By: Lilly Kate Diaz ‘20

Are you a lover of books (and free stuff)? Then head over to the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books this April!

By: Ellice Ellis ‘20

Between midterms, jobs, internships, homework, and relationships taking time for yourself can be the last thing on a student’s mind. Taking on too many tasks, overbooking yourself, and never slowing down can put a student in a diminished physical, emotional, and mental state.

By: Ayman Siraj ‘18

This past March 9th, 2017 I had the pleasure of attending two speaker events. The beauty of USC is that you can have your major and still be in touch with your interests. My way of doing that is attending more speaker events that I should be on campus. It is rare that on the same day there are two high profile speaker events but the Thursday of March 9th was one of those days.

By: Grace Carballo ‘17

Last Friday, I met some amazing and inspiring peers at the Diversity Networking Mixer at SCA through several rounds of “speed dating.” The event was hosted by Acción Latina, USC WCA (Women of Cinematic Arts), African American Cinema Society, the Asian American Cinema Association, and Queer Cut, the School of Cinematic Arts’ diversity organizations.

By: Terry Nguyen ‘20

What do you meme you haven’t heard of USC’s meme page? For the latest college trend this past semester, students are turning to a new fascination within internet culture: college-related memes featured on Facebook meme “pages” within a university subculture. As meme culture continues to grow in popularity, college campuses are adopting their own, specific brands of humor. USC is no exception. USC’s page, titled USC Memes for Spoiled Pre-Teens, takes its name inspiration from UC Berkeley’s — UC Berkeley Memes for Edgy Teens. UCLA consequently named its group UCLA Memes for Sick AF Tweens, but the Trojan meme-makers would like to believe pre-teens are arguably cooler than “sick af” tweens. But the real question is: what makes USC’s meme page so iconic? An average USC student’s humor consists of more than simply bagging on UCLA students; it’s a combination of poorly Photoshopped Nikias memes, the slow burn torture of rising tuition, and the strange neo-Gothic pointy structures that guard USC’s gates.

By: Lilly Kate Diaz ‘20

There should never be a day or moment where you don’t put your mental health first. You may have heard of the awesome resources at the OWHP Wellness Lounge, but have you heard of the counseling services on the third floor? If you’re going through depression, anxiety, and/or other mental health issues, this place may be what you need.

By: Lilly Kate Diaz ‘20

Hi, all! My name is Lilly Kate Diaz (aka LKD aka Lilly-Kate). I am a First-Year/Freshman (and First Gen!) student studying English with an emphasis in Literature (soon to be minoring in IT).

By: Ellice Ellis ‘20

“Office hours” is a popular phrase on college campuses. It is mentioned in almost every syllabus and always comes up during conversations about school with family members, alumni, or academic counselors. Office hours are times that professors or teaching assistants (T/A) set aside to be available to their students. A student may go to see a professor or a T/A during office hours because they don’t understand class material, want guidance in the course, or to pursue a topic in more depth than it was covered in class. Going to office hours seems like a pretty simple key to success, but if you’re an introvert or a shy person like myself meeting with your professor seems to be uncomfortable and scary. I’ll be honest, it was not until midterms of my first semester to feel 100% comfortable talking to my professors. I initially was very anxious and scared that I would have been disturbing the professor or asking “stupid questions.” However as time went on, I developed coping strategies that helped me to overcome my office hours jitters.

By: Ayman Siraj ‘18

It is that time of the semester when the whole campus seems to get serious about studies – midterms are in full swing, group projects assigned and for some panic sets in as they try to keep up with the express pace of classes at USC. Many of us think of Leavey Library but there are other great spots as well. Here is my list of the 5 best places to study on campus!

By: Terry Nguyen ‘20

Dark eyebags and the overwhelming aura of desperation are all too common during midterm season, but there is a special treat for the despairing: coffee and café goods. Although Starbucks drinks add little to improve the aura of dark energy literally leaking out from Leavey, you might be feeling as if everyone is rushing to Starbucks and clogging up the Tapingo virtual lines. Have no fear — this listicle is here to guide you to the hidden gem cafés and coffee shops around USC that will help you survive midterms and bolster your energy levels into spring break!

By: Ellice Ellis ‘20

Podcasts and radio media are making a comeback and USC students are ahead of the curve. You can find students on campus not only producing their own content; but playing a wide variety of music, discussing the latest pop-culture gossip, or interviewing interesting people around campus. Finding the right podcast or radio show to get into can be a daunting task, especially if you don’t have hours of time to spare or the patience to sit through a crappy show. So what is the solution? Read the list below and get acquainted with following shows. I’m sure they will have you hooked instantly.

By: Adriana Bernal Martinez ‘20

Next year, we’ll have McCarthy Honors College in The Village to consider as an additional option to the already present freshman dorms – but for now, I’ve taken upon the task of getting the scoop on current USC students’ reviews of their residence halls and suites for the 2016-2017 year. Here’s to hoping that this post compiling facts and feedback from the people that were in your shoes last year can help you incoming Class of 2021-ers a little bit in your housing preferences! It’s coming up a lot sooner than you think.