By: Natalia Wurst ‘21

It’s the time of the year when a lot a small talk conversations will somehow end up incorporating, “So, any spring break plans?” At that point, you probably already realized that a train ticket back to your hometown is the most money/energy/effort you can afford to spend. But then the doubts start to settle–does that make me a friendless lame-o who will look back on their college years and start uncontrollably sighing with regret? Is everyone hanging out without me? Fear not, because the answer is a 95% confident no to all of the above. Instead of making up a fake trip to the Bahamas with your fifty best friends, here’s why/how you should embrace going home for break:

By: Alexis M Peters ‘20

So, home is too far away to justify buying a plane ticket back for only a week (or you just really don’t want to spend your break hanging out with your little brother), or your friends are all going on fun trips out of town that for whatever reason didn’t work out for you. You’re spending spring break in LA, and you have no idea what to do with your time that doesn’t include banging your head against the wall from absolute boredom. Trust me, I get it. But there are loads of fun things you can do if you’re staying in town during spring break. As USC students, we’re a little desensitized to the glamour and glory of Los Angeles. City of Angels? Yeah, yeah. Been there, studied there. But remember, LA is actually a spring break destination for other students across the country. So, if you’re thinking there’s nothing to do: think again…

By: Joy Ofodu ‘18

USC Helenes is a sisterhood of passionate and compassionate women who are driven to make a change. We aim to set an example of kindness, positivity, and poise, on and off the university campus, by serving our school and various non-profit organizations in Los Angeles.

By: Joy Ofodu ‘18

Delta Kappa Alpha is a coeducational professional cinema fraternity meant to foster lifelong character, collaborative and creative storytelling, ethical and productive business practices, philanthropic action, and fraternal bonds by and between students of the cinematic arts.

By: Alexis M Peters ‘20

You may think that this process is no different than making friends as a freshman, but you would be wrong. Any transfer student knows that making new friends at your new university is not always an easy feat. Maybe as an incoming freshman at your previous college, there was a welcoming committee ready and willing to help you move into your dorm in a flash. There was a long welcome week full of events and activities specialized for you to mingle, make friends and assimilate into college life. There are mixers and events to get you integrated into your dorm community. And sure, they’ve got welcome week at USC, but as a transfer student, it’s just not the same. You’re older than a freshman, and should therefore be able to figure out USC life yourself, right? But coming from another college can be challenging in many ways, and one of those is making friends. As a transfer student myself, I understand how difficult it is to start over from scratch at a whole new university. It might be tough, but it’s not impossible. Fear not! Here, I offer tips to making friends as a transfer student easy as pie.

By: Maddie Walsh ‘20

If you’re growing tired of going to the same fast food places on Figueroa over and over again, then it’s time for you to check out Mercado La Paloma. It’s a food court-style market with a number of restaurants and small shops offering everything from vegan Ethiopian food to traditional Yucatan cuisine, and it’s only two blocks away from campus! The food isn’t even the best part. Mercado La Paloma is a project overseen by the Esperanza Community Housing Corporation whose goal is to “promote business-ownership opportunities” and “living wage jobs” while building a stronger community. On the second floor of the building there are non-profit offices and spaces for classes and community meetings. So, when you go to get some delicious food, you’ll be supporting a great cause, as well! Keep reading to learn more about the restaurants waiting for you there.

By: Danielle Collins ‘20

Living a healthy lifestyle is one of the biggest struggles of being a college student. As someone who used to hate working out, I had a hard time finding motivation to go to the gym. But investing in a USC Group Fitness Membership last semester changed all of that. With the mid-semester membership discount coming up on March 1st, I wanted to share some information about USC Workout. Purchasing a USC Group Fitness Membership gives you unlimited access to fitness classes at the Lyon Center and the Village Gym. USC offers a variety of classes throughout the day every day. Keep reading to find out more about USC Group Fitness Memberships and how to sign up!

By: Lilly Kate Diaz ‘20

In the words of John Keating (played by Robin Williams) from Dead Poets’ Society. Okay, so yes – I am a little biased when it comes to poetry because I, myself, am a poet. But in this post, I’m going to tell you why college students (and honestly, everyone) should write poetry.

By: Natalia Wurst ‘21

There’s an informal consensus I’ve gathered from making conversation with sleep deprived people on elevators: midterm season is just a never-ending cycle of death that comes at you every few weeks and doesn’t go away. I make a lot of jokes about crying at Leavey for a girl who’s trying to seem reputable here, so we’ll put those aside for now–here’s how to finally get around to being productive in these very bleak times.

By: Maddie Walsh ‘20

Everyone has pet peeves, whether it’s the sound of cracking knuckles or slow walkers taking up the whole hallway, and professors are no exception. I spoke with a number of USC professors to learn about the little things that students do that stand out as particularly annoying. You can get on your prof’s good side by avoiding these 5 things!

By: Jamie Wu ‘18

Daniella Mohazab is a senior studying Communication, Media Economics and Entrepreneurship, and is a first year masters student studying Communication Management. Aside from her passion for communication, she is also a strong advocate for the mental well-being of students on our USC campus as well as young adults across the U.S.

By: Alexis M Peters ‘20

Okay, I know what you’re thinking, and the answer is no. I didn’t stay out too late, and I wasn’t being an irresponsible college student. I was living it up on the dance floor at 7 AM on a Wednesday for the good of my health. The fact of the matter is: I hate exercise. I hate going to the gym. I hate running. I hate movement just for the sake of movement. You will never find me doing squats at the gym. You will never find me on an elliptical or a treadmill. And if you do, check up on me to make sure I’m alright.