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?
A Guide to USC’s Libraries
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
Recently, a student asked your hardworking friends at Trojans 360 to create a guide to USC’s libraries and I have volunteered my services for the task. As it turns out, there a lot more libraries available to met than I ever realized. If you want more information about the hours of these libraries or the services available, the USC library website has a whole lot of info.
Ask A Trojan: Freshman Move-In (Tips, Tricks & Packing Lists)
By: Anna Lipscomb ‘19
Hello there! First of all, great question! Although I am not an international student, I will try my best to answer your question! Freshman move-in day. I still remember the emotional mixture of excitement and nervousness as I started a new stage in my life.
Ask a Trojan: Rec Letters and Rushing Panhellenic as an African American
By: Kelly Kinas ‘16
Panhellenic Recruitment starts August 20th with the Rules Symposium. You can apply here until then but you may have some questions now. I am totally here for you! I rushed my freshman year, was on the sister side of recruitment my sophomore, & was the VP of New Member Education on the Panhellenic Council last year (Junior year)! So if you have any questions, just go to our ask box and ask away like s0phistique did! Her question was “What is it like for an african american student to rush a panhellenic sorority?”
Spice up your life! 2-Unit Courses for Fall 2016
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
If you still have space for 2 more units in your schedule, look no further. The department chairs of a number of programs make a list every semester of “Courses of Interest” for students who aren’t majoring in the field but might find them enjoyable and beneficial for one reason or another. I myself have already taken 3 off this list, all in the film school, and promptly realized I wanted to minor in Screenwriting as a result. So maybe this will help shape your major/minor decision making process or future career goals or maybe you’ll just have a really interesting 2 unit course this semester and that’s perfectly valid, too! Whatever the case may be, I’ve taken the liberty of choosing the FIVE COOLEST 2-UNIT COURSES this fall and have listed the rest below, as well, if you don’t trust me or your tastes differ.
(Sporty) Spice Up Your Life!
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
If you have extra room in your schedule, want to add a 1 or 2 unit course, and/or want to learn a new skill and stay fit in the process, look no further than the PHED department! There are 23 Physical Education courses being offered this Fall 2016, so you’re sure to find one that fits amidst your other courses, no matter how busy you may be.
Learn from your Big SCister
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
The first lesson is that almost every word that has an S or a C is “Trojanized” to have both and you shouldn’t fight it, but rather laugh and promptly accept it. Soon you’ll be doing it, too. I’m writing this post for my biological brother but since we’re all Trojan Family, the whole class of 2020 is more than welcome to my unsolicited sisterly wisdom. As a rising senior, I’m practically of a different generation than you young folks and my life experience is worth its weight in gold. I would give my right arm (dominant hand and objectively a critical component of my “good side”) to be able to have 4 more years of college like you young grasshoppers get to, especially if I could relive it knowing all I know now. In preparation for writing this letter I looked through my old photos from 2013-2014 (a simpler time) and can’t even believe how good we had it/have it at USC.
12 Things I Wish I Knew My Freshman Year
By: Anna Lipscomb ‘19
1. Keep a planner. I didn’t have one my first semester, and things got chaotic when my mental To-Do list grew too long. Moral of the story: a planner/calendar will be your best friend.
Ask a Trojan: Fitness on Campus
Best: Grace Carballo ‘17
Hey! Thanks so much for your questions; it’s definitely one I was asking myself just three short years ago. There’s a lot of options for fitness on campus and it really just depends on what you’re interested in!
Ask a Trojan: Class Schedules
By: Anna Lipscomb ‘19
Hi there! Thanks for the great question - picking classes can be both an exciting and slightly stressful time. Here are my tips for you:
Ask a Trojan: Getting Help from Professors
By: Cole Sullivan ‘18
Hi Isabella! Thanks for your great question. I know you’re considering applying to USC next year and making sure you’ll be able to do your best academically is a really important factor when you look at colleges. The short answer to your question is: YES! It’s so easy to get help from professors when you’re having difficulty with something…all you have to do is ask!
The Smoothest Move-In
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
Moving in with someone is a big step in any relationship, so not matter how well you know your soon-to-be roommate, it’s perfectly natural to be a little nervous. Whether you met through mutual friends, knew each other in high school, found common ground in your generic posts in the USC Class of 2020 facebook group, or both opted for the “random roommate” in an admirable leap of faith, there’s no way you know what it will be like to live with them until you actually do.
SC Spotlight: Musical Theatre Repertory (MTR)
By: Kelly Kinas ‘16
Ever feel like you need more musical theatre in your life? Good, so it’s not just me! Obviously because USC is amazing at everything, we have an extremely strong theatre and music program put on here by the university. But what about the superbly talented students who want to create the production from the ground up? HAVE NO FEAR. THERE IS A PLACE FOR YOU (or a place for you to watch really talented people sing and act while you secretly eat a power bar).