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?
Literal Trojan Family
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
The deadline for college decisions is fast approaching and if your younger sibling is still in between schools, you don’t have much time to act.
Arts District Vlog
By: Paul Samaha ‘17
Here’s a little video I made of my adventures yesterday in the Arts District. I encourage everyone to check out the Arts District; it’s just a 15 minute drive away from USC and you can spend the whole afternoon walking around the beautiful post-industrial neighborhood, making it the perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of the downtown college life. Spots located in the video are the Daily Dose Café, Artist & Craftsman Supply and Little Bear Pub. The Arts District is definitely one of LA’s most underrated neighborhoods. Be sure to check it out and enjoy the getaway!
A Year Older—A Year Wiser? Tommy’s Trivia Night
By: Emily Young MA ‘16
In honor of my 22nd birthday, a couple of friends and I ventured to Tommy’s Place for Trivia Night. It’s a great time, even if you are like me and don’t know an assortment of random facts!
SC Spotlight: Pocket Sun
By: Judy Lee ‘17
A thunderbolt who crashed onto the USC organization scene, Pocket is one of the most driven people I’ve met – with precision and execution to actualize her ambitions. Currently pursuing a Masters of Science in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Pocket is also the founder and president of the newest female-oriented organization on campus: SoGal (previously known as GirlsUp). Her favorite snacks include a variety of Asian desserts!
Empty USC Fountains—Where did the Water Go?
By: Emily Young MA ‘16
USC is rich with traditions, but what happens when one of these traditions gets out of hand?
The Diamond Jubilee
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
Last night, I had the distinct pleasure of attending Navy Ball with my most cherished friend, Evan. He is in the NROTC program here and through him, I have gotten to meet some amazing people and future Navy and Marine Corps. officers. Also thanks to his patience and my incessant questions, I like to think I have a better understanding about what ROTC and serving in the Navy really means.
SC Spotlight: Denise Rockstroh
By: Judy Lee ‘17
Denise Rockstroh is a humble powerhouse of a lady, and I’m so proud to present her as my second SC Spotlight! Denise is majoring in Health Promotion & Disease Prevention/Pre-Med emphasis and is in the class of 2015 (”ahhh graduation!”) She is the director of the Special Events Committee within Program Board, and her favorite snack is frozen blueberries!
Top 5 Things that Happened at SpringFest
By: Paul Samaha ‘17
This year’s annual Springfest at USC was a certified banger. With a stacked lineup and attractions all around (including a brand new beer garden!), the student body never saw a dull moment on McCarthy Quad this past Saturday.
From Donuts to Billions: The Unlikely Success Story of a Tiger Mom
By: Hannah Kim ‘15
The SoGal summit was the first of its kind- a day-long conference for female entrepreneurs! The day was packed with everything from free snacks to a selfie booth to a pitch competition. It was an opportunity for hundreds of women entrepreneurs/wannabe entrepreneurs to learn from and talk to investors and incubators. It was an incredible event but I was struggling with a bit of a hangover and found that all of the panels and speeches filled me with panic as I realized how much work it takes to create a start-up. What have I been doing with my life? Why have I wasted so much time? How will I ever be an entrepreneur? These despairing questions filled my throbbing head.
LA Mag: The Breakfast Conversation Series
By: Hannah Kim ‘15
Los Angeles Magazine recently hosted a panel where women leaders came together to talk about the importance of mentorship. Though they work in different fields and come from disparate backgrounds, these women all share the quality of being a *~badass~*. Whether they’re facilitating youth outreach programs in South Central LA or giving women the perfect blowout, they are empowered leaders who are making a tangible impact in their communities.
Fun 2-unit electives that will bring you to 18 units next Spring
By: Lauren Brose ‘15
As a full-time USC undergraduate student, we are provided with 18 units each semester in our flat tuition rate. The average student typically enrolls in four 4-unit classes that satisfy their graduation requirements and let the extra 2 units go to waste. Consider taking a fun elective instead. 2 units at USC costs approximately $2,300! These classes can be taken pass/fail and won’t affect your GPA whatsoever (students are allowed 24 units of pass/fail). I went through the course catalogue and chose the most intriguing 2-unit elective classes USC is offering this spring to over in all disciplines. Learn to play an instrument or try a new form of dance. Whatever it is, have fun! :)
Water You Up To Tonight?
By: Lauren Brose ‘15
High-fructose corn syrup, fructose, fruit juice concentrates, honey, syrup, corn syrup, sucrose, dextrose…. These are all fancy synonyms for an ingredient we all know too well: sugar. Gatorade, Snapple, soda and fruit juices all contain one or more of the previous empty-calorie sweeteners. Drinking too many sugary drinks can contribute to being overweight or obese as well as a variety of other adverse health effects. It’s addictive, bad for your teeth, has no nutritional value, can lead to diabetes and raises your cholesterol. If you’re looking for a quick way to cut calories or if you’re trying to spruce up your diet, cut out these beverages and substitute it with water.