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 a specific read?
Everything You Need to Know about ¡Día de los Muertos!
By: Nancy Aguilar ‘22
Día de los Muertos or Day of the Dead is a holiday of Mexican origin dedicated to remembering and honoring the deceased. The holiday is typically celebrated by cleaning the graves in the cemetery and setting an altar (ofrenda) dedicated to the dead. In the majority of Mexico, Día de los Muertos is celebrated from October 31st-November 1st but the dates there and internationally can extend to over a number of days.
Power Couple Saves Student Laptops and Livelihoods at the USC Village
By: Ngai Yeung ‘23
Everyone breezes right past the sleek, austere storefront that almost looks like a mini Apple store on Jefferson—that is, until they’re in trouble. For where else can a student with two essays and a presentation due the next day go when smoke starts wafting out of their laptop?
Tips For The Best Concert Experience
By: Lanie Brice ‘24
With the COVID vaccine more widely distributed and new safety measures in place, live music is making its return to LA and around the globe. As a music industry major, I’m selfishly excited to get back to live shows, but I’m also relieved for the small venues who have fought hard to stay open through the last year and a half. Since we’re all a bit out of practice when it comes to going to concerts, I made a list of six tips to make sure you have the most fun (and safe) experience possible seeing your favorite artists live.
What I Eat at USC Dining Halls in a Week!
By: Kristen Adams ‘25
At USC, you can choose from three different dining halls: EVK, the Village, and Parkside. There are pros and cons to each dining hall, though it is important to note that the ratings and opinions about each dining hall and the food they offer are subjective; every eater has different preferences! Below is a quick rundown and analysis of each dining hall, mainly taking location and variety into consideration. Following the rundown is a picture gallery of all the meals I’ve eaten from the dining halls in the past week. Enjoy!
My Moving Journey: What I Learned (Part 2)
By: Sydney Henry ‘24
Welcome back! This is Part 2 of My Moving Journey, so make sure to go and check out Part 1 first before reading this one. Part 2 is going to be all about the actual plane ride and touching down in LA! The best part!
My Moving Journey: What I Learned (Part 1)
By: Sydney Henry ‘24
Welcome back everyone! It’s a new semester, everyone is back on campus, and everyone is still not over the end of summer break. My last post of the spring semester talked about me getting ready to move cross country from New York to California to attend USC, and let’s just say I both did and didn’t follow my own advice. Yikes! But, as I said in that last post, this is a learning experience for all of us, and I definitely learned a lot. A lot that I can share with you all.
Where to Use Your Meal Plan Swipe
By: Hannah Skinner ‘23
2021 has brought many new changes to campus, one of these being the meal plan swipes! On top of the three residential dining halls, there are now other on-campus options for those with a meal plan - like some restaurants at TCC. So if you are looking to dine somewhere that is not a dining hall without spending coveted dining dollars, take a look at this list so find some of my favorite options!
How I Started My Own Podcast
By: Antonia Le ‘22
I’ve had a lot of time to kill over the past few Zoom semesters, so I started listening to a lot of podcasts. Podcasts are perfect for long walks around campus, running errands at Target, and my all-too-dreaded weekly chores.
As an avid podcast listener, I started thinking: “Why can’t I start my own thing?”. I’d like to say that I had a noble reason for starting a podcast. Truthfully, though, I just wanted to see if I could do it…and I did. With only four episodes out, I wouldn’t consider myself an expert, but I hope talking about my own experiences can show people that you don’t have to create something groundbreaking to have a lot of fun and learn a lot!
How to Get Ready to Move to Campus
By: Sydney Henry ‘24
The end of the semester is finally here and everyone is eager to get ready for the day when we get to move onto campus. At least, I know I am so ready to move-in and get to see all the internet friends I made over the past year. But, I also know that many of you may be scared and unsure of what exactly you need to know or do in order to make such a big move. I am in the same boat; I have never moved in my life, and now all of a sudden I need to move cross country. So, this will be a learning experience for all of us, but hopefully some of the research I’ve done can help you figure out what you should and shouldn’t do during this big move.
3 Reasons Why Parkside IRC Is The Best Freshman Dorm
By: Justin Negash ‘22
Getting Parkside IRC was definitely my last choice on the housing portal. Everyone I knew in USC was telling me how IRC was antisocial, dark, and “away from all the fun”. I thought my freshman year, for lack of better words, would suck. Instead, I got an experience unlike any other.
Here are 3 reasons why Parkside IRC is the best freshman dorm.
DIY Room Decor
By: Claire Wong ‘23
During the quarantine, I spent a lot of time on Pinterest and Tik Tok getting artsy, but so many of these crafts had no use. I was trying to figure out a way to make those crafts practical and with the new school year, room decor is a perfect way to create a fun piece but also destress through creativity. Here are three unique DIY room decor ideas to add to your room this school year:
The Freshman Dorm Guide
By: Claire Wong ‘23
It’s housing season and there are so many options! There are so many to chose from and so many different styles. Here is a guide to all the reputations, amenities, and everything you need to know about each freshman dorm!