The 6 Most Useful USC Classes for Life
By Jamie Wu ‘18
As a senior, I’ve taken my fair share of classes here, ranging from linear algebra, acting 101 to Byzantine art history. But as I’m sure we can all agree, school sometimes doesn’t get us ready for the real world. Throughout my time here, these are the classes I’ve found to be the most helpful in my everyday life. If you still have time left in college, I highly suggest taking a look at some of them.
1. ITP 476: Technologies for Interactive Marketing (4 units)
The brilliant professor who is teaching this class is a genius at digital marketing. Being only 29 years old, he was recruited to teach here at USC because a faculty in the Viterbi school of Engineering saw him speak at the European Innovation Academy. This class will introduce you to being a digital marketer using tactics such as email marketing, influencer marketing, social media and SEO. You will be working with a real world client in executing an online marketing plan.
After taking this course, I now have the knowledge and capabilities to be my own digital marketing consultant. This is the best part because I can actually find a job after taking one class. I cannot stress this enough but this course was life-changing. If you want to know how to make $3k-$5k a month as a student as well as get to know an awesome professor, TAKE THIS COURSE.
2. THTR 421: Public Speaking as Performance: A Course for Non-Actors (2 units)
The number one fear Americans have is public speaking. But given that public speaking is a must in all settings, there is no escaping this fear. This public speaking class is taught by a mastermind story-teller named Stevie Johnson. He will teach you how to communicate effectively with confidence, clarity and charisma. Throughout the semester you learn how to give a narrative, informational and persuasive speech as well as your 1 minute elevator pitch. Johnson teaches you how to build irresistible opening statements and fluid transitional statements. The skills you learn in this class will carry you far in life because it helps you command a room effortlessly.
3. FBE 299x: Personal Finance (2 units) (NOTE: The course is now FBE 206: The Power of Personal Finance)
Simple things like budgeting, understanding the time value of money and credit cards are so useful when we get out into the “real world” but are never taught in school. This personal finance class is a must for anyone going into the real world (which is all of us). It teaches students how to create a personal balance sheet and cash flow statement, identify strategies for effective consumer buying, identify what factors to consider when buying a home, how and if it’s wise to refinance a mortgage and how to invest in stocks, bonds and mutual funds. Although the first half of the semester might cover basic budgeting information, the second half has a lot of information most college students don’t know. It is only 2 hours a week and Professor Bemis always makes the class entertaining!
4. ISE 460: Engineering Economy (3 units)
This class is required by the Industrial and Systems Engineering course plan but it was one of the most useful engineering classes I took. It gave me a deeper understanding of how the time value of money works, how cash flow works, how to calculate the future value of an investment and how to calculate the amount of taxes owed in each tax bracket. It also advanced my excel knowledge which is super helpful in creating my own budget sheet. This class was 3 hours long once a week and an annoying class in terms of class work. But if you can even sit in on this class, do it!
5. BAEP 451: The Management of New Enterprises (4 units)
If you are an entrepreneur or want to become one, this is a must take class. It teaches you everything from understanding the seed stage all the way to scaling your business. Concepts such as what is a minimum viable product and how to get angel investors are discussed throughout the semester. USC’s Lloyd Grief Center for Entrepreneurial Studies is one of the best entrepreneurial programs in the country with some of the top entrepreneurs. So when you hear about the Trojan Family, an important part of that consists of these faculty members. So make your connections early here!
6. ITP 411: Multimedia and Video Production (3 units)
Everything you consume online nowadays (pictures, graphics, videos) has been altered using different online editors such as Photoshop or Adobe Premier. And this trend doesn’t seem to be stopping. Although these tools are usually known to be used by students in Annenburg or SCA, they are handy for every student! Knowing how to crop something using photoshop or how to edit a video are skills people should expect to have in this digital age. It’ll help in your personal and professional life more than you think!
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