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.

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: Nancy Aguilar ‘22

Now that we have had almost two years of online school as a result of the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, it’s safe to say that we’re way past Zoom fatigue. This is chronic pain. Just when we thought we were safe in Fall 2021, Spring 2022 gave us a wake up call.

By: Antonia Le ‘22

I am a senior this year, and if my finals go well, I will officially graduate from USC this December. Sometimes, it’s fun to think about life beyond academia, but mostly, I’m just stressed out. Unlike many of my peers in the class of 2022, I haven’t secured a full-time role for after graduation. I’ve done countless interviews and written so many cover letters, but nobody has thrown me a bone yet. As I write this, I am thinking about how I have to do four interviews next week, and I would be lying if I said that I was particularly excited.

By: Lanie Brice ‘24

We all know by now that prioritizing your mental and physical health is a must, but it’s definitely easier said than done as students. At this point in the semester, we’re probably all more than a little tired and in need of a break, so I’ve compiled a list of five tips to help you make the most out of your days off.

By: Celine Vazquez ‘24

This semester has been far from easy, and pushing through finals season has seriously taken a toll on all of our mental health. After finals are finished, it’s important for us to take a step back and take care of our minds! Here are just a few ways you can mentally recharge after finals, so you can be ready to have a wonderful, relaxing break. Let’s get started, Trojans!

By: Sydney Henry ‘24

Welcome to Part 2 of my recap of the first semester of freshman year. Part 2 of this recap is all about discussing how to deal with the mental and emotional toll this semester has taken on everyone. Between the pandemic, attending Zoom University: USC Edition, and dealing with everything else going wrong, it’s a lot. So how do you stay calm and sane with everything going on?

By: Jordan Bucknor ‘22

Well, 2020 has been quite the year, or I guess I should say “is” since even now, we’re still going through it. Staying on top of schoolwork in a condensed semester would be a struggle regardless, but on top of our current climate, at least for me, “tough” doesn’t really cover it. Finding a balance between work and self-care is extremely difficult, but it’s also extremely important. Essential, really. Which brings me to this post: a checklist and a list of resources. Listed below are reminders and tools to so you can take care of yourself and help you get through this crazy time. If you feel you haven’t been taking care of yourself as well as you should have, this is your sign to turn it all around.

By: Jordan Bucknor ‘22

As the semester brings itself to an end and some of us still find ourselves distanced from our friends and family, now more than ever, it’s important to get a little creative in the ways we keep in touch. Zoom can be used for a lot more than just classes, and although it may be tempting to just throw it away the first chance you get, it has a lot of other applications. Specifically, ones that could be used to keep in touch with friends! Curious as to what else you could be doing across your camera screen besides dozing off in lectures? Read below!

By: Jordan Bucknor ‘22

Okay, so, self-quarantine/social distancing can be difficult for a lot of reasons — boredom, fear, loneliness — but can especially difficult if you are cooped up with the wrong sort people. You know, the kind that play loud music in the middle of the night, don’t clean up after themselves, and try to get under your skin at every turn. Trust me, I get it. The first step should always be to talk about it, to see if there’s any sort of resolution that could be reached. Suggest solutions, use “I” statements, and be direct. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t — but if it’s the latter, that doesn’t mean it’s completely hopeless. Even if the person you’re rooming with is a stubborn as a brick, you can still retain some semblance of control over yourself and your sanity, despite who may be around you.

By: Karla Leung ‘22

Not only is the year ending, but an entire decade, making it the perfect time to make some healthy changes for the better. But you don’t have to wait for the New Year to start living a healthier lifestyle, the best time to start is now! Here are some small and big changes you can make to live a healthier and happier lifestyle.

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.