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
looking for something to read?
The Ultimate Meditation Playlist
By: Ellice Ellis '20
It’s almost spring break, Trojans! Many of us have taken one or two midterms, outlined key term papers, or are gearing up to take a relaxing week off from our studies. For myself, I stress more than ever before winter break, summer break, or spring break because I try to balance relaxing and being productive before the vacation period even starts. If you’ve found yourself in this boat or are just generally stressed about school, work or life — this post is for you.
Guide to Seeking Mental Health Care at USC Student Health
By: Antonia Le’ 22
It’s always daunting trying to reach out and seek mental health care. Most people have heard some criticism of USC Student Health Center, and that might scare them off from seeking the treatment that they need. However, asking for help shouldn’t be scary, and the process of seeking help should be transparent and known to all. So, if you want to know more about mental health care at USC and what you can do to make your life better, read on!
No Gym? No Problem?: Stay Fit Over The Break
By: Ellice Ellis ‘20
You’ve made it! The semester has ended, finals are over, and you might be back home ready to eat all the things. We Trojans love Lyon and the Village Recreation center. Still, those amenities aren’t necessarily available to all of us at home. It’s no secret that between food, family, and friends, staying fit over the holidays is a challenge for many people, but it doesn’t have to be. Gym memberships are hassle and boutique fitness classes are expensive, but there are other ways to stay fit and in tune with your body when away from the gym. Everyone’s body is different, and there’s no one size fits all approach to fitness. However, smaller actions like drinking water, walking when you can, or even maximizing your vegetable intake can go a long way in improving your overall health, especially during the holidays when the food is abundant. Once again, Trojans360 is here to rescue with ten gems for staying fit over winter break.
My Favorite Places to Nap on Campus
By: Antonia Le ‘22
Though I thought that I had outgrown nap-time when I left kindergarten, the truth is that I savor my naps more than ever now that I’m a second-year college student. I’ve even made a habit of taking naps in between my classes, in libraries, or in classroom buildings when I can’t get back to my dorm. If you’re looking for a place to sleep during a temporary study break this finals season (or you simply don’t want to go back to your dorm), here’s the list for you! Read below to learn more about my favorite nap spaces on campus.
Six Ways to Beat Burnout
By: Antonia Le ‘22
As college students, it’s inevitable for us to experience burnout. Whether you’ve committed to too many clubs to this semester or your professors have decided that it makes sense for there to be multiple “midterms” for one class (or both), you’re going to hit your breaking point eventually. Though the grind never stops, there are some ways that you can find a way to slow down and take care of yourself.
Here’s What Self Care Really Is (4 Tough Love Tips)
By: Alexis M Peters ‘20
At the end of a long day, you might put on a face mask and light a scented candle. Or maybe you draw yourself a bath and pour yourself a cup of tea to de-stress. This is what most of us would call self care. But I am going to push the boundaries here, and argue that none of that stuff is self care. It’s just the capitalist side of it. Really taking care of yourself is so much more than that, and I believe that these days more than ever, people are forgetting that. This is a time in history where the pressure to succeed is often greater than our willingness to be happy. It’s a time when being overly busy is applauded even when it comes at the expense of your well-being. You can’t just slap on a face mask and cover up for the missing hours of sleep, or the amount of adrenaline coursing through your veins from all the stress.
Get a Head Start on Your New Year’s Resolution: Easy Healthy Changes to Make Now
By: Karla Leung ‘22
Not only is the year ending, but an entire decade, making it the perfect time to make some healthy changes for the better. But you don’t have to wait for the New Year to start living a healthier lifestyle, the best time to start is now! Here are some small and big changes you can make to live a healthier and happier lifestyle.
Preparing Your Body + Mind for Winter: Finals, Seasonal Depression and Family
By: Ellice Ellis ‘20
Winter is tough. Get ready and stay ready. Yes, Winter is the season to spend time with family over the holidays, drink hot chocolate, and take cute pictures in your coziest gear, but the colder months can bring about challenges for many of us. Seasonal depression, finals-induced stress, family drama, and terrible skin are just a few of the perils that may affect us, college students.
Confessions of a High School Valedictorian
By: Sophia Pei ‘22
Transitioning into college is a journey, and one of the greatest obstacles is developing a growth mindset. It can be challenging going from being top of your high school class to “average” in a USC curved class. Nevertheless, it’s vital that college students all learn to dissociate self-esteem and self-worth from grades and prevent a fixed mindset from holding them back. The following is a very personal account of my own slow development to having a healthier mindset about not only grades, but about myself.
USC’s “Let’s Talk” Program -- An Overview
By: Antonia Le ‘22
As college students, one of the hardest things for us to do is to take care of our mental health. With midterm season still in full swing for some, while social and extra-curricular responsibilities continue to exist, it’s difficult to find time to sit down and ask yourself, “Am I okay?”. If the answer is no, then it’s near impossible to start making efforts to improve one’s own mental health. I’ve struggled with mental health issues all throughout high school and through my freshman year of college, and for the longest time, I was good at bottling up my feelings and pushing through. However, this semester, I’m taking a harder course load than ever, and I couldn’t deny my own feelings. I needed to talk to someone who would understand how to help me. As a result, I made the trek over to STU 422, where I decided to talk to a counselor for the first time in my entire life.
Sick Day/Day-Off Checklist
By: Jordan Bucknor ‘22
Being perfectly honest, I was never one of those people who got perfect attendance. I just couldn’t do it. At some point during the year, I’m either going to come down with something or just completely burn myself out. I’m a believer in breaks sometimes being necessary and that there is nothing wrong with them, but as college students, we do have responsibilities and we can’t just throw them to the wind at every whim. So, before you go ahead and skip that 9AM lecture because you’re feeling a bit off, run through this list and make sure you have all your pieces in place.
The Trojan Farmer’s Market
By: Alexis M Peters ‘20
I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but every Wednesday—right on USC’s campus in McCarthy Quad—is a farmer’s market. It’s honestly such a great system considering that USC is kind of in a food desert. Meaning: it can be pretty difficult to get fresh and nutritious food options around here. The introduction of Trader Joe’s and Target in the village has been a total lifesaver, but it’s so nice to have the farmer’s market to supplement your fridge stash with fresh, local, beautifully glistening produce, and support local businesses at the same time. Haven’t checked it out? Read on to find out what amazing stuff you’re missing at the farmer’s market, and why farmer’s markets are better than traditional grocery stores: