As the weather begins to get warmer and my uncertain looming adult life gets closer and closer, my will to get any work done dwindles down further and further. I’ve had a serious case of senioritis since the beginning of March and have been falling behind in all of my classes. While it’s easy for me to say, “I made it! I have my degree,” the truth is, I still need to finish my finals and pass my classes. If you are anything like me, you also decided to save some of your hardest classes for your last semester of school. In order to get myself back in shape and finish my year off right, I’ve become stricter with myself! Here are some of the ways I’ve (tried to) keep myself on track.

As a senior only weeks away from graduation, I am proud of myself for getting through four rigorous years at USC. At this point in my life, I should feel relaxed and happy because I’ve made it, but let me tell you, that could not be further from the truth. With graduation comes the extensive graduation prep, which no one warns you about! And if they do, trust me it’s way more expensive and time consuming than you think it is. I’m here to give you a rundown of all the things you should do and when to start in your spring semester as a senior so you don’t end up like me (pictureless and dressless three weeks away from grad!)

In early March, the School of Cinematic Arts brought Bollywood: Big Screens + Streaming, a series of Bollywood movie screenings and panels, to campus. Acclaimed Hindi-language films including Gully Boy, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, and Raees were shown in theaters across campus and were followed by panels featuring Indian film industry icons like producer Ritesh Sidhwani, director Zoya Akhtar, and music composer Ankur Tewari.

April is Arab American Heritage Month. At USC, this month and the associated events are spearheaded by the The Middle Eastern North African Student Assembly (MENASA). MENASA has planned seven events including an opening ceremony, art exhibit, lamp mosaic workshop, community dinner, henna night, Ma’amoul making night, and an advocacy event. I had the privilege of speaking with USC MENASA and USG’s Advocacy Liaison, Yasmeen ElFarra, who shared more about MENASA’s experience attending, developing, and planning the events during the month.

The conversation surrounding dating in college is muddled with conflicting opinions, with some strictly opposed to the idea and others fiercely for it. Whether to date in college can be a hard choice for many due to the unpredictable nature of school life. With the constant deadlines, club responsibilities, recruiting, and general adulting, a relationship often doesn’t fit into the college student lifestyle. Romantic relationships in college can also be daunting. The idea of seriously pursuing a partnership with someone can be scary as a young person. It can be difficult to forge your own identity and life plan while also hoping you’ve found your “forever person”.

If you wake up scatterbrained and anxious about the day ahead, a daily “reset” ritual can really help you organize and center yourself. As a person who lives alone, sometimes holding myself accountable can be really hard. I try to keep my apartment clean and organized, but every now and then, I slip up and suddenly clothes are scattered everywhere, my sink is full of dishes, and I have an enormous pile of laundry waiting for me. Creating a daily reset routine has helped me feel less overwhelmed and keeps me organized both mentally and physically.

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!

As my time in college is coming to an end, questions about my future are being launched my way from all angles. From every family gathering to casual meetings with friends, the question, “So… what are you going to do post-grad?” has been looming over me like a shadow. My honest answer of, “I do not know, but I’ll figure it out,” never quite satisfies people.

The thought of owning a pet during your college career has probably crossed your mind once or twice. Having a little, cuddly friend sitting on your lap while you're studying or having a pet to come home to after a long day of classes seems like the perfect way to beat the isolation of finals season. However, with the hustle and bustle of school and the never ending assignments, owning a pet can seem impossible.

Have you ever wondered what it's like to direct a film – especially a documentary? I’m here to tell you all about my experience taking CTPR 474: Documentary Production and the process of creating a 15-minute short documentary over the course of a semester.

As the spooky season of Halloween and the rumble of football season come to a close, a much scarier and daunting season looms over us – finals season. Amid the stress and late-night cramming, the changing climate outdoors can further challenge our well being. Through the hustle and bustle of the end of the semester, it is really easy to lose sight of our health and put our bodies under an excessive amount of stress. To make sure you don’t get sick at this critical time, I’ve compiled a few simple tips to help you prevent getting sick and staying healthy this final season!

Spooky season is finally upon us! Known for monsters, pumpkins, and colder weather, another great aspect of this season is the opportunity to snuggle up with your boo (get it hehe)! With midterms in full swing and Halloween just around the corner, let me take over the search for wallet friendly and fun dates off your plate. Here are five affordable, cute, and spooky dates in the Los Angeles and USC area that are great to welcome in the season.