By: Karla Leung ‘22

After the recent summer earthquakes — a 6.4 and later a 7.1 magnitude only 150 miles away from Los Angeles — earthquakes have become an even more pressing issue in California. Throughout the Los Angeles area, the quake and its aftershocks were felt and California residents have been increasingly concerned of impending earthquakes in the future. If you’re from out of state and have never experienced the threat of an earthquake, it’s important to be aware of the steps to take in case one hits during your time at USC.

By: Jordan Bucknor ‘22

If you do not write follow-up emails on the regular, you are probably missing out. Networking is a huge part of the college experience and a great way to foster those relationships with future employers/possible mentors is through follow-up emails. Even if you are writing them to every recruiter, speaker, or alumni you meet, you may not be going about it in the best way. So, if you want to learn the most effective method to express your self, thankfulness, and career aspirations through email, keep reading!

By: Camila Grases ‘21

On Saturday, September 28, I had the privilege of joining students from the ARCG 305L class on a trip to Catalina. The purpose of the trip was to train students to create 3D models of sunken ships in Lake Tahoe— a trip they will be taking during the fall break. The class combines students and teachers from varying backgrounds with the goal of teaching the students how to create photogrammetry models underwater.

By: Antonia Le ‘22

We’ve all been there. You tell yourself that you’ll stay up a little bit to study for your midterm, but when it comes time to actually take the test, you find yourself wanting to doze off halfway through. Or maybe you had a great night’s sleep, but there’s that one professor whose voice just puts you to sleep. However, you might not want to reach for that cup of coffee just yet. Drinking too much caffeine (or caffeine at the wrong time of day) can mess up your sleep schedule and send you into an infinite loop of feeling tired, reaching for a cup of coffee, and not getting enough sleep. Instead, try these tricks for staying awake in class!

By: Talia Walters ‘20

USC has hundreds of minors in almost every single school, and so sometimes it’s hard to find the right minor for you. There’s so many that it’s overwhelming to try to sift through all of the programs, and often, minors that are really interesting, cool, and unique get thrown to the wayside only because students don’t know about them. To try and combat this, I’ve curated a list of 16 unique and interesting minors (by my standards) below that I’ve never heard someone declare. As always, if you have any questions about if you have room for a minor or how you declare a minor, it’s best to stop by your major adviser’s office so they can…well…advise you in the right direction.

By: Talia Walters ‘20

After three finished years at USC, applying and deciding to come here feels like a distant memory. However, as I continue to trudge slowly through my senior year of college and as I see all of my friends in graduation caps announcing their future plans, I’m beginning to realize, much to my horror, that it might just be time to open those college apps again. In honor of a trying time for all of us, both high school and college seniors, I’ve been reflecting on my own journey to USC. I think my story’s a bit on the unique side, and I wanted to share it with everyone who might be worried about their upcoming applications or who might be regretting the commitment they made just a few weeks ago. Thus, I present: Talia’s Journey to USC.

By: Antonia Le ‘22

Ever since returning to USC for another fun semester of schoolwork and stress-eating, I have come face-to-face with an extremely uncomfortable truth: sometime between my last final in May and my first day of school in August, I had lost the ability to write. Once able to write pages upon pages of semi-passable work for WRIT 150 in one night, I now struggle to write more than a paragraph of coherent thought. It’s difficult to get back into any sort of formal writing when you haven’t done it in a while. However, over my lifetime, I’ve picked up a few tips and hacks for writing when you really don’t want to (or know how to). They’ve helped me get back into the groove of writing, and I hope they’ll help you too.

By: Alexis M Peters ‘20

Ah, money management. As broke college students, it’s something we all inevitably struggle with. We’re new to this big wide world, and now we have to figure out how to responsibly use money. And studying at USC, there are so many amazing opportunities that, unfortunately, cost money. So it’s extra important to manage your moolah wisely. Here, I’ll share a few tips that I’ve found to be helpful when you’re starting to budget for the first time in college.

By: Sophia Pei ‘22

USC is fortunate enough to have 3 Metro stops near USC’s main campus! For $1.75 you’re able to go to DTLA or Santa Monica and everywhere in between. Here are some tips from an LA local about the Metro Expo line.

By: Lindsey Hamilton ‘22

As bad as this sounds…I’m not gonna lie, I thought I was going to find a scandal…but didn’t! Read below to follow me through my journey- from skepticism to being a little bit proud- of learning about sustainability efforts at USC.

By: Sophia Pei ‘22

It’s that time of year! School is starting, summer is coming to an end. You may believe you’ve escaped the worst of the heat, but September only brings more of that dry, signature LA heat. Whether you’re hoping to explore LA with friends, looking for ideas for a date, or simply love ice cream, here are some of my favorite ice cream stores in LA that are easily accessible by public transport. This list is not for the weak of heart, all these stores are known for their unique (and unconventional) flavors so explore with an open mind!

By: Talia Walters ‘20

Instead of doing a blog post for Trojans360, I decided to do a video with all the tips and tricks of how to handle realizing you're passionate about something new too late into college to change anything.