To the untrained eye, college appears to be a foreign world teeming with unknown life. Amongst outsiders, the subject of a stereotypical USC student conjures images of a child in a family of Trojans who holds a certain amount of wealth. But upon closer inspection, you’ll find that the school’s environment contains many people who exist outside of the norm. In recent years, 25% of admitted students were first-generation and 22% of undergraduates are defined as low income.

At one point or another you have probably had or will have a roommate, whether that be in school or not. Sometimes it can be difficult to navigate living with someone new, especially if you are used to having your own space. From personal experience, I feel it is important to maintain a decent living environment to ensure yourself a safe space to relax and also allowing yourself more time and energy to go into school. Here are a few tips and habits you can utilize to build a mutually beneficial relationship with your roommate.

Like my peers, the thought of living with roommates was a bit unpleasant. But as a transgender student, the added possibility of living with people who were uninformed about my identity was nightmarish. At best, these people could be unsure yet accepting. At worst, I could face hatred, or even violence. These thoughts stayed in the back of my mind as I began to look into housing. Then the Rainbow Floor appeared.  

Fall semester typically brings an exciting aura into the atmosphere: tailgating, the smell of the street hotdogs after a football game, waiting in long lines at Dulce, joining new clubs, etc. But for those who embarked on a full-time Summer internship, going back to school brings a weird mix of feelings. During the last week of my Summer internship, my team gave me words of wisdom for approaching my senior year like, “have fun,” “live in the moment,” “treasure it!” I took these pieces of advice to heart but internally made a duh face. Of course, I’ll enjoy going back.

Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock. Graduating, starting a “big girl job,” and the pressures of building three to five years of work experience into a shot at “entry-level” positions is ever tumultuous and fast approaching. As a PR student in Annenberg, it’s been ingrained in me by professors, upperclassmen, and LinkedIn culture that each student, on average, completes six internships throughout their studies at USC before they graduate. I think this toxic mindset of completing fall/spring/summer internship cycles year after year to merely make progress towards this “six” number only backs students into a corner of doing work they aren’t passionate about.

By: Kathryn Aurelio ‘25

As much as university life means curating consistent health and study habits while being independent of your family, it also welcomes in living with another person striving for the same goals. While the honeymoon phase of school begins when we’re eagerly attending welcome events, debriefing afterward, bonding over coffee, and much more, it’s inevitable to have some level of conflict throughout the school year. To nip possible tense situations in the bud, here are words of advice to navigate a co-living life:

By: Kelsey Cheng ‘25

This class shreds what you think you know about the scientific world and then builds it back up again. It opened my eyes to questions I never even thought to wonder, and then it gave me the framework for answering them for myself.

By: Amy Argueta ‘25 (USC Student Life Guest Blogger)

Anya Ball is the next rising DJ you need to check out. After feeling uninspired and unmotivated during her first semester in college, Ball turned to DJing as a new creative outlet. Just eight months after buying her first mixer, she already has 25 venues nation-wide under her belt, and a whole lot of future to look forward to.

By: Ela Rybak ‘25

As USC students, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with work and find ourselves not going outside as much as we probably should. Hiking is a great way to get out and relieve stress, but it’s easy to get overwhelmed trying to find the perfect trail!

By: Sanaa Alam ‘25

Are you interested in joining clubs to meet like-minded pre-medical friends while helping the community? Look no further! Here’s a list of clubs I have joined that allow you to serve the community through science and can help you meet friends who you might see in your pre-health classes:

By: Sydney Fiorentino ‘24

I can’t stress enough that self care can be anything—as long as you're working towards improving your mental or physical health in big or small ways, you can quantify it as self care.

By: Lanie Brice ‘24

As someone obsessed with planning and spreadsheets, I’ve worked out a formula over my last year at USC for tackling registration season, so here’s my best advice for navigating your advising meetings, choosing your courses, and being prepared for when you have to log into WebReg to secure your dream schedule.