Books Every First-Year College Student Should Read
Navigating your first few months in college is not an easy task. Take it from me – as a freshman, I struggled to stay motivated in classes and fully engage in university life (not to mention that my first year was 100% online). As an English major, it’s unsurprising that I turned to books for some solace. Whether it be self-help guides, literary classics, or new fiction, books have the power to inspire every era of your life. To guide you in the right direction and set the mood for your college experience, I’ve compiled a list of a few books I believe every first-year should read.
The Must-Have Apps For College Students
By: Sydney Fiorentino ‘24
As college students, we are surrounded by technology. We rely on our smartphones and tablets to communicate with our peers and professors, to check our exam grades, or to fill out all the random surveys we get sent. With the right apps, you can avoid having to find a place to sit, pull out your laptop, and connect to WiFi to stay up to date on your school life. Here are the five apps all USC students should have.
My First Week at USC
By: Ela Rybak ‘25
I always dreamed of being a Trojan. I know it sounds cliché, but I truly set my heart on it as a young girl growing up in Los Angeles. After moving into my apartment near campus, everything moved so fast: one second I was attending convocation in my future graduation gown, and the next, I was sitting in my first official university classes. I couldn’t believe all my hard work finally paid off and that attending USC was finally a reality!
What To Bring (and What Not to Bring) to Your Freshman Dorm
By: Kathryn Aurelio ‘25
It’s the summer before you move to the city of stars and into the 12ft by 12ft dorm of your dreams! Save your time and money with these do’s and don’ts for what to bring to your freshman dorm!
Different Ways to Make Friends as an Incoming Freshman
By: Sydney Henry ‘24
So you’ve finally paid your $300 dollar deposit to confirm your enrollment at USC and announced your decision by posting on Instagram on Decision Day, but what now? You check the different USC decision day hashtags and see several people post that they got into USC and decided to attend for the next 4 years. You want to reach out to them, but you don’t know exactly how. That’s where I step in and give you some different way to become friends with these people, whether you’re completely online or on campus.
What I Learned From My Freshman Year
By: Claire Wong ‘23
Being admitted into my *dream school* was unbelievable and I was ecstatic to be living in Los Angeles at the best Film School in the country. Unfortunately COVID-19 ended it surprisingly early, but my freshman year met so many different expectations and helped me grow as an individual in ways I never anticipated. Here are just a few of the main takeaways I learned from my freshman year at USC!
What is Thematic Option and Why You Should Sign Up
By: Ngai Yeung ‘23
Maybe you heard about it at USC Explore or at orientation, or maybe you know people in it. But what exactly is this mysterious, niche alternative to taking GEs, and why should all newly admitted students sign up for it right away?
7 Things USC Transfer Students Know to Be True
By: Alexis M Peters ‘20
As told by a USC transfer student:
Am I Even An Adult? A Teen Navigating Independence in College
By: Alexandria Frank ‘21
Storytime! So, I bought these tickets last month to go see Cavetown at the Roxy Theatre. I was excited because music is amazing, and live music is even better. I was hesitant to drop $30 on these tickets, not to mention I’d have to pay more on the Uber, but I was committed because I needed to treat myself. It was Valentine’s Day. I ate at the cafeteria in the Village so I wouldn’t be hungry in West Hollywood. I was dressed like an indie music darling. I had ordered my Uber which was taking forever to reach me for some reason, but I wasn’t bothered because I made sure to head out early. I was nearly in the clear. And then my phone rings. It’s my dad.
Reflection: First Semester
By: Sophia Pei ‘22
It’s now the third week of the second semester and honestly, the first semester really flew by. To be fair, everything seems to fly by when looking back on it – I highly doubt that the Sophia trying to finish my WRIT 150 essay while studying for biology midterm 3 and a chemistry midterm felt that way.
A Freshman Perspective: USC vs. UCLA Game Day
By: Amy Wang ‘21
Before attending USC, and even before I was officially accepted as a student, there was a piece of advice I got from upperclassmen that was constantly restated: get a football student season ticket. As someone who knew nothing about football, I hesitated. Two-hundred dollars was a lot of money to ask for considering how much I already had to spend in preparation for college itself. I continued to ask upperclassmen for their input and was told the same. Ultimately, I bought the pass and have no regrets for doing so.
My Experience Traveling to China as a First-Year Business Student
By: Adriana Bernal Martinez ‘20
I remember the day I got this little red and yellow box in the mail. It was in late March of my Senior year of high school. I was coming back home from Debate practice at around 6 and at the sight of two little boxes just chillin’ on my doorstep, my breath caught in my throat. I wasn’t really sure what they were about whatsoever, but they seemed rather important and they had the colors of the school I had just committed to on them, so. I was anxious and excited and maybe a little teensy bitsy sweaty but upon opening them, I learned one thing and one thing only: I was going to China.
USC Involvement Fair Roundup
By: Samantha Romero ‘16
Didn’t get a chance to attend the USC Involvement Fair? No problem, here’s a helpful guide to give you a glimpse of the hundreds of clubs found on campus.
Sign me up!
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
Campuses across the country recognize that extracurricular involvement increases student retention; basically, students are much more likely to continue their higher education at institutions where they feel a sense of belonging and purpose. To find smaller communities within our huge student body, to pursue new and exciting interests, to get to know new and different people, or to find people with similar beliefs - there’s no end to the reasons to get involved at USC.
8 Instagram Worthy Photo Ops in LA
By: Samantha Romero ‘16
You’ve seen them in your feed posted by some of your favorite bloggers but now here’s your chance to grab some friends and roadtrip across the city to snap away at some of the most popular Instagram worthy photo locations.
If USC Dorms Were People
By: Judy Lee ‘17
I’m going to preface this post by saying that I don’t mean to generalize in a derogatory way! Just some fun and games regarding our building stereotypes on campus. FRESHMAN: take this as you may.
5 Nostalgic #JustFreshmanThings
By: Judy Lee ‘17
To be quite honest, I was a very lame freshman. But even looking back, I wish I could relive some of the moments from those days. When it comes down to it, we may all have been pretty derpy kids, but we were carefree kids nonetheless. Here’s some things I miss.
8 Words that have a Different Meaning When You Go to USC
By: Kelly Kinas ‘17
Knowing that you go to the greatest university of the world can change you in some ways. One of those ways is linguistically. Here at USC, we have some different ways to describing things or places. Take a look through the list and see how many you recognize!
Do You Bleed USC Cardinal and Gold?
By: Emily Young MA ‘16
Twenty-one ways to know that you’re a true USC Trojan…
Things You Forgot Over Summer and Need to Remember NOW
By: Kelly Kinas ‘17
With the second week of school just ending, hopefully we all should have gotten back into the swing of things from previous semesters. But those of you like me, I feel like I had a lot more knowledge about campus before I left for summer. When freshman come up to me and ask a question, I don’t automatically know the answer.