A Graduating Senior’s Advice to Incoming Students
By: Star McCown ‘21
As a graduating senior, I wanted to offer advice to the future generations of incoming USC students. Most of this advice is based on my past experiences, and while I’m not certain what campus events will be like when school reopens for Fall 2021, I hope that this blog post can offer some drops of wisdom that you find helpful.
#1: Orientation
Online Orientation Advice:
Although I personally did not attend an online orientation, I reached out to a previous Orientation Coordinator, Nico Fife, who coordinated the 2020 online orientations. Here’s the advice they had for incoming students to make the most out of online orientation:
“My advice would be go in with an open mind! While we all are very tired of zoom, the Welcome Trojans program, both in-person and virtual, really makes the effort to go above and beyond a traditional “new student orientation.” Every staff member you will interact with during the program has a genuine and passionate interest in helping you get accustomed to college as soon as possible, and they really try to make sure you are getting everything you need to be ready for your start at USC. There will definitely be some bumps in the road as you get started, and you will be taken way out of your comfort zone, but the program is designed to anticipate that happening and support you through it! Be present with an open mind, bring every question you have to the table, and be ready for anything and you’ll definitely succeed” - Nico Fife
Future In-Person Orientation Advice:
As a 2019 orientation advisor, I’m here to give you some advice on making the most out of an in-person orientation experience. Some of this advice, though, can apply more broadly to online orientation:
Use your orientation advisor (OA) as a resource! This is a Very very VERY important piece of advice. The OAs are knowledgeable about pretty much everything, and if one OA doesn’t know something, they will likely be able to connect you with another OA who can fully answer your questions or give you advice. OAs are there to help you, and they genuinely want to help you.
Registering for classes can seem a little intimidating the first time you do it, and that’s okay. It’s normal to feel a little stress the first time you’re using webreg. Listen to your advisor, they are there to make sure you get the classes you need first and foremost, and they will advocate for you on the RARE occasion that something goes awry. Trust your advisor and ask them questions when you have them. In the end, you will get the classes you need. It’s helpful, also, for you to look at what elective classes are being offered before you go in to register, so you can get an idea of potential electives you may want to try.
Take ratemyprofessor with a grain of salt. Students use it either when they’ve had a super amazing experience, or a really bad experience, so it’s all subjective and anonymous. Don’t be discouraged from taking a class that sounds interesting just because a professor has a few bad reviews on an anonymous website.
Try to go to every event! Introduce yourself to new people! I know, talking to strangers can be scary, but just know that no one knows anybody and everyone is trying to make friends. And if that isn’t motivating enough, there will likely be free, good food.
Go to orientation with an open mind, eat the free meals, hang out with some cool people, be free from the parents for a weekend and MAKE SURE TO BUILD YOUR CLASS SCHEDULE WITH YOUR ADVISOR. The whole point of orientation is to register for classes and familiarize yourself with the dorms and buildings before the fall. It is okay if you do not click with people immediately, it’s just orientation. In the grand scheme of college, it is the tiniest fraction of your entire college experience.
General Orientation Advice:
Orientation feels awkward at first and you could probably chop all the icebergs in the world into tiny ice cubes with the number of icebreakers you will do, but, like everything else, it is what you make of it. You have to make the effort to reach out to the people you felt you truly connected with. It really all comes down to the effort you make to put yourself out there, just make sure they are willing to reciprocate the same amount. This may seem obvious, but I feel it is important to add: People deserve friends who make the effort to know them and spend time with them.
Stay up to date with orientation at the orientation website: https://orientation.usc.edu.
#2: Welcome Week, and Beyond!
The feeling of being alone among thousands of new faces can be overwhelming, but know that you are not alone in that feeling. I promise you that no one knows what they are doing during the first few weeks of college, and are just trying to feel a little less alone. It’s okay. Here’s some advice to keep in mind throughout your first year:
GO TO YOUR FLOOR EVENTS (if you’re free). Your Resident Advisor (RA) is likely to have small social events planned to help people in your building and your floor get to know one another. There’s usually activities planned with the event that take off the stress from having to be 100% social. You’ll see the people on your floor pretty regularly, so make the most of that.
Go to the involvement fair and SIGN UP FOR CLUBS. Clubs are where you will meet the coolest people ever, and they are also a great way to learn about something new. If you see a club at the fair, and have no idea what they do, go ask! I, previously the most fashion-challenged person, joined a fashion sustainability club (Bloom Boutique) that helped me discover my style, and met some amazing human beings. Check out all registered student organizations here: https://campusactivities.usc.edu/engagesc101/
Use your RA as a resource. They know all about student resources and will do their best to direct you to what you may need. RAs are some of the nicest people I have ever met, and to this day, I am still best friends with one of my freshman RAs.
If you need a job, keep an eye out for the work study fair and put it on your calendar. Make sure you bring your resume and dress professionally. You can also see look for job postings here: https://careers.usc.edu/connectsc/
Check out the Visions and Voices Events: https://visionsandvoices.usc.edu. Visions and voices brings some amazing guests and experiences to USC, and it is all completely free for students to attend.
You are amazing, you just have to let people get to know you.
#3 Roommates
Are you and your roommate best friends, and it’s the dream scenario you have always wanted? That’s amazing! I’m happy for you!
Are you and your roommate not best friends, and the two of you just aren’t clicking? Are they nice, but you just don’t have much in common? That’s okay, too! That happens!
My roommate and I weren’t best friends either, but I showed up to college with an open mind. Don’t get me wrong, my freshman roommate was a sweetheart. We had our moments where we ate frozen food from Trader Joe’s and talked about our lives. But because she was an architecture major, she sometimes would be in the studio for two days straight. We never hung out outside of the room because our schedules never matched up and we had separate interests, but we were still cool with each other. You will learn that the most important part of having a roommate is mutual respect for each other’s space and boundaries. If you can respect your roommate’s boundaries, their sleep schedule and who they are as a person (and they return that same respect to you), I guarantee your freshman roommate experience will be fine. If your roommate is terrible, then please bug your RA until you can be reassigned.
Lastly, be honest about the little pet peeves that bother you because over time it will build up. Passive aggression will lead to hostility between you, and that throws off the room vibe. Be honest.
#4 The School Part (Classes)
As fun as welcome week and discovering that you will no longer be living by a curfew and parental supervision are, college is all about everyone’s number one priority: school. Here’s my advice:
There are nice people in your classes that you can worry about class with. These are the people you will probably spend the most time with, too. My best advice is to introduce yourself to someone, or start a groupchat for the class. Seriously, be the one who starts the groupchat, everyone will appreciate it (use a platform like groupme or discord for this purpose). It’s always good to have friends from class to catch you up on what happens when you’re not there and to study with.
Go to office hours and ask your professor all of the questions that you have. If you don’t understand something, ask them about it.
If you think you may need an extension on an assignment, ask your professor for an extension. The worst thing they can do is say no to your request.
Give yourself a break when you are working on schoolwork and try to get a healthy amount of sleep. Your health is more important than anything.
If you feel like you are really struggling with balancing everything, I recommend you check out the resources at the Kortschak Center. They have academic coaches who will help you better organize your schedule and advise you on how to best manage your time. I had an academic coach for a semester, and she helped me so much that I now sleep a full 8 hours a day. It’s definitely worth checking them out: https://kortschakcenter.usc.edu.
#5 Mental Health
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, please look into the resources USC has to offer in regards to supporting your mental health. The resources are outlined here: https://studenthealth.usc.edu/counseling/.
Seeking help is okay. I’ve done it and so have many other students. It’s okay.
#6 Miscellaneous Advice
Food:
Looking up dining hall menus: https://hospitality.usc.edu/residential-dining-menus/
Groceries: Trader Joes, Target, Ralphs and Smart & Final
Check out the cultural communities at USC:
Asian Pacific American Student Services
Center for Black Cultural & Student Affairs
LA CASA Latine Chicanx Center
LGBT Resource Center
First Gen Plus Success Center
International Services
Gym and physical wellness resource: https://recsports.usc.edu
Take your time to explore. It’s okay for you take your first year slow; this guide is meant to help you, not add extra stress. There’s no pressure to do everything all at once. Listen to yourself first and foremost, and if you don’t feel comfortable trying something out or are not in the mood to go to an event, then it’s okay not to. You are going to be okay.
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