By: Kristen Adams ‘25 and Kelsey Cheng ‘25

Choosing where to live while at USC can be a difficult feat, especially for freshmen. With four traditional freshman dorms, two freshman suites options, and four freshman apartments to choose from, the process of finding your best housing fit can be tiring and stressful. In this article, Kelsey and Kristen will be diving into their freshmen living experiences so that you can learn more about the good, the bad, and the ugly of the dorm experience versus the apartment experience at USC!

By: Lanie Brice ‘24

Growing up, I spent a lot of time in airports during layovers and on planes themselves, but since the pandemic hit, I’ve only been on a plane twice since March of 2020. Since winter break is coming up and it’s time to head home for the holidays, I put together this list of tips to remind myself and all of you of easy ways to make air travel less daunting this holiday season. All of these tips I’ve learned, tested, and used over the years — especially when I have to travel on my own — to help manage the potential chaos an anxiety travel can bring.

By: Sydney Fiorentino ‘24

The semester is almost over, and if you are like me, your social battery may need some recharging. I would say I’m an outgoing person and partially extroverted, but there are definitely times where I would love to stay home and watch Netflix by myself. I’ve noticed USC is a pretty social school, and I get to see my friends every single day and night. However, I do get tired of partying or going out every weekend, and sometimes I just want to sleep and be left alone. Now that winter break is coming up, this is the perfect time for me and anyone else to recharge their social battery. Here are some things I am going to do to help myself relax:

By: Lanie Brice ‘24

On Saturday, December 4th, I headed down to Goya Studios to attend the Teen Vogue Summit. This outdoor event was half block party and half convention: there were booths from LA brands and vendors, as well as panels and musical performances running on an outdoor stage. I was immediately drawn in by the event advertising a chance to network with other Teen Vogue readers, editors, and panelists as well as receive career advice from Condè Nast recruiters. The event felt full of opportunity and community.

By: Sydney Fiorentino’24

As we are nearing the end of the semester, some of us just want to go home. For me, it has been a constant push for me to finish finals before wanting to jump on a plane. I have not been home since school started, but I have been lucky enough to see my family when they came down to Los Angeles for Thanksgiving. However, I know some of my friends have not gotten the chance to go home yet. While some of us may feel more homesick than others, it is hard to do things when you miss your old room or comfy bed or even family members.

By: Sydney Fiorentino’24

USC is filled with students who do everything: work part-time, hold an E-board position on multiple clubs, perform research, all while being a full-time student. Some students are even able to party hard on a weekday, and wake up early the next morning to take a test and get an A. The habits of other USC students may feel like you are not accomplishing or doing enough to match others’ level of success. However, should you let what others are doing impact how you feel about yourself or if you belong in a certain environment?

By: Lanie Brice ‘24

When I moved to LA, I didn’t know a single person who lived here. I felt isolated and like I was missing out on huge parts of my new city since I would only visit places I could walk to from the USC area. For a long time, I thought I had to wait to make friends to explore LA, and that mindset only made the loneliness I was experiencing when I first moved worse. Eventually, I decided I couldn’t wait around for other people to start having fun and enjoying my new home; through that process, I discovered that I really love exploring on my own! I know so many people are hesitant to venture out by themselves, so I thought I’d share what I’ve learned along the way that might make it feel a bit less daunting. If you want to actually see what it’s like, I also vlogged my trips to Los Feliz and Echo Park and the week I went to Studio City, Hollywood, and the Grove!

By: Hannah Skinner ‘23

The end of the semester is upon us, and so are finals. It can be a tough few weeks, but there are ways to lessen the stress and take better care of ourselves too. Here are my wellness and study tips to help you succeed during testing season!

By: Nancy Aguilar ‘22

I transferred into the School of Cinematic Arts during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in January. Fall 2021 has been my first in-person experience at taking film production classes and I had no idea what I was getting into, but in hindsight that was probably for the better. I’m currently taking a Junior level course, the notorious CTPR310.

By: Cherise Clough ‘24

If you are interested in acting or pursuing theatre, then you might be wondering which major is best for you to study while at USC. Between the BA (Bachelor of Arts) Theatre major, the BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) and the emphasis in Acting: it can get pretty confusing. Below, I will be discussing them all and listing a pros and cons list for you. Hopefully, by the end, you’ll be able to make the right decision for yourself!

By: Kelsey Cheng ‘25

It’s the gameday of the year––the USC vs UCLA football game. After a year-long hiatus due to COVID-19, Trojans are welcoming back decades-long traditions during Rivalry Week. The days leading up to the big game against our crosstown rival are filled with history and spirit. If you didn’t get a chance to see it for yourself, learn more here about how Trojans prepared to face the other LA school last Saturday!

By: Dara Udobong ‘23

Media depictions of college tell us that we’ll be having sleepovers every other day, party-hopping on Thursday nights, and having the best time of our twenties surrounded by our new built-in best friends. For some of you, this might already be your life. For others, none of this might feel familiar at all. If this is you, you’re not alone: a lot of USC students have shared their stories (of their successes and failures) at making meaningful friendships during this very peculiar semester. Unfortunately, its easy to lose sight of the fact that college is a whole new experience of self-discovery and exploration in a new city, state, or even country. Even if you’re an LA native, the college experience isn’t quite like any challenge you’ve ever faced before. It has its high highs, low lows, and one heck of a journey in between. We’re all just trying to give it our best shot, and you know what? It gets easier with time. But don’t take it from me, here’s some advice from a USC professor who’s been there, done that, and has a degree to show for it: