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?
Don’t Sweat It: Getting Over Gym Anxiety at USC
By: Antonia Le ‘22
Let’s face it, with midterm season still in full swing and finals season edging closer every day, going to the gym is probably one of the last things in your mind. Even if there was all of the time in the world, many USC students do not take full advantage of the fitness opportunities available to them. Right on USC’s campus, there are two state-of-the-art fitness centers, the Lyon Center and the USC Village Gym, that students can walk in and use for free. It’s normal to have anxiety over going to the gym (especially if you’ve never gone before, or have little knowledge of the machines), but there’s no better time than the present to start your fitness journey. Gym memberships will only get more expensive once you graduate, so if you wanna make the most of your USC experience, here’s some tips for getting over gym anxiety and living your best life.
How to Make Money as a College Student
By: Natalie Oganesyan ‘22
As we all know, college is expensive. Extremely and unnecessarily so (but that’s a topic for another blog post). If you’re anything like me, the enormous cost of college, basic necessities, and also extra fun expenditures are always on your mind. Stressing out over money, budgeting, and if you can afford certain things is not only detrimental mentally, but it’s also distracting from studies and extracurricular activities. I wanted to provide a conclusive list of ways to make money that are feasible and accessible for college students, regardless of their year or experience. Contrary to popular belief, there are plenty of ways to make money as a college student. You just have to look for them! Hopefully, this post can help ease some worries and give you a look into how simple it can be to get that bread and secure the bag($).
Explore LA: Sawtelle
By: Sophia Pei ‘22
Looking for great Japanese food and cute plushies but don’t want to deal with Little Tokyo tourist traps? Visit Sawtelle instead. Just 10 stops heading west on the Metro Expo line from USC is West LA’s “Little Japantown.” This mini center of East Asian food and novelties is located on Sawtelle Blvd. As a West LA resident, this was one of my go-to spots growing up. Here are some of my favorite things to do at Sawtelle.
Removing Toxicity and Practicing Self-Love
By: Natalie Oganesyan ‘22
I was recently moved to make this post because of an experience in my personal life concerning relationships. Without going into too much sensitive detail, I cared about a person who did not reciprocate my same feelings. They led me on and, in the end, I felt a whirlwind of overwhelming emotions that I could not shake for a long time — frustration, anger, sadness, betrayal, even stupidity. I felt cheated, discarded, naive, especially since this was my first attempt at a romantic relationship. I wanted to make this blog post to help others who may be in the same position, who are struggling to get over a friendship or relationship with a toxic person or who need a little help practicing self-love in getting rid of people in their lives that only spread negativity.
The New Feminism: STEMinism ft. Cool Women Scientists at USC!
By: Lindsey Hamilton ‘22
Challenge: name one woman scientist… other than Marie Curie. While Ms. Curie certainly earned her title as the quintessential female scientist with her discovery of radioactivity and the elements radium and polonium, she is just one small piece of the larger picture of women in science. Women have made invaluable contributions to science, despite many obstacles preventing them from succeeding in a field not historically welcoming to females. But times are quickly changing, spurred on by passionate, brave, intelligent women in all fields of research. It is therefore with great pride that I would like to feature some of these incredible women making big strides in the world of science right in our very own USC community.
Sexual Violence Protection Services and Title IX Policy at USC
By: Sumaya Hussaini ‘22
With recent events on campus like lawsuits being filed against the USC Student Health Center and growing conversations over sexual assault, it’s imperative that students understand the services that their university has to offer. If you’re unaware of USC’s current policies and regulations concerning sexual violence prevention and protection, don’t worry! This article will explain Title IX policy, RSVP Student Health Services, information regarding rape kits and date rape drug testing, and what the Undergraduate Student Government is doing to protect the sexual health and safety of its students.
Stuck at USC? 5 Tips for Spring Break on a Budget
By: Antonia Le ‘22
After a month of midterms, rainy days, and late nights, spring break is finally here! Your best friend is headed to Cancun, the girl you sit next to is going to London, and your roommate has a plane ticket home for the next week! Meanwhile, you’re still here at USC. But don’t worry, whether you’re stuck here because of work, money, or because you simply don’t want to go home, here are some ways to make the most of your week at USC without emptying your wallet!
Plan B for Plan B: Emergency Contraception Around USC
By: Karla Leung ‘22
Accidents are a part of life, and in a pinch, it’s good to know where to find emergency contraceptives. Purchasing Plan B, a pregnancy test, or any other sexual health item can sometimes be embarrassing or nerve-wracking. Luckily, there are a variety of places around and off campus that provide discrete and convenient access.
Things to Do on a Rainy LA Day
By: Ann Nguyen ‘22
“It’s Los Angeles. It won’t rain in Los Angeles!”
…And now it’s raining. So, aside from giving in and buying an umbrella, are you at a loss on what to do? Well, as the band TOTO tells us, “take some time to do the things you never had.”
Getting Inspired at USC SCAPE’s InspirASIAN Event
By: Antonia Le ‘22
According to Murphy’s Law, anything that can go wrong will go wrong. As a woman of science and perpetual optimist, I’m usually the first to tell you that Murphy’s Law is absolute garbage. It’s not even a real scientific law! However, as an intern for USC’s Student Coalition for Asian Pacific Empowerment (SCAPE), I witnessed the effects of Murphy’s Law firsthand. On Thursday, February 28th, SCAPE put on its signature event, inspirASIAN. As part of my intern duties, I had to help the executive board make sure that everything went according to plan (spoiler alert! It did not.). Yet, as I think back on that exhausting Thursday night, what sticks out to me the most is that fact that despite all the bumps along the way, the SCAPE E-board ended up putting together something pretty great.
Self-Care During Midterm Season
By: Natalie Oganesyan ‘22
Let me paint a familiar picture. It’s midterm season and you’re spending all your available hours and sanity on studying. You’re stressed beyond belief, but in a week or two the worst will be over. That is, until you get hit with the common cold. Or something in your personal life goes horribly wrong. Or you realize you spread yourself way too thin. Your first thought is “Are you kidding me?” and it’s closely followed by “That’s just my luck.” But I’m here to tell you that it’s not the end of the world. Even if you feel like death now, and everything feels like it’s coming crashing down, here are a couple things you can do to give yourself a break and push through this trying time:
Griffith Museum
By: Sophia Pei ‘22
Just 12 miles north and 1,273ft up (in elevation) from USC is the Griffith Observatory. The museum, though small, hosts an extensive display of astronomy related exhibits. Free for all and an easy two Metro rides away, it’s a place every student should frequent at least once in their four years at USC.