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: 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: Antonia Le ‘22

I might be an outlier when I say this, but there is nothing that I hate more than club recruitment season. It’s hard enough handling classes and homework, but trying to fill out a million applications and schedule a dozen interviews? Forget it. They say it’s supposed to get easier over time, but if it does, I haven’t hit that point yet. I won’t lie. There are times where I’ve applied to a club/program just to apply to something and then regretted it. However, there are also clubs and programs that I will be thankful for every day, and CIRCLE is one of them. If you identify as an Asian or Pacific Islander, I suggest you read on and learn all about the amazing CIRCLE program.

By: Sarah Ko ‘22

Ever wonder what it’s like to be a typical freshman at USC? Watch this video to find out!

By: Sarah Ko ‘22

Looking to get streetwear, sneakers, or thrifted items? Melrose in West Hollywood is the epitome of fashion in LA. Here are some of the must go to places! Businesses in the Video: Round Two, American Vintage, Crossroads, RNCNSTRCT, Bait, Pearl’s Finest Teas, Flight Club, and Supreme.

By: Sarah Ko ‘22

Here’s a quick tour of McMarrow Residential! All village housing is apartment style, equipped with a full bathroom, kitchen, and living room. Every residential building in the Village also has a laundry room on every floor, air condition, study lounges, and an outdoor patio. Also located in the Village are small boutiques, restaurants, FedEx, Amazon Lockers, Target, and Trader Joe’s. For more information about USC housing, visit here!

By: Sarah Ko ‘22

Want a day off from campus and head to a sun-filled California beach? Grab your friends, beach towels, and sunscreen and head to Santa Monica beach! It’s easy to get there, and only takes 30 minutes!

By: Antonia Le ‘22

Trigger warnings for mentions of anxiety, depression, and suicide.

I’m still trying to process the fact that my freshman year at USC is almost over. I’m heading into my second round of finals, and the first final I have coming up is for my 400-level math class. Right now, I’m really hoping that this past year has been a dream, and tomorrow I’ll wake up as a high school senior who doesn’t have to take a Theory of Numbers final.

By: Karla Leung ‘22

When walking to class or wandering around campus, I quickly realized how unique the outfits and styles of USC students are; we have everything from Balenciaga sneakers to thrift store finds. Wanting to showcase what some of the more fashion-conscious people on campus wear, I walked around campus with a camera and a pad of paper on the hunt for my favorite outfits.

Talk ~literally anything but English~ to me ;)

By: Lindsey Hamilton ‘22

Fact #1: Only about 20% of the world’s population speaks English.

Fact #2: That means if you only speak English, you can’t speak to 80% of the people on Earth.

Fact #3: It’s a little tricky to treat these people as equals and learn from them if we can’t even talk to them.

Fact #4: That’s an issue.

By: Sarah Ko ‘22

Springfest is an annual music festival put together by the USC Concert Committee. At the event, there are several booths with free merchandise, food trucks, and guest artists. This year’s lineup included Trippe Redd, TroyBoi, Still Woozy, J.I.D., and Gunna. Past guests have been Migos, Tyga, and 2 Chainz.

By: Antonia Le ‘22

Last weekend, I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. I had a rough draft of my WP-4 for my Writing 150 class due on Monday, but I was also coughing my brains out every five minutes, and the last thing I wanted to do was write. Everyone knows that the worst time to be sick is when you’ve got a big deadline or test coming up, and sometimes getting an extension just isn’t possible. Sometimes, when the forces of the universe conspire against you, you’ve just gotta pull yourself up by the bootstraps and get to work. I managed to do it this past weekend, and you can too. Here are some of my tips for staying productive on sick days!