One of the privileges of studying at a school like USC is the amount of academic opportunities there are. From unique classes, to clubs, to study abroad, and much, much more, the university puts a real emphasis on interdisciplinary learning. Around this time last year, something clicked in my brain: I really wanted to take advantage of everything that USC had to offer. So, I started considering a double major.

Throughout my four years as a journalism major at Annenberg, I have taken a plethora of journalism courses, some that I have enjoyed and others that I hated. My experience in classes at Annenberg has been a rollercoaster. While some classes have served me well and taught me a lot about the field of journalism, others have felt repetitive and lacking a critical structure. To help you navigate classes and validate your confusion for some prerequisites, I have reviewed and ranked all of the journalism courses I have taken at Annenberg!

On Thursday, September 14, Annenberg held its first ever Kind Fest. The event was dedicated to promoting mental health initiatives on campus and at Annenberg. The festival’s aim was to get students to be intentionally kind, not only to their peers, but to themselves.

By: Tamanna Sood ‘24

Annenberg is and will always be my home here at USC. I love the school, and I will forever be grateful for the fact I’m able to attend this institution. However, throughout my time here, I’ve uncovered plenty of cracks in the program. Hopefully, one day, Annenberg can make changes to become even better.

By: Kathryn Aurelio ‘25

Once I got accepted to USC, I made it my mission to take advantage of Annenberg’s free subscription. I religiously checked my phone to look for open seats in a class that was the perfect marriage of strategy in PR and beginner’s design, PR486: Multimedia PR Content: Introduction to Digital Design Tools. I knew this 2-unit class every Wednesday afternoon would be a welcoming experience and a reliable home base for my interdisciplinary (PR, design, and music industry) interests. After a semester kick starting my Adobe design journey, this class inspired me to pursue a minor in Communication Design at Roski and helped me establish a foundational skill set that I can list on my resume and a solid piece for my portfolio.

By: Tamanna Sood ‘24

On February 21, I attended An Evening with Nikole Hannah-Jones, creator of ‘The 1619 Project’ at the Bovard Auditorium. Being able to attend this event and listen to Nikole Hannah Jones felt like a dream come true—for young journalists and women of color, Jones is a beacon of hope and inspiration for those who seek to shatter glass ceilings and create new legacies for generations to come.

By: Tamanna Sood ‘24

If you’re a journalism major and you’re feeling super overwhelmed and thinking about changing your major, but still like journalism - don’t worry we have literally all been there. My journalism friends and I can all attest to our second year being our “weeder” year — most of us were at difficult crossroads in deciding whether to continue in the major or not. If you feel the same way, don’t worry, I got you! Here are some tips for getting through your second year as a journalism student:

By: Tamanna Sood ‘24

If you’ve wanted to create your own podcast,  YouTube channel, or online product and you’ve never felt confident or comfortable enough to, USC has the perfect elective to finally launch your dream project. All I knew was that I needed a 2 unit journalism elective course—I had no idea how impactful and important this class would be for me as a journalism student. 

By: Kathryn Aurelio ‘25

Four ignored alarms later, I finally roll off my foam-topped mattress, brush my teeth, and apply skincare and make-up all by 8 am I throw my homework, laptop, charger, sketchbook, pens, keys, water bottle, AirPods, and a Clif Bar into my tote bag. The past two semesters, I’ve had the unique experience of taking classes in four of USC’s schools–dabbling in Annenberg, Roski, Thornton, and the School of Cinematic Arts. It’s extremely fulfilling being a “Renaissance Woman” of sorts–educating myself in different fields of study and striving to enhance creativity through several outlets.

By: Grace Carballo ‘17

Between you and me, I’ve had a pretty rough day. This morning my laptop refused to turn on and since then, I’ve been rather bitter. (Please learn from my mistakes and back up your computers!) Also, s/o to the Laptop Loaner Program for enabling me to write this post. There’s one person who is getting me through these dark and stress-filled times. No, not my mom. Although she’s a constant source of comfort. It’s John William “Will” Ferrell. With Springfest shut down before the headliners and the USC administration forcing Lil Bill’s Bike Shop to move off campus, many USC students, myself included, have been feeling disappointed and frustrated as of late. (Sign the petition to show how much Lil Bill and his shop mean to this campus)! There’s one person who won’t let us down, one person who will always be our ‘Buddy,’ one person willing to be our Anchor(man) when our metaphorical ship veers off course. And that person is Will Ferrell: USC’s 2017 commencement speaker!

By: Cole Sullivan ‘18

“Florida is too close to call.” Those were the words the Executive Editor of Annenberg’s Media Center greeted me with as I exited the television studio. “Go get some food,” he said. “It’s going to be a long night.” And a long night it was. After weeks and weeks of intense planning, I never expected how this election night would end…but everyone (besides perhaps this one guy in Georgia) already knows that part of the story. Here’s the part of the story you don’t know.

By: Samantha Romero ‘16

“Having a disability does not disable people from living a full life just because they don’t fit into societal conformities,” said Morabito. “They just live their life in a different way, and that’s pretty rad.”