It’s that time of the semester where you can unwind after all those midterms and projects. If you’re in California for spring break and are tired of the Fryft zone, Santa Monica, Downtown LA, or just LA as a whole, consider making your way to LA’s sister-city, Miss Orange County!

I was born and raised in the OC moving from Westminster to Fullerton – so here are my best recommendations for traveling locally this break.

“During my time at USC I want to explore LA on the weekends,” said every incoming student ever. To make those Class of 20-something Instagram post bios, ZeeMee chats, and first day of class introductions hold some truth, you need to start exploring! Whether you’re taking a solo self care day or bonding with new friends, this “No Car, No Money, No Problem” series will help you get the most of your college experience (and USC’s U-Pass program). This pass makes all public transportation in the LA area FREE. I repeat, FREE. Transport on USC’s dime is surely something U can’t pass up.

As you snooze your seven alarms before your 9 a.m. class, throw on your clothes, grab your laptop charger, dash out the door into a lecture, and find yourself stuck in an endless cycle of eat, sleep, school repeat, let’s remember to take care of our health. It can be difficult when you’re on a time crunch to feed yourself (trust me, I went last semester only eating half a Barbell’s protein bar before my hour commute to work or my morning classes). So, here are some quick breakfast ideas that can be thrown together in under five minutes that will replenish your energy to start off your day happy and healthy.

Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock. Graduating, starting a “big girl job,” and the pressures of building three to five years of work experience into a shot at “entry-level” positions is ever tumultuous and fast approaching. As a PR student in Annenberg, it’s been ingrained in me by professors, upperclassmen, and LinkedIn culture that each student, on average, completes six internships throughout their studies at USC before they graduate. I think this toxic mindset of completing fall/spring/summer internship cycles year after year to merely make progress towards this “six” number only backs students into a corner of doing work they aren’t passionate about.

While people often make lofty New Years resolutions that quickly fall by the wayside, there’s also more sustainable adjustments we can make to kickstart the new year. Here’s a guide to making quick, affordable, and healthy recipes to support your wellness year-round from the comfort of your dorm microwave or apartment kitchen.

Chances are, if you’re reading this, you’re well into the college application process or waiting until Thanksgiving break to crank out your essays (which is perfectly fine, that’s what I did!). You might be frantically watching endless TikTok and YouTube videos for advice on choosing the right major, deciding which colleges to apply to, scholarship deadlines to keep in mind, and how to write a compelling personal statement or the UC’s Personal Insight Questions. It's safe to say I was very overwhelmed with the ocean of opinions that sometimes clashed with one another.

Rounding out the whirlwind of fall break on a dreamy Sunday afternoon, a trio of music industry students, Girls Who Cry, hosted, For the Girls, Gays and Theys charity concert at Tommy’s Place.

It’s that time of year we’re trudging up the hill of projects disguised as midterms and trying to maintain that treasured “work-life balance.” The last thing on your mind is what three Halloweekend costumes you’ll need to scrounge together with accessories that may or may not come in time. So, here are some last-minute costumes that you can put together with clothes in your closet.

Ahhh… that time of year strikes again. You’re balancing flu season, football tailgates, DoorDash fees, and, of course, all your classes that seem to have midterms that land in a two-day period. Although you can’t change your unfortunate testing schedule, here are some ways to live, laugh, and love through this nail-biting, anxiety-inducing, and heart rate spiking few weeks.

It’s the beginning of the middle of the semester where you’re caught in the cycle of counting down to Fridays only for Monday to curb stomp you two days later. If you find yourself living in your textbooks or simply needing more local getaway inspiration for relaxation, here’s your guide to a fun day in LA.

The beginning of semester means explaining your major a bajillion times, regretting scheduling morning and night lectures, and, of course, finding time to sneak in a quick bites of your protein bar between deadlines and events. If you find yourself skipping meals, living off of vending machine trail mix, or rationing your overpriced L.A. takeout, here’s a guide to the best cheap eats in and around USC.

By: Kathryn Aurelio ‘25

A year ago I was scouring Reddit pages and outdated advice columns in search of the “best” and “worst” places to make my new home for freshman year. Although everyone has their own biases and preferences, here is a summary of the general consensus and my recommendations for the best places to live on-campus your freshman year.