UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
STUDENT BLOG
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Navigating Your First Year as a USC Trojan
by Lanie Brice
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Navigating Your First Year as a Spring Admit
by Lanie Brice
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How to Balance Your Social Life During Finals
by Donal Buckley
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Study Tips and Habits to Get Through Finals Season
by Lauren Liang
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Ranking The Journalism Classes I’ve Taken at Annenberg
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!
Volunteer Opportunities for USC Students
When volunteering you have the opportunity to empower and improve communities, meet new people, discover new causes and passions, and much more. In a city as big as Los Angeles, there’s always events where you can lend a hand, and there are tons of organizations to work with on a regular basis. However, with all of these options, it can be overwhelming to start a volunteer search, especially with a busy student schedule. My suggestion is to start finding opportunities right here on-campus.
Sundays@USC: The Place Where USC Students Build Cool Things
“We meet every Sunday to create whatever it is that makes us feel alive.”
One rainy Sunday, I stumbled across a new Instagram page called Sundays@USC. A few USC students were featured, including someone building an AI gardening tool, a student creating a card game, and someone researching quantum computing. I quickly fell in love with the idea of Sundays@USC: a place for anyone to work on passions that excite them.
Best Places to Take a Zoom Meeting On Campus
The clock is ticking – you grip your laptop and scout for a spot to take your Zoom meeting. Your meeting starts in a few minutes, so you don’t have time to reserve a room in Leavey or rush back to your room. Where are the best spots to plop down, plug in, and join a Zoom at USC?
Just Take The Class
Have you ever come across an interesting class during registration but felt unsure if you wanted to take it? USC has a wide array of electives to choose from, and many of them have attention-grabbing names. But, sometimes, there’s a little voice in the back of my head that gives me doubts on whether or not I should take that class. We’ve all been here before, but I’m here to tell you that you should always give the class a try.
Why I’m Minoring in Cinematic Arts
When I first arrived at USC, I knew I wanted to have a minor, mainly because I thought it would be cool to have a longer title when people asked me what I studied. But I also wanted to be able to explore as much as I could during my time at USC. I just wasn’t quite sure what route I wanted to go down. I am a business major, which is broad and provides a wide variety of opportunities. Since I’m not exactly passionate about my main field of study, the option to branch out into a minor was exciting.
How to Pack for Your Study Abroad Semester: The Must Have Items
While finally figuring out your study abroad plans is exciting, there’s also a fair bit of stress as the idea becomes a reality. One of the most common causes of this stress is packing. Whether you’re studying abroad for one month or six months, it can be quite challenging to assess which items you’ll absolutely need and what’s a waste of precious suitcase space. Here are a few must-haves and tips to help you pack for your time studying in a new country.
All About the Marshall Transfer International Exchange (TIE) Program
Before coming to USC, I knew I wanted to travel abroad during college, whether that be a personal trip, a semester abroad, or an internship. About half way through the fall semester of sophomore year, my transfer advisor notified me of the TIE program. I was definitely hesitant at first and did not know what to expect, but I decided to attend the info session to see what it was all about.
In Defense of the 8AM Class
One age-old piece of college advice is that you should never under any circumstances enroll in an 8 AM class unless you want to hate your life for an entire semester. Even though I’ve always been an early riser, I’ve done my best to heed this warning. Throughout my college career, I’ve started no earlier than 10 to keep a safe distance from the dreaded 8 AM. It made sense. I liked my quiet, slow mornings even though I regularly woke up early enough to make it to a lecture at the crack of dawn.
Why I Decided to Drop my Minor in Digital Studies
Last semester, I wrote an article titled “Why I Decided to Minor in Digital Studies.” Meet her older, slighter wiser sister article, “Why I Decided to Drop my Minor in Digital Studies.” I recommend reading the prior article before this one for extra context, but if you enjoy a good TLDR: I am a cognitive science major interested in working in product design. I declared a minor in Digital Studies because I thought it would include courses that would help develop skills for a career in product design, while also allowing me the benefits of being a SCA student.
Best GEs at USC
The dreaded GE requirements: a set of classes in 8 different categories that every USC student must satisfy by graduation. Sometimes the GE requirement can be annoying because it takes up space in your schedule that you could use to take other classes. However, if you approach it with an open mind, GEs can help you learn about interesting topics you otherwise wouldn’t have explored and can be a much needed GPA boost. Some people are lucky enough to be exempt from some of the requirements if they took AP or IB classes in highschool, so check with your academic advisor before registering. As we enter a new semester I’ve compiled a list of some of the best GEs to take in each category. Hope this helps!
My Favorite Classes I've Taken at USC as a Graduating Senior
Here’s a roundup of my favorite courses I’ve taken at USC, as a (December) graduating cognitive science major.