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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Ask A Trojan: Best Parts About Coming to USC
By: Cole Sullivan ’18
When I think about the best parts of my freshman year at USC, three things come to mind: Nico and Vinz, French Fries, and an incredibly hot football game.
How To Get Motivated After Spring Break
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
Spring Break is a well-deserved break after midterms for relaxation and recuperation, but like all good things, it must come to an end. And though finals are still far enough in the distance, the day-to-day tasks that were fine before Spring Break can often become unbearable after 10 days on a beach or in a tent or pretty much anywhere more scenic than Leavey.
Loving Yourself Is More Important Than You Think
By: Judy Lee ‘17
We all hear the term “self-love” thrown around a lot these days. Most times, it’s a term used to encapsulate nice things you can do for yourself that make you happy. Now, before I move any further with this: yes, it is very important to do things that make you happy. However, I feel as if it runs much deeper than that. Self-love, to me, is also a lot about healing yourself and finding calm.
The DON’Ts of Study Abroad
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
There’s a lot of different reasons to study abroad but one of the most common, and important, is to learn about a culture different than your own. I’ve learned first hand how challenging this can be- to embrace the unfamiliar, to accept my own cluelessness, to depend on strangers, to laugh at my mistakes, and keep on putting myself out there be it conjugating verbs or trying to use slang words correctly.
Questions To Ask Yourself Before You Pursue A Relationship
By: Judy Lee ‘17
Relationships—especially in college—are an endeavor on their own. As a converging point for so many different people and for so many different disciplines, it’s a lot of things on your plate. Because of its reputation for bringing couples together, sometimes the pressure can get to you in a way it didn’t before. If you’re feeling iffy about a situation regarding being in a committed relationship with someone, make sure you ask yourself these questions as part of your consideration:
My First Year as a First Gen College Student at USC
By: Carla Rubio ‘19
My name is Carla Rubio, and I am studying Theatre Production at the USC School of Dramatic Arts. I was born in San Francisco but raised in Bakersfield, CA. I am the oldest child of four; I also happen to be a twin. If you were wondering, I am a fraternal twin but my sister and I do share similar features.
7 Tips for Transfer Students
By: Samantha Romero ‘16
A new campus, an unfamiliar environment, and making new friends are all part of the process of transferring from a community college to a university. It’s been almost two years since I transferred, and it still feels like it was just yesterday. Here are some tips to ease the process of transferring and settling into a new campus.
First-Generation Students
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
Nearly one-third of students entering two- or four-year college in the U.S. are first-generation students. Who are first-generation students? Those whose parents do not have four-year college degrees are considered first-generation. If you fit this description, you may have felt, as many do, at a disadvantage compared to your continuing-generation peers while adjusting to college life.
4 Ways to Stick To Your Resolutions
By: Judy Lee ‘17
A few weeks after the magic of New Years dies down, it’s hard to continue to fight on (ha ha, pun intended) for your resolutions. Here are several things to consider when you struggle to regain motivation:
My Final Blog Post as a Trojan 360 Writer :(
By: Lauren Brose ’15
I interviewed for this blogging position before the Fall 2014 semester started. At that time, Trojans 360 wasn’t even called Trojans 360 — Andrea, our supervisor, was thinking of names as she was mapping out our initiatives. Before there were a team of writers it was only me and Kelly. Andrea was discussing with USC Student Affairs about forming a new lifestyle blog that discussed topics pertinent to the college experience. More importantly, we were asked to shed light on the USC experience. This is where Kelly and I came in. We hoped that by incorporating our stories to these topics, students will be able to resonate with what we had to say. Although we all at times may feel small in a student body as large as USC’s, it’s important to understand you’re never alone. I truly hope that our content has accomplished what we aimed to do!
New Year’s Resolutions For College Students That Are Actually Possible to Achieve
By: Lauren Brose ‘15
We all have our opinions on 2015. If I could put mine into one word, it’d be tumultuous because 1) the word tumultuous cracks me up and I love using it and 2) my year was a riot. My entire attitude about my year and how I see 2016 going can be accurately illustrated in this GIF below. Last year, I wrote a post on resolutions that are possible to achieve. It included self-improvement goals such as loving yourself, trying new things and treating your body like a temple. These are objectives I believe we all should be achieving even after college. But right now, during your glorious college years, your new year’s resolutions should be focused on ways to enhance your USC experience. I came up with 10 solid ones I wish I had someone tell me take on when I was still a student at USC.
7 Ways to Cope With Reverse Culture Shock (Welcome Home!)
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
For all those who have studied abroad and those who are welcoming home loved ones who were abroad, it is important to recognize that reverse culture shock is a very real phenomenon; it takes time and patience to readjust to life back in the U.S.