In high school, my teacher once told me that I was too sensitive for the real world. To this, I told myself that I was a queer person growing up in one of the most conservative areas of California and intended to move to Los Angeles after graduation. Surely I was more than prepared for the world outside my Trump flag ridden, Evangelical upbringing. I thought the ostracization I felt in my hometown would be a thing of the past once I moved to this liberal city and I would experience culture shock in the best way as someone eager for a more diverse and accepting community.

When I started at USC, I hadn’t toured the campus or even stepped foot in the area before I accepted my admissions offer. I was about as clueless as I could be. I’m not from California, and certainly not from Southern California, so it was definitely an adjustment in every possible way. I distinctly remember buying chapstick during my first semester and my jaw actually dropping at the price. Here’s what I wish I could’ve learned from my online research about USC and student experiences before I got here.