Without going into too much sensitive detail, I cared about a person who did not reciprocate my same feelings. They led me on and, in the end, I felt a whirlwind of overwhelming emotions that I could not shake for a long time — frustration, anger, sadness, betrayal, even stupidity. I felt cheated, discarded, naive, especially since this was my first attempt at a romantic relationship. I wanted to make this blog post to help others who may be in the same position, who are struggling to get over a friendship or relationship with a toxic person or who need a little help practicing self-love in getting rid of people in their lives that only spread negativity.

By: Cole Sulivan ’18

I don’t want to call myself an expert, but I am a senior now. So for all of you young, bright-eyed underclassmen looking to pick the perfect schedule—or even for seniors who want to go out with a bang—here are the best classes I’ve taken at USC. The ones that you should absolutely take before you leave South-Central Los Angeles.

By: Felicia Zhu ‘17

Last Monday on November 16, 2015, Shonda Rhimes came to USC and spoke about her book Year of Yes. Her book describes how she changed her life for the better by saying yes to opportunities that she would normally turn down. Here’s what I learned from her at the Q&A.

By: Lauren Brose ‘15

So October just happened. Football season is winding down and it’s getting kind of windy at night, isn’t it? Normally I am stoked about Fall… but not this time. I walk through campus counting how many days I have left before I no longer have a reason to hang out around here—I am officially done with college in December. Thinking back, I wish I had taken that study abroad semester I deliberated having. Instead, I thought to myself, “finish school. Lauren. Get a job. Real world sounds cool.”

By: Kelly Kinas ‘17

Not going to the Weekender against Cal? What to know what else you can do this weekend, while the rest of the school is away? Kelly has got you covered!

By: Lauren Brose ‘15

During college, there is so much uncertainty with what the future holds— Not knowing if you’ll get a job, not knowing where will it be, and asking yourself “what’s next for me?” is a daunting experience. I came to this realization my sophomore year. It became clear to me then that I needed to do whatever it took to put myself in a good spot for a job upon graduation. That was when I decided my life is 100% about my goals. I’m sure many of us desire accomplishing a number of specific things before 30 such as traveling the world or moving up quickly in the working world. These aspirations truly reflect who we are as people; therefore, we owe ourselves this time to fully discover who we really are.

By: Lauren Brose ‘15

I remember the first time I started to interview for jobs. My heart was racing, my hands were shaking, my voice trembled as I spoke. My obvious nervousness hindered me from being the confident person I normally am and it affected the likelihood of my interviewer trusting my competency for this position. Through time, the nerves became less noticeable and I began to sound sure of myself and passionate for the career I am pursuing. What started off from landing initial phone interviews and then being eliminated has turned into being invited to second round interviews. Along the way, I’ve reflected back at the lack of professionalism I displayed both in interviews and in the application process.