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

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: 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.

By: Kelsey Cheng ‘25

USC’s Joint Educational Project (JEP) is one of the oldest and largest service-learning programs in the United States. As a volunteer, Trojans can tutor local students, teach yoga, instruct lessons, and more. This fall, I volunteered as a team member for the Peace Project, a mini-course taught at local elementary schools about peacemaking. Here are some of the lessons that I learned from my first time teaching.

By: Nathan Kim ‘24

As an incoming freshman, you might’ve received an email or letter, inviting you to join a couple of programs called Freshman Science Honors (FSH), only for natural science majors, or Thematic Option (TO). One year ago, I was in the same shoes, wondering if FSH and TO were worth it, and if you’re like me, a flurry of questions probably flooded your mind on what these programs exactly were and their various benefits and drawbacks. Although there are posts online talking about these programs, I wanted to give a complete, personal take on them as I am a part of both. Quick disclaimer: I took these classes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

By: Dara Udobong ‘23

So I’ve been around the block (if I I do say so myself), and after almost 3 years of higher education and only 2 more GE’s to go, I’d say I have an above average grasp on some of the best GE’s to take in select categories. Getting your class schedule together is one thing, but picking just the right GE that fits in with your core classes is a whole different ballgame. With the breadth of choice afforded to us with our general education classes, who wouldn’t want to pick the right one? And I know, I know—sometimes, it all comes down to the professor. That’s why in this article, I’ll be including some of my best GE’s to date with an aweso

By: Hannah Skinner ‘23

Course registration is happening now and the decision to take 20-units can be tricky. It is advantageous for those who have many requirements to fill, want to try classes in areas of interest, or even add a minor. However, it can also be challenging. This semester I am taking 20-units, so I wanted to share my experience!